Letters to the editor, July 21, 2017 – Peterborough Examiner

Scientific atheism and intellectual contempt

I give you a quote from David Berlinski: "Has anyone provided proof of God's inexistence? Not even close. Has quantum cosmology explained the emergence of the universe or why it is here? Not even close. Have our sciences explained why our universe seems to be fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life? Not even close. Are physicists and biologists willing to believe in anything so long as it is not religious thought? Close enough. Has rationalism and moral thought provided us with an understanding of what is good, what is right, and what is moral? Not close enough. Has secularism in the terrible 20th century been a force for good? Not even close, to being close. Is there a narrow and oppressive orthodoxy in the sciences? Close enough. Does anything in the sciences or their philosophy justify the claim that religious belief is irrational? Not even in the ball park. Is scientific atheism a frivolous exercise in intellectual contempt ? Dead on."

Berlinski was a research assistant in molecular biology at Columbia University,[3] and was a research fellow at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the Institut des Hautes tudes Scientifiques (IHES) in France. How is it that he has come up with a totally different outcome?

Blair Hancock, Downie St.

Vastly different viewpoints on Khadr

Talk about black and white! The two letters printed Wednesday show both sides of this argument, I'm sure.

Mary Liz Allen describes so beautifully the point of view of Mr. Khadr, as the situation presented itself to a child of 15. Marion Hanysh describes a point of view that the rest of our great country is somehow being left out of some prize bestowed upon Mr. Khadr unfairly.

A Canadian is a Canadian and as such deserves all the protection that we have been taught to expect. If you really want to know what a burgeoning "banana republic" feels like, Ms. Hanysh, may I suggest you relocate to Mr. Trump's jurisdiction. I, too, am on the downslide, and am most grateful that my children, grandchildren and great-grandchild are growing up in the best, most open, accepting country on earth.

I sincerely hope that they will be part of an ever-caring and just society, throughout their lifetimes, and beyond. Thank you, Ms. Allen, for helping us all to FEEL what young Omar had to endure for all those years.

Bev Miles, Omemee

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Letters to the editor, July 21, 2017 - Peterborough Examiner