Dangerous twist of faith, science

SARAH PALIN may be "a valentine to evangelical base" as the headline of Joseph Williams's Aug. 30 profile read, but she is a rejection letter to the scientific community. Her statement concerning evolution and creationism - that schools should "teach both" as a "healthy debate" - is disturbing to me as a science teacher and as a person of faith.

She equates a worldview that can only be described through faith with a scientific theory that is testable and supported by more than a century of data. When I attend church, I don't collect scientific measurements on my experience of prayer. Likewise, when I teach science, I don't expect my students to have a religious experience (although they may be praying about that pop quiz). I do expect them to test their hypotheses with careful collection of data and critical minds.

Proponents of creationism and intelligent design have never produced research results that would earn a passing grade in my eighth-grade classroom, let alone make publication in a scientific journal.

Palin would bring a dangerous confusion about the distinction between faith and science straight to Washington, at a time when we are facing historic scientific challenges.

MARY MEMMOTT
Framingham