The pontiff, speaking as he was concluding his holiday in northern Italy, also said that while there is much scientific proof to support evolution, the theory could not exclude a role by God.
“They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other,” the pope said. “This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such.”
He said evolution did not answer all the questions: “Above all it does not answer the great philosophical question, ‘Where does everything come from?’”
“We must respect the interior laws of creation, of this Earth, to learn these laws and obey them if we want to survive.”
“This obedience to the voice of the Earth is more important for our future happiness ... than the desires of the moment. Our Earth is talking to us and we must listen to it and decipher its message if we want to survive,” he said.
Climate change and evolution... and he is spot on... pardon me while I faint... the Pope... beleives in evolution and climate change...*thud
The first duty of a patriot is to question the government
Those are pretty shocking statements considering where they are coming from. It's about time that someone in power in the Christian community used some sense and realized that evolution and the existence for God are not necessarily exclusive concepts. I'm less surprised about the other (global warming) comment since its suddenly become popular in even conservative political circles. The truth eventually gets around. The conservatives are always just a bit slower to catch on, poor things
So what are your sources?
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Pardon the expression, but Jesus Christ.
That's one hell of a statement. Good for him, acknowledging that the two theories don't have to be exclusive of one another.
How about proclaiming the Jesus fish on cars with the little feet to be the default now?
The above sounds good as long as it isn't your typical Christian bullshit, "adapt to whatever as long as the donations keep rolling in" approach to keeping the flock. That's what I'd do if I was in the religion racket. "I have some concerns about evolu..." "Whatever man! Jesus loves you. Put the money on the collection plate and you can believe whatever you want."
Aabidano wrote:Good too see him state that clearly, I don't think the Catholic church has had a stance against evolution for a number of years though.
I don't understand the "one way or the other" crowd at all. Extremenism\Fundamentalism of any sorts makes me nervous.
Agreed, extremists are not to be trusted. They should all be lined up and shot. I know that's not what you were saying Aab, but I love me some irony.
Back when I gave the church some credence, I didn't see how evolution was anti-creation, but these days I couldn't care less either way. Anyone over 21 that takes the bible literally needs to be issued with a remedial adult learning voucher and a tin-foil hat.
May 2003 - "Mission Accomplished"
June 2005 - "The mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight"
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Zaelath wrote:Anyone over 21 that takes the bible literally needs to be issued with a remedial adult learning voucher and a tin-foil hat.
Doug Stanhope wrote:I don't think they should be able to teach religion until you're 18 years old, and you know what? It'd be a whole different world, 'cause if they weren't pushing that shit into your head while it was still soft you'd never buy it. Not for a minute, if you walked into a used - if you'd never heard about about the bible and none of your friends have ever heard about Christianity - and you just found the Bible in a used bookstore, oh you'd jump right on that idea wouldn't you? Oh this sounds completely logical, yes! The cave and the ark, and oh yeah... Hey Donny I think I found the meaning of life here! No, you'd fucking chuck it in the wastebasket.
"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant."- Barack Obama
I still own a Bible. It's in the bookshelf with the rest of my philosophy and history books. It's probably about as historically accurate as the Iliad and other such mythology. In other words, it's based on a true story.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
The Catholic Church takes the Bible as the "literal" Word of God. Yet that is different from a "literalist" interpretation as held by most American Fundies. The Catholic Church teaches that it's literal but you have to understand the context in which the statement is made or you will misunderstand the meaning...
The previous Pope made similar statement a few years before he died, it got a good deal of press for about a day then that was it. Yet when these freakos build a musem to support their misinterpretation, that's on every news Channel
I sent this article to my wife and mom earlier today, I love Benedict XVI. That could have been my exact statement but I probably would have included the word "stupid people" in there somewhere.