Catholics accept Evolution now

[mentalfloss]

I guess it's not just a theory anymore lol


“God is not a magician, with a magic wand”: Pope Francis schools creationists

In an exciting declaration, Pope Francis I stated that God should not seen as a “magician with a magic wand,” while unveiling a statue of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Pope Francis also stated that evolution and the Big Bang theory are both true and not incompatible with the church’s views on the origins of the universe and life.

“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,” Francis said, according to the Independent. Francis continued by stating that God “created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfillment.”

“The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it,” Francis explained. ”Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”

While the pope’s understanding of the origins of life still requires a divine force (rather than a scientific one), his views are a leap forward for the Catholic Church. Pope Francis is not the first pope to welcome these two scientific theories. However, the Catholic Church has a long reputation of being at odds with science, and Pope Francis’ declaration is looked at as “trying to reduce the emotion of dispute or presumed disputes” between the church and science.

It is an especially groundbreaking stance in terms of evolution. The theory, broadly accepted by the majority of scientists, is still under attack by Young Earth Creationists, and it is taught alongside the pseudo-science of creationism in American schools. Some mainstream politicians even try to distance themselves from the term “evolution.”

“God is not a magician, with a magic wand”: Pope Francis schools creationists - Salon.com

 

[Sal]

In an exciting declaration, Pope Francis I stated that God should not seen as a “magician with a magic wand,” while unveiling a statue of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Pope Francis also stated that evolution and the Big Bang theory are both true and not incompatible with the church’s views on the origins of the universe and life.

wtf?

there has never been a conflict between the catholic church and evolution

strange that they are making a "thing" over this

 

[taxslave]

Well if you can't get people to buy what you are selling you have to sell a different product if you wish to remain a viable enterprise.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

To the best of my knowledge, Catholics have always been pretty cool with evolution, saying that evolution just says how Gawd did it, and not contradicting their belief that Gawd did it.

For that matter, some priest scientists have made significant contributions to the study of evolution.

The Catholics mostly ain't bible bashers who insist that every word in the book must be taken literally with the comprehension of a not-real-bright Grade 3 student.

 

[Sal]

Well if you can't get people to buy what you are selling you have to sell a different product if you wish to remain a viable enterprise.

while your statement is 100% true, it does not apply to the Catholic church with regard to evolution

 

[mentalfloss]

Homosexuals

Evolution

Climate Change

Socialism


Both catholicism and the overarching Christianity, change when they start to fear they are losing members.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Homosexuals

Evolution

Climate Change

Socialism


Both catholicism and the overarching Christianity, change when they start to fear they are losing members.

Or possibly they wait until more evidence is in.

I don't think much of a multinational corporation based on a fairy tale/revenge fantasy that likes to cover up its employees' abuse of children, but philosophically, the Catholic church is miles ahead of the usual godbothering sh*theads on science and social issues.

 

[coldstream]

The Catholic Church has never really had an issue with Evolution per se. It has had an issue with Darwinism, which is not a science but an atheistic philosophy. Specifically its tenets are that evolution is a product of accident, of random chance in genetic mutation, and of preference through survival of the fittest.

The Church has pointed out that there are vast gaps in the construct of Darwinism, which does not define the mechanisms of evolution. It is a reductive system that does not explain a nature that becomes ever more complex and intricate. It is reductive system that should create an increasingly simple, delineated and species specific world.

The most glaring gap however is that is does not even try to address the issue of the origins of life and the universe. Certainly it provides no answers to its ultimate destiny. By definition, then, life has no purpose beyond some finite and ultimately doomed prolongation of a species.

It has formed the analytical framework of movements that have fomented some of the great catastrophies of modern society... including fascism, communism, eugenics, cultural relativism and secular humanism (and its fruits of the affirmation of abortion, homosexuality, euthenasia, sexual profligacy, the deformation of marriage and resultant crisis of collapsing fertility).. AND.. global free market capitalism.

That is the Catholic Church's problem with 'Evolution'.. as Darwin proclaimed it.

 

[mentalfloss]

The emerging theme among commentators is that Pope Francis is denying God's divinity and is "selling out" Christian doctrine to make the Catholic Church seem more in tune with the modern, secular world and attract more adherents.

Today, John Ransom, a political writer and finance editor at the popular conservative site, Townhall, published a column with the provocative title, "Can the Pope Shut Up, Too?"

In his desperation to be relevant, Francis used words that will hurt Catholics for a long time, unfortunately.

While other media outlets concentrate on Francis saying that God is not a magician, I grieve that a pope would dare to say that God is not divine.

I don't know how I can support a pope—or church—that says that God is not divine.

The church's role as arbiter of scientific thought seems so important to Francis that he is willing to sacrifice the divinity of our Creator in order to glamorize the secular elements of man.

Like similar comments by Francis on the economy and homosexuality, those on the Left will seize upon the Pope's words to demoralize and degrade believers in the Christian Church. They will twist them to work as anti-religious, anti-Catholic propaganda.

We have come a long way down from saintly John Paul II to Pope Francis.

John Paul II was a miracle of divine intervention who helped spread the faith and convert the nations. But Francis seems to be more concerned with the judgments of men than he is that God.


Meanwhile, Michael Snyder, the author of an oft-quoted article, "44 Reasons Why Evolution Is Just a Fairy Tale For Adults," had this to say:

If you wanted to create a religion that almost everyone would love, how would you do it? Perhaps you would change your faith to make it more appealing to a modern world that is changing at blinding speed. Perhaps you would indicate that you are willing to become more "mainstream" on hot button issues such as gay rights. Perhaps you would invite leaders of other religions from all over the planet to come visit you and make it clear that you consider all of those religions to be valid as well.

And all of that "unscientific stuff" about God creating the world in six days and creating mankind out of the dust of the Earth? Well, all of that is just going to have to be thrown out. If all of this sounds vaguely familiar to you, that is because this is exactly what Pope Francis has been doing.

The Creationist Freak Out Over The Pope's Evolution Speech Has Begun

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Gotta admit, it's kinda fun watching the godbotherers freak out over this stuff. Kinda like asking "Who's the best captain, Kirk or Picard?" at a Star Trek convention, then sitting back and enjoying the brawl.

 

[mentalfloss]

What's a godbotherer?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

What's a godbotherer?

One who bothers Gawd (or gods). Usually by asking Gawd to use his most magnificent glorious omnipotence to solve the godbotherer's self-imposed and stupidity-driven problems.

 

[MHz]

More commonly called the goddit theorem. You probably don't want to know who 'invented it'. For myself I already adopted the old earth creation version. 3 different species, those that use the air, those that live in and under the water and the ones that live on the land. All the various forms is adaptation to local climatic conditions. Forests (and the eco system that foes along with it) existed at the end of day 3 and whales are mentioned at the end of day 5. Get a bird so fat it can't fly then over millions of years of living on water it would lose its toe-nails and beak and the nostrils would move up the face in moves that are adaptations rather than a new species being born. The spine moves the same and the blood is warm is both already. With the powers of 10 affecting the creation days day1 ended 4BYA and day 7 ended in 4,000BC. The evolution of time is even better, lol