'Apology is in order' for letter-writer's 'contrived' attack on columnist

Editor:

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"If she listens carefully..." Perhaps Charles Heywood (letter, July 8, bashing Barbara Seaborn's column on Dr. Francis Collins) listens a bit too carefully. He hears words that aren't spoken, ideas that aren't expressed, and contrives complexities within the most basic statements.

Heywood writes about Seaborn, "Her hero is Dr. Francis Collins..." If Heywood had read carefully, he would have noticed that the word "hero" is not in Seaborn's column. I'm sure Seaborn does have heroes, and Collins might or might not be one of them. Heywood might be one of them. But her article gives no evidence for either.

Heywood implies ("I wonder if Seaborn knows that Collins is an advocate of somatic stem-cell research") that Seaborn might not know Collins is an advocate of "somatic," or adult, stem cell research. The implication is that such advocacy should exclude Collins from the respect and interest of Christians.

Most of the Christians I know are supportive of adult, or somatic, stem cell research. Perhaps Heywood has a too-rigid definition of a Christian, unfitting for most, including Seaborn, Christians. Christians are a diverse group. Perhaps, for Heywood, that is "a dangerous thing."

Seaborn wrote an interesting article simply expressing interest in a leading scientist. Sadly, it is the rare scientist that professes to be a Christian.

Absent the future scientist who perhaps finally does discover the unifying theory for science and faith, Collins is a quite rational simple step in the proper direction. Perhaps Seaborn simply admired the step. Heywood took the simple step as an entire journey, thus taking his "little knowledge" entirely, and quite rudely, too far.

An apology is in order.

Mike Fulford

Evans