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Cardinal backs evolution and "intelligent design"
Reuters - Science ^ | 2005-10-04

Posted on 10/04/2005 12:21:01 PM PDT by Junior

PARIS (Reuters) - A senior Roman Catholic cardinal seen as a champion of "intelligent design" against Darwin's explanation of life has described the theory of evolution as "one of the very great works of intellectual history."

Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said he could believe both in divine creation and in evolution because one was a question of religion and the other of science, two realms that complimented rather than contradicted each other.

Schoenborn's view, presented in a lecture published by his office on Tuesday, tempered earlier statements that seemed to ally the Church with United States conservatives campaigning against the teaching of evolution in public schools.

A court in Pennsylvania is now hearing a suit brought by parents against a school district that teaches intelligent design -- the view that life is so complex some higher being must have designed it -- alongside evolution in biology class.

"Without a doubt, Darwin pulled off quite a feat with his main work and it remains one of the very great works of intellectual history," Schoenborn declared in a lecture in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna on Sunday.

"I see no problem combining belief in the Creator with the theory of evolution, under one condition -- that the limits of a scientific theory are respected," he said.

Science studies what is observable and scientists overstep the boundaries of their discipline when they conclude evolution proves there was no creator, said the cardinal, 60, a top Church doctrinal expert and close associate of Pope Benedict.

"It is fully reasonable to assume some sense or design even if the scientific method demands restrictions that shut out this question," said the cardinal.

JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING?

Schoenborn, who ranked among the papal hopefuls last April, caused an uproar in the United States last July with a New York Times article that seemed to say the Church no longer accepted evolution and backed intelligent design.

Proponents of intelligent design argue that Darwin's natural selection theory is flawed and alternatives should be taught.

Scientists reject this as a disguised form of Creationism, the literal belief in Creation as described in the Bible and barred by the U.S. Supreme Court from being taught in public schools.

Even Catholic scientists, including chief Vatican astronomer Rev. George Coyne S.J., contested Schoenborn's view.

In his lecture, Schoenborn said his article had led to misunderstandings and sometimes polemics. "Maybe one did not express oneself clearly enough or thoughts were not clear enough," he said. "Such misunderstandings can be cleared up."

Schoenborn said he believed God created "the things of the world" but did not explain how a divine will to bring about mankind would have influenced its actual evolution.

"They were so to speak let free into their own existence," he said.



TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: crevo; crevolist; evolution
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To: Junior

He's headed to the Hot Place!


41 posted on 10/04/2005 1:42:55 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: Junior

You're addressing the person who posed a falsified quote, and when it was exposed repeated the falsified quote even though it had been proven false.


42 posted on 10/04/2005 1:43:00 PM PDT by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Ken H
He's headed to the Hot Place!

Miami?

43 posted on 10/04/2005 1:44:33 PM PDT by Junior (From now on, I'll stick to science, and leave the hunting alien mutants to the experts!)
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To: js1138
I guess I should heed my own advice:

Do Not Feed the Trolls!

44 posted on 10/04/2005 1:46:08 PM PDT by Junior (From now on, I'll stick to science, and leave the hunting alien mutants to the experts!)
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To: jennyp
Ha, Darwin Central even controls the Catholic Church! Kudos to the Enforcement Committee. I knew the good cardinal would choose wisely once we gave him an offer he couldn't refuse.

They must have controlled it 50 years ago too, because this is exactly what I was taught in Catholic school back way then -- incidentally, out of a "Catholic" Biology text first published in the 1930s as I recall -- not long after Scopes.

There is no conflict between evolution and Creation, unless you insist on taking the 6 days of Genesis literally. If you do, fine by me, but you have to reject a hell of a lot of solid science to make that stand.

The Intelligent Design thing is nothing new to Catholics. We used to refer to it as The Divine Clockmaker.

45 posted on 10/04/2005 1:52:33 PM PDT by Ditto ( No trees were killed in sending this message, but billions of electrons were inconvenienced.)
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To: Ditto

46 posted on 10/04/2005 1:56:42 PM PDT by Junior (From now on, I'll stick to science, and leave the hunting alien mutants to the experts!)
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Comment #47 Removed by Moderator

To: DaveLoneRanger
Post 29: don't roll in the dirt with the pigs; you get dirty, but the pig likes it.

It was the irony of this statement. And btw, who are the pigs?

48 posted on 10/04/2005 2:17:42 PM PDT by atlaw
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To: DaveLoneRanger
but don't roll in the dirt with the pigs; you get dirty, but the pig likes it.

Our family used to raise pigs. When playing in the dirt with pigs you do get dirty. The pig does like it, but that doesn't mean that it can't still be fun (for a kid, anyways)!

49 posted on 10/04/2005 2:17:43 PM PDT by wyattearp (The best weapon to have in a gunfight is a shotgun - preferably from ambush.)
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To: Junior
"Origin of man != origin of life."

Darwin would answer "yes":

"Origin of man now proved. -- Metaphysics must flourish. - He who understands baboon would do more toward Metaphysics than Locke." --- Darwin, Notebook M, August 16, 1838

Metaphysics (mĕtəfĭz'ĭks) , branch of philosophy concerned with the ultimate nature of existence. ..." See D. W. Hamlyn, Metaphysics (1984); B. Aune, Metaphysics (1985); D. H. Mellor, Matters of Metaphysics (1991).

50 posted on 10/04/2005 2:17:43 PM PDT by Matchett-PI ( "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid." -- Dwight Eisenhower)
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To: DaveLoneRanger; BikerNYC
Provide accurate quotes (including the source) of me engaging in rude, uncivil debate with anyone, or retract your comment. You don't falsely malign a fellow Freeper and expect to get away without being challenged.

Since Dave asked.

51 posted on 10/04/2005 2:19:38 PM PDT by Thatcherite (Conservative and Biblical Literalist are not synonymous)
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Betty Armstrong: Moons... teaspoons... that's all gibberish to me I'm afraid.
52 posted on 10/04/2005 2:23:32 PM PDT by Junior (From now on, I'll stick to science, and leave the hunting alien mutants to the experts!)
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To: Ditto
Do you believe the Holy Spirit inspired the authors of all of the Books listed below? He would have to had inspired foolish errors if what you say were true. Theistic Evolutionists make the Bible of none-effect. It would be hard to explain to someone that it is the revealed Word of God with so many errors. God's supernatural inspiration and supernatural preservation would be for naught.

BEWARE, unleashing the Lion of the Tribe of Judah can be harmful to your worldview! (Red letters indicate words spoken by Jesus)

Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,...

Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Cr 15:54-55
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

Isa 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

Zec 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Isa 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I [am] the LORD; and [there is] none else.

Isa 40:21-22
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen 5:1 This [is] the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Deu 4:32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth,

Gen 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

New Testament references to Adam.

Luk 3:38 Which was [the son] of Enos, which was [the son] of Seth, which was [the son] of Adam, which was [the son] of God.

1Cr 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

53 posted on 10/04/2005 2:25:18 PM PDT by bondserv (God governs our universe and has seen fit to offer us a pardon. †)
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Comment #54 Removed by Moderator

To: bondserv

When an interpretation of Scripture defies reality, it is the interpretation of Scripture that is at fault.


55 posted on 10/04/2005 2:27:11 PM PDT by Junior (From now on, I'll stick to science, and leave the hunting alien mutants to the experts!)
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To: BikerNYC; scripter; little jeremiah
Modernman was banned? His posts were consistently thoughtful.

ModernMan made a suggestion that FReeper scripter was a bit obsessed with homosexual issues, and asked if he had a financial interest in curing or reforming homosexuals. FReeper little jeremiah reported this to the mods, and he was banned. His longer history of having expressed a skeptical opinion of the prevailing FReeper viewpoint on homosexuality may have also played a role.

I've pinged the two individuals mentioned, to let them respond or add anything they wish.

56 posted on 10/04/2005 2:29:57 PM PDT by Right Wing Professor
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To: Junior
Tragic or comic?


57 posted on 10/04/2005 2:35:37 PM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch ist der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: b_sharp

placemarker


58 posted on 10/04/2005 2:36:09 PM PDT by b_sharp (Science adjusts theories to fit evidence, creationism distorts evidence to fit the Bible.)
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To: Junior
When an interpretation of Scripture defies reality, it is the interpretation of Scripture that is at fault.

When an interpretation of the data defies God's revealed Word, it is the interpretation of the data that is at fault.

59 posted on 10/04/2005 2:38:01 PM PDT by bondserv (God governs our universe and has seen fit to offer us a pardon. †)
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To: b_sharp

Another placemarker


60 posted on 10/04/2005 2:40:41 PM PDT by Coyoteman (I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
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