rereason

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE KANSAS BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dear Board:

There is a theory being taught in Kansas public schools which holds the possibility of doing even more damage to the minds of our youth than the theory of evolution. As you again ponder standards of science education in Kansas, I and my fellow Kansans would ask you to consider this other pernicious theory.

First, we do applaud your efforts to listen to the public and embrace our concern over the teaching of the theory of evolution. As anyone can see, the "theory of evolution" is just a "theory." If it were a fact, we could call it simply "evolution," but that's not its name. As a theory, it remains unproven, and the door to alternate theories remains open. But we digress.

While people in other states may point at our educational rules and snicker, we can rest easy. After all, we have proven before and we will prove again that we never let the education of our children come between us and doing the right thing. .

We hope that our students are taught that the progress of science depends on the consideration of all possible and reasonable explanations for any given set of facts, even if some theories are unpopular or disliked because of their origins. We ask for a spirit of true open-mindedness in science, and a willingness to question established authority.

In that same spirit, we propose that the other theory that should be reconsidered is the "atomic theory of matter."

An open minded and fair hearing of the following arguments will show why the State Board of Education should consider requiring the teaching of alternative theories of the nature of matter, just as they are considering alternatives to the theory of evolution.

First, it should be noted that the modern development of this theory has led some physicists to adhere to a number of logically impossible and absurd assertions. For example, there is the widely held "uncertainty principle," which says it is physically impossible to know both the exact location and speed of a particle. This principle defies common sense. Simple observation of a dust particle shows the location - right in front of your eyes - and the speed - very slow.

Even stranger is the notion in quantum physics that particles have no definite existence until they are observed. This kind of thinking was rejected by the greatest scientist of all time, Albert Einstein, who famously said; "God does not play dice with the universe."

Second, most of the so called "evidence" for the atomic theory of matter does not hold up to close scrutiny. For example, Ben Franklin did not actually see any electrons, he just saw a flash of light. (Lucky for us he lived long enough to claim to have invented electricity). No else has ever seen electrons, people can see only light. And the fact that we get sparks when we rub our feet on the carpet and touch metal doesn't prove anything - the muffler on my car sparks as it drags across the pavement, and no one claims that is proof of the existence of "electrons."

The atomic theory of matter ignores the existence of a supreme creator. A few scientists claim that matter "came into being" in some mysterious process at some indefinite time after the "Big Bang." (Don't get me started on that!) That's not what the Bible says. In fact, I read the Bible once, and I don't remember anything about any atoms anywhere in it. (Well, I only read the first few pages - but that's where the story of creation is, anyway.)

Of course, he (Einstein, not God) eventually came to accept a few of these ideas, which led him to say, "Not only is the universe queerer that we imagine, it is queerer than we can imagine."

In conclusion, Kansans won't tolerate queerness in our marriages; so we not should tolerate it in our physics either.

Yours,

Mortimer Simplex, B.S., M.S., PhD;
Executive Director
Kansans for a Christian Public Education
Our Motto: Aude sapere via reductio ad absurdum.