Pope: Big bang, evolution real

Story

The Pontiff said God created beings “and let them develop in accordance with the internal laws that he has given to each one.” He said: “When we read in Genesis the account of creation [we are] in danger of imagining that God was a magician, complete with a magic wand that can do all things. But he is not.”

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Well, half-way there, I guess. I wonder what the FUNdaMENTAL right thinks of this?

Threads like this usually result in the generic attempts of teenagers bashing organized religion as a means to make themselves feel big.

They're probably up in arms over it. Or will be. Catholicism needs to evolve, though, if it wants to be relevant in the future. I think the Pope knows this better than most.

I'm not a religious person, but I really like this Pope.

Why is this news? I'm not Catholic but I'm pretty sure this was always the Catholic church's position - they don't exactly deny evolution nor science.

Nice for it to be reaffirmed though.

Good to see this Pope express his own confirmation of what has been the Vatican's official stance for years.

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/vaticanview.html

This seems like stuff we knew already

Hasn't this been the official stance of the Catholic Church for a while now?

@chessmaster1989: yeah

Yes sir.

Their position has been, for some time, that Yahweh worked through science to make his creations. They are just reaffirming it. However, it does create the immediate issue of making the death of Jesus irrelevant. He died to give forgiveness for original sin, but if they believe Yahweh made us through evolution, that means their was no Adam and Eve, and thus no original sin. That's why most Christians refuse to let the account in Genesis go. Apologetics try to tackle a lot of issues, but even for them that one seems pretty hard to explain away. At some point it becomes a problem when their is progressively so much we are told not to take literally, it gets to a point where you just have to think "why not go all the way and take NONE of it literally"?

It means God took human form as his own son to have himself killed for a thing he himself knows full well never happened. Even for Christians, that one is hard to swallow.

Interesting I didn't know that. GeorgesLemaitre is the guys name. You learn something new every day.

do you mean the born again/right wing christians in america? I doubt they care since they're not catholic

I suppose you can trace the first idea similar to evolution from St. Augustine if not earlier; like most great scientifical ideas, it was anticipated by a metaphysical and pre-scientifical philosophy. That said, the essence of it, that is, of natural selection, is that a chaotic and random process can give shape to a staggering number of complex species, including man. It is not so when you engage in religious conversation, after all was not man made for God's love?; and perhaps all creation to lead to the defining moment of Christ's passion? So there is a great difference betweem the two formulations, none that I think can be conciliated.

The Catholic Church hasn't really made issue of this in the past. It's just the evangelicals.

What a joke. Why bother following a religion that just improvises as it goes? Either have the conviction to follow your fairy tail holy book or just give it up.

@junglist101: At its core law is based on this "Fairy Tail Book".

By stating a view they have held for years?

yeah, that's the ticket, the universe is only 50% supernatural instead of 100% supernatural.

so see there are a few natural laws of nature to go along with the demons and ghosties and chupacabras and such things.

totally rational.

And Adam and Eve? Evolved from apes? Can someone explain how it fits in with the theory, as in how something evolved into Adam and then the evolution of another something into Adam's mate Eve? Quite curious

Ditto.

At its core, Law is based on common sense rules necessary for any society to survive and thrive.

I'll answer your first statement: Catholics most definitely do read the old testament. I had to read portions of it, unfortunately.

Now your edited statement: They get angry with the Pope over other non-sense. Why not this?

I like this man :)

I present to you The Code of Hammurabi.

You know this isn't a new idea for Catholics....right?

You are correct. Pay no mind to him.

It's sad when someone who doesn't even practice anymore knows more about the religion than someone criticizing him who does practice.

Why would the Pope make any announcement at all if it was commonly known that the Vatican holds this view? He wouldn't. It's obviously not as well-known as some would make it out to be and it only makes Catholicism look better by getting these views out there.

Maybe because those that don't practice hold ignorant views.

About what, exactly?

What Catholics believe. Hell evolution was accepted back when John Paul II was pope. And taught in Catholic Schools. If you don't know what Catholics teach then you shouldn't make such pronouncements.

Maybe you should actually know what it is you're talking about before you try and call someone else ignorant. No where did I say evolution wasn't taught.

Yet it was an announcement because it was a part of that lecture.

Right. Sure you didn't imply that.

I don't need to imply things. If I believe something, I say it. Many people who don't know dick about Catholicism probably don't know that evolution is accepted by the Vatican. That is why it's smart for this Pope to reiterate such things.

Ouch dude did you get whiplash with the 180? You as much as told me I don't what Catholics believe because I said that is NOT a new ideology.

You shouldn't assume things. It makes you look stupid when you end up being wrong. I never specified what I was referring to when I said you should know what you are talking about. I was referring to the fact that you obviously don't know dick about what it is I know about Catholicism.

You did write them down for all to see....

The lecture itself is an announcement, sure. Since it was basically this Pope showing how he differed from his predecessor.

Yes, I just did. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. Now please use ellipses correctly.

The whole world is being played like a fiddle. Of course he came out and said this, the path the machine is taking is obvious.

Damn dude are you going to cry or something. How petty.....

And I guess we can stop now that you've shown you were wrong here.

What's truly petty is continuing an argument just to pad your post count, which is typical of you. You're wrong because you assumed I meant something when I didn't. You then continued to make assumptions, digging an even deeper hole for yourself. Instead of assuming what someone means, you should ask them to clarify. Instead you called me ignorant when that's clearly not the case.

You can stop whenever you want. You have yet to show anything to contradict what I've said. Keep digging, homie. I got a few entrenching tools you can borrow when yours breaks.

You seem to be the one continuing the argument. Post count? Obviously that must be important to you. I don't actually care about post counts. Trolls can have 30K.

You also made the discussion personal rather than about the topic.

I know exactly what you meant. You said Catholics would be riled up by what the Pope stated when it's in no way a new idea. And got pissy when I said you were incorrect. And you then told me you knew more about what we believe than we do. Which is arrogance and frankly pathetic when your point was already pointed out BY SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS IN THIS THREAD as being wrong.

Yes.