Sir, I often read your Christian Forum as, in general, the opinions given are progressive social comment - exhorting people to try to live in a better way, to look after and help one another for instance. Even if one has chosen not to believe in a supernatural being, these are credit-worthy ideals.

However, this week's writer, Captain Charlton, of the Salvation Army, puts forward an anti-science message which is both worrying and dangerous.

Already we see that some people in America are trying to replace the teaching of Darwinian science in schools by so-called 'intelligent design', which is a euphemism for creationism.

Anyone who wishes to know the arguments against the views put forward by Captain Charlton should read 'The Blind Watchmaker' by Professor Richard Dawkins which ably demonstrates Darwin's discovery that cumulative natural selection is the mechanism by which the amazing diversity and complexity of all life on Earth, beautiful and not-so beautiful, has evolved over millions of decades.

If Captain Charlton's 18th-century view of the living world should ever return to being part of our mainstream education system, we would be plunged back to the Dark Ages in terms of scientific research and development. Reason demands that we do not allow this to happen.

Carol Stavris Didcot