Vatican Rejects Intelligent Design
Found this on Slashdot The source article can be found here.
The Vatican has issued a stout defence of Charles Darwin, voicing strong criticism of Christian fundamentalists who reject his theory of evolution and interpret the biblical account of creation literally.
Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis description of how God created the universe and Darwin's theory of evolution were "perfectly compatible" if the Bible were read correctly.
His statement was a clear attack on creationist campaigners in the US, who see evolution and the Genesis account as mutually exclusive.
"The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim," he said at a Vatican press conference. He said the real message in Genesis was that "the universe didn't make itself and had a creator".
This idea was part of theology, Cardinal Poupard emphasised, while the precise details of how creation and the development of the species came about belonged to a different realm - science. Cardinal Poupard said that it was important for Catholic believers to know how science saw things so as to "understand things better".
His statements were interpreted in Italy as a rejection of the "intelligent design" view, which says the universe is so complex that some higher being must have designed every detail.
If you are a Catholic Creationist, I would change churchs (might I recomend The Assemblies Of God. Sorry, but I attend an AG Church and I had to give them a plug.) In all seriousnes, if I were a Catholic Creationist I would look at this as the Vatican turning it's back on me in this fight.
What most Christians who believe in Evolution fail to realize is this the fact that the Genesis account tells us alot about God. If theological Evolution is true (and I am assuming it is since standard Evolution would have nothing to do with God) then God is protrayed as a cruel God, who used death and mutation to creat everything. Plus it would counterdict a verse in Romans (if think that is the right location) that says that there was no death before Adam. It also protrays God as an idiot. I don't know about you, but I like to think that God is smart enough and powerfull enough that he could just snap his fingers, create a human being, and call him Adam. If he isn't, then Christianity could be in trouble.
The main thing I think Christians need to remember is this. If you can't believe the Genesis account as fact, then how can you believe any of the Bible.
Some good arguments for Creationism and the Biblical account of the creation can found at Answers In Genesis and CSE.
The Vatican has issued a stout defence of Charles Darwin, voicing strong criticism of Christian fundamentalists who reject his theory of evolution and interpret the biblical account of creation literally.
Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis description of how God created the universe and Darwin's theory of evolution were "perfectly compatible" if the Bible were read correctly.
His statement was a clear attack on creationist campaigners in the US, who see evolution and the Genesis account as mutually exclusive.
"The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim," he said at a Vatican press conference. He said the real message in Genesis was that "the universe didn't make itself and had a creator".
This idea was part of theology, Cardinal Poupard emphasised, while the precise details of how creation and the development of the species came about belonged to a different realm - science. Cardinal Poupard said that it was important for Catholic believers to know how science saw things so as to "understand things better".
His statements were interpreted in Italy as a rejection of the "intelligent design" view, which says the universe is so complex that some higher being must have designed every detail.
If you are a Catholic Creationist, I would change churchs (might I recomend The Assemblies Of God. Sorry, but I attend an AG Church and I had to give them a plug.) In all seriousnes, if I were a Catholic Creationist I would look at this as the Vatican turning it's back on me in this fight.
What most Christians who believe in Evolution fail to realize is this the fact that the Genesis account tells us alot about God. If theological Evolution is true (and I am assuming it is since standard Evolution would have nothing to do with God) then God is protrayed as a cruel God, who used death and mutation to creat everything. Plus it would counterdict a verse in Romans (if think that is the right location) that says that there was no death before Adam. It also protrays God as an idiot. I don't know about you, but I like to think that God is smart enough and powerfull enough that he could just snap his fingers, create a human being, and call him Adam. If he isn't, then Christianity could be in trouble.
The main thing I think Christians need to remember is this. If you can't believe the Genesis account as fact, then how can you believe any of the Bible.
Some good arguments for Creationism and the Biblical account of the creation can found at Answers In Genesis and CSE.
posted by R.C. at
3:19 PM
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