"Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be" - The Vatican

[mrmitchell]

Geeze, it's almost as if the Catholics are the sane ones...

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Ninot
So... this (among other reasons) means that the RC church is mainstream, and certain protestant groups are becoming extremist?

Yes. Finally people are getting it.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Heresson
Why are some of You suprised? It's nothing new.

These recent statements are somewhat surprising when you consider many thought the Catholic Church would turn more conservative due to Benedictus the Umpteenth. Turns out otherwise apparently.

"God in his infinite freedom continuously creates a world that reflects that freedom at all levels of the evolutionary process to greater and greater complexity,

Reminds me of Teilhard de Chardin btw.

[Barnabas]

jesuits

[Colon™]

It's not because the church is socially conservative, that they're also anti-science.

[Maniac]

Perhaps true, but often the arguments used to defend their social conversatism are unscientific. Eg this or that way of life is 'unnatural'.

[Colon™]

Is it? Seems to me that the whole abortion/homosexuality/celibacy debate is mostly about values and morals.

[Alexander's Horse]

I think its about money.

[Colon™]

Either way, it doesn't deny science.

[Dr Strangelove]

For the past two decades most of America's protestant TV evangelists have been concilliatory toward the Roman Catholic Church. The other day Jerry Falwell compared the recently deceased head of the Southern Baptists to a Baptist Pope. Last week however his long time crony Pat Robertson advised Pennsylvannians not to be surprised if God visits his wrath upon them for having turned their backs on Him by voting against the incorporation of Intelligent Design in their schools.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Ninot
So... this (among other reasons) means that the RC church is mainstream, and certain protestant groups are becoming extremist?

It's been an unfortunate trend since about a century and a half after the Reformation; given that the final authority is shifted in various Protestant confessions from a 'divinely' inspired or appointed successor (the various Bishops of Rome) to the book or the Holy Scripture, then it logically follows that some sectaries will seek to hold that the books of the Bible are themselves the literal word of an unerring god, and unfortunately no amount of historical research or literary analysis will persuade some of the devotees otherwise.


This replaces some of the more enjoyable poetic and metaphorical aspects of religious literature with a depressing literality, as if the Bible were the equivalent of an airline safety instruction manual.

It also ignores the aspects of the Bible which flatly contradict any laws of science, or any documentary or archaeological evidence which denies its (overtly propagandizing in parts) versions of Jewish (and Christian) history.

[MrFun]

Who else bothered to read the last three paragraphs?



"Last week, Pope Benedict XVI waded indirectly into the evolution debate by saying the universe was made by an "intelligent project" and criticizing those who in the name of science say its creation was without direction or order.

Questions about the Vatican's position on evolution were raised in July by Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn.

In a New York Times column, Schoenborn seemed to back intelligent design and dismissed a 1996 statement by Pope John Paul II that evolution was "more than just a hypothesis." Schoenborn said the late pope's statement was "rather vague and unimportant."

[Thorgal]

And? They are the catholic church, they are not atheist yet you know. That Popes are saying since 70 years ago or so is that behind the universe creation there is a cause and a finality, period. This way neither God is interfering science, nor science is interfering God and everybody is happy.

About Schoenborn he is not the RCC, but JPII was. Anyway Schoenborn backed evolution a month ago or so IIRC.

[Ninot]

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with the RCC preaching Intelligent design. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with Protestants preaching the same.

Whats wrong is equating Intelligent design to science. The RCC realises this, and they get points for this revelation

[Alexander's Horse]

I mentioned these Jesuit astronomers in another recent thread on this subject.

They work directly to the Pope. Very smart guys, RMIT phD's that sort of thing.

the idea of a freely evolving universe is closely linked to the idea of free will