I am increasing concerned that the folks in the Intelligent Design creationist movement can’t read. Dave Scott on Uncommon Decent comments on the lack of reaction from the “Darwinian Evolution (sic)” community to an article in L’Osservatore Romano …

In a new post, Dembski’s faithful assistant Cato has built a perfectly inaccurate straw man and proceeded to beat the heck out of it while pretending to actually engage an argument being made by the anti-ID side. To wit: The…

The Roman Church has always championed scientific inquiry and does to this day when the Protestant factions are denying evolution right and left. The Vatican supports organic evolution not for any religious reason but because they realize that there is no conflict between evolution and their faith. I am sick of seeing a great institution denigrated for no good reason. Those that do so are usually associated with some “off brand” sect founded by a “back slid” malcontent monk by the name of Martin Luther who is known primarily for his anal railings against the Roman Church wirh which he was once proudly associated.

There’s no religious reason for the Roman Church to favor Ford over Chevy. And guess what, they don’t take a position on Ford vs. Chevy because there is no religious implication. On any issue with religious implication the Vatican takes a position. It’s just that simple. Evolution has religious implications, the Catholic Church talks about it because of that. This is self-evident.

“When I pass wind in Wittenburg they can smell it in Rome.”

He also hated Jews. So do some of his current followers as was recently demonstrated on national TV. He was a real class act don’t you know.

Wasn’t he just precious?

The Catholics are not trying to justify their religion by endorsing evolution.

Many Fundamentalists ARE trying to use Intelligent Design to justify their religion.

I agree with Dave that the Vatican takes a position on evolution since it seems to come into conflict with certain interpretations of Genesis, traditional Catholic doctrine about creation, original sin, evolution of man, Adam/Eve, etc, i.e. “religious reasons.”

But a religious (or theological or philosophical) critique of evolution is irrelevant to the validity of the science and scientific data. And the Vatican accepts that as well (see the International Theological Commission statement from July 2004, paragraphs 62-70).

http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/p80.htm

Phil P

So you’re asserting this without anything to back it up. I don’t see how you can be so adamant about it then. One reason contraceptives are not endorsed is because they believe that they lead to immoral behavior. It’s not so difficult to understand why they would choose such a stance.

DaveScot asks: “Why would they have any position on evolution if not for religious reasons?”

Because people keep bringing it up. And questions such as “How does the Church feel about evolution?” deserve answers. What I don’t understand is how you can claim that their endorsement of something that contradicts the Bible can be religously motivated.

Analogy doesn’t hold. Evolution is supported by the Vatican since the Vatican supports good science and sees no necessary conflicts with faith and reason (Catechism 159, 283-284, also Vatican Council I). Except for a few hardcore atheists there, most of the Pandas’s Thumb people believe the same.

Individual Catholics are free to accept good or bad science, whether evolution, ID, a young earth, geocentrism, or a universe created Last Thursday. Science is outside the domain of the Catholic magisterium or teaching authority of the Church, and cannot be defined by said magisterium.

Depending how you read them, Benedict XVI, John Paul II, Cardinal Schonborn, et al can be seen supporting both evolution and “intelligent design” (lower case).

Phil P

Do you think the Vatican isn’t motivated by religion in stem cell research?

The Vatican does not take positions on issues that are not motivated by religious considerations. They are a church. The are concerned about issues relevant to their faith and interpretation of the holy scriptures. Write that down.

Now, since I answered your question, you owe me an answer to mine.

Why would they have any position on evolution if not for religious reasons?