Teaching The Beginnings

With its decision to strike down Louisiana's law requiring the teaching of creationism in public schools ((LAW, June 29)), the Supreme Court is forcing more and more students to be indoctrinated with the belief that the theory of evolution is fact, without the balance of other evidence. Evolution does not yet explain some vitally important questions about living forms, such as the vast chasm between man and other animal life. Religious doctrine should not be included in the public-school curriculum, but neither should a theory be taught as the final statement on origins while that hypothesis is still in the investigative stage.

Miriam L. McFadyen

Columbus

With the Supreme Court's creationism decision, Louisiana teachers will no longer be forced to present biblical literalism as science. However, the ruling says only that the Louisiana law violates the constitutional separation of church and state; it does not say that no one can teach scientific creationism -- and unfortunately many individual teachers do.

Eugenie C. Scott, Executive Director

National Center for Science Education

Berkeley

High School Educator Donald Aguillard looks so proud of himself in the picture that accompanies the article concerning his challenge to Louisiana's 1981 Creationism Act. I feel sorry for him, the Justices who ruled in his favor and all those who played any part in this so-called victory. One day each one of them will have to stand before the God they have mocked.

Barbara Towle

Kingston, N.H.