god's gift to the ignorant

Otterman posted on the on-going battle between creationists and evolutionists on the teaching of evolution in biology textbooks in Kansas. Richard Dawkins published an effective rebuttal in the Times.

Religion and science need not be mutually exclusive to each other. However, it is sad that Christian fundamentalists sought to misrepresent, debunk and even undermine science, or actually evolution in particular, to justify their faith.

I recalled a nature walk to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve I had guided for a group of young Malay muslim children organised by the AMP. We had a fun time guiding this group since the kids were enthusiastic and lapped up our stories about nature and the rainforest. While we were walking downhill after the walk, we were talking about the microscopic life in just a drop of pond water. one Malay girl shared with me that she had done this science experiment in class, but for her, looking at the teeming microbial life in the slide, she had seen "God" under the microscope. I was stunned...as a biologist I had never thought about this perspective...