That being said, for all my involvement in a couple different churches over the years and with different homeschooling groups, I could not tell you what any of the people I know believe on evolution. As matter of fact, while I know what my kids think of it, I couldn't tell you what my own family thinks of it; the subject simply never comes up for discussion.
Contrary to what appears on these threads, I also don't see it as an issue that is dividing the conservatives in this country as it is not a moral issue as significant to most people as abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, etc. The issues that are important are moral ones as jwalsh listed. I do agree with jwalsh07 with his observations in post 319.
The ToE simply does not come into play in peoples everyday lives. I don't make any decisions about who I associate with or do business with based on their belief or acceptance of the ToE. The only time it seems to be an issue is in regard to public education and that's not because evolution IS being taught but that there is such a concerted effort to keep creation from being taught. As far as I've noticed, there is not the effort by the creationists to keep the ToE out of the schools as by the *evolutionists* (or whoever) to keep creation out of school.
My belief is that God did it His way and His way is good enough for me. Of course being a Catholic means that I am a Christian and so I don't believe that God started it all and then sat back to watch on the flat screen.
But I also don't believe that He moves us all around the board like checkers. Free will God gave us and I, for one, like to use it.
Interesting viewpoint. Thank you.
I don't worry about the Theory of Evolution being taught, of course, because I think that's what happened. And whether my daughter goes to a public school or a Catholic school, that is precisely what she will be taught in either place.
I DO worry about fiddling with the science curriculum in order to reflect beliefs of Protestant religion that I don't accept.
I think evolution is precisely how God made life and us, and that's what my daughter taught. If the public schools start teaching Protestant religion and 7 days stuff, then I'll send my daughter to the Catholic schools where she can be properly taught what I view as the scientific and religious truth. I don't think religion CAN conflict with science, if both are practiced honestly.
I am worried about a bunch of kids who aren't Catholic being handicapped in the world of science by being taught something other than evolution in science class.
I have been watching these judges, and it doesn't surprise me that Catholic judges are the ones who take a very dim view of all of this intelligent design business. Once they actually drill past the words and look at it, it doesn't look very much like science to them. Of course, that may just be their pro-Darwinian evolution prejudice arising from the religious education they got in the Catholic schools.
I think that John Paul II was right, and that evolution is how we very probably got here. Given that truth, this causes us to re-examine our understanding of Scripture. Obviously I expect this to go over like a lead balloon with my Evangelical friends.
Democratically, I think that the Evangelicals probably have the votes in a lot of areas to impose Intelligent Design and Creation science in the public schools. Since I think, personally, this is imposing scientific error and Protestant religion, I look to Catholic federal judges to put the kebosh on it all by doing, as some already have, an analysis, deciding that ID is disguised religion, and insisting upon Darwinian evolution as the proper thing to be taught. Of course, if you pull back the cloak, this is REALLY imposing the scientific view of Catholics by using the judiciary, but I've yet to see anybody view it from that angle, so I think I'll just go "Down Periscope" and shut up about it for awhile.