I received the following e-mail with the request that I publish it. I think it is interesting and worthwhile and so am posting it. Here it is.

Dear Mr, Limbaugh. Would you please read and pass on my message below. Thank you.

Greetings,

There is a common misconception concerning evolution which continues to be perpetuated. For example, recently ( in November of ’04 ) articles appeared in major newspapers saying researchers have claimed that running may have contributed to the evolution of man.

The simple fact is that physical traits and characteristics are determined and passed on by genes – not by running or any other form of exercise. Any exercises that are performed do not affect the genes.

Traits or characteristics which are acquired from the environment simply cannot be passed on to offspring ( i.e. a woman who loses her finger will not cause her baby to be born with a missing finger; changing the color or texture of your hair will not affect the hair color or texture of your descendants, and etc. ). Thus, even if an ape ever did learn to walk and run upright it still would not be able to pass on this trait to its offspring. Only changes that occur in the genes of reproductive cells ( i.e. sperm and egg ) can be passed on to offspring. That is a simple fact of biology.

Furthermore, there are genetic limits to biological change and variation in nature. All biological variations, whether they are beneficial to survival or not ( including biological variations from mutations ), are possible only within the genetic potential and limits of a biological kind such as the varieties among dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc., but variations across biological kinds such as humans evolving from ape-like creatures and apes, in turn, evolving from dog-like creatures and so on, as Darwinian evolutionary theory teaches, are not possible unless nature can perform genetic engineering.

Yes, natural selection does occur in nature, but natural selection is only capable of selecting from biological variations which are possible. Natural selection itself is not capable of increasing the genetic potential in species and neither are mutations for that matter. Therefore, it is much more logical to believe that the genetic and biological similarities between species are due to a common Designer rather than to a common evolutionary ancestry.

Unless nature has the capability of performing genetic engineering so as to increase the genetic information potential in species, evolution from simpler species to more complex ones will never occur. Nature can only work with the already given genetic potential in species and no more. Before any tissue, organ, or biological structure can ever develop there must first exist the prerequisite genetic information and potential.

Young people, and even adults, often wonder how all the varieties and races of people could come from the same human ancestors. Well, in principle, that’s no different than asking how children with different color hair ( i.e., blond, brunette, brown, red ) can come from the same parents who both have black hair. Just as some individuals today carry genes to produce descendents with different color hair and eyes, humanity’s first parents possessed genes to produce all the variety and races of men. You and I today may not carry the genes to produce every variety or race of humans, but humanity’s first parents did possess such genes.

All varieties of humans carry the genes for the same basic traits, but not all humans carry every possible variation of those genes. For example, one person may be carrying several variations of the gene for eye color ( i.e., brown, green, blue ) , but someone else may be carrying only one variation of the gene for eye color ( i.e., brown ). Thus, both will have different abilities to affect the eye color of their offspring.

I cover all these and various scientific issues ( i.e. fossils, mutations, the origin of life, comparative anatomy, etc. ) in greater depth at my website: www.religionscience.com , and I explain how the scientific evidence actually better supports creation than Darwinian evolution. It is only fair that our students be exposed to the scientific arguments and evidence on both sides of the creation/evolution issue.

As a religion and science writer I have had the privilege of being recognized in Marquis Who’s Who In The East. I have also given lectures and seminars before science faculty and students at various secular college and university campuses on the creation/evolution issue. Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Babu G. Ranganathan

( B.A. Theology/Biology)

www.religionscience.com