Posted on 11/07/2005 12:05:04 PM PST by Mikey_1962
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Well finally that argument is settled.
God has spoken.
You need to brush up on your "20 Questions" skills.
Here, go learn something from http://www.20Q.com
Try Old Earth Creationist, Evangelical.
Well, lessee, a "generation" is usually considered to be 33 years. So you're saying written language appeared around 1906? Well, to be fair, many in developed societies delay child birth considerably in comparison to historical norms. So let's say a generation is 54 years. This moves the origin of writing back to 1843, or 1735 if you want to say that as many as 5 generations is still only "a few". That still leaves us a little short, but is the best I can do.
In terms of how a baby is born? Absolutely. There is nothing supernatural about the process.
Is it really possible to fit a camel through the eye of a needle? Is referring to someone other than God as your "father" really an unforgiveable sin which dooms one to eternal perdition?
No sane person believes that the entire Bible is devoid of metaphor. Sane people disagree on which passages should be taken literally and which should be regarded as metaphorical.
Then I guess you don't believe God plays any role. On that, we will have to agree to disagree.
I'd quibble, saying "frequently" (more so in the 'evolution' of the higher organisms).
The most refined version of Big Bang cosmology, Hawkings' 'Null Initial Condition' cosmology, is a mathematical model of a universe created ex nihilo: there isn't even a 'before' before the beginning. Just as there shouldn't be, since time itself is a creation, along with space. The 'explosion' isn't an explosion, but an expansion of space from no volume to the universe we see.
I always find it amusing when atheists, who cannot conceive of causation in the philosophical sense as being anything other than physical causation, proclaim that the Null Initial Condition cosmology 'removes the need for a first cause'. They are then left with no answer to Hawkings' own question, "What is it breaths fire into the equations to make there be something for them to describe?"
Theists, of course, have a simple and satisfying answer to that question.
In what way are these concepts mutually exclusive?
Then you are maintaining that "Adam" actually introduced physical (and not just "spiritual") death to all humanity?
I was unaware that there was no contradiction between this and Darwinian evolution. How many scientists believe in the human soul, or that Australopithecus was originally immortal?
You learn something new every day!
Thanks for the ping!
what's wrong with crocs? :)
bump
I hate to say it, but you're the hood ornament of some rabbi.
My apologies for assuming you were Roman Catholic.
ping a ling...
Yes. But those are not miracles in the strict sense of the word. Ordinarily, the sun rises at exactly the time scientists predict.
For a believer, beauty is one of the signs of the presence of God as Creator of the universe, but it does not violate natural law.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.