“This clash is an absurdity because ... 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.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19956961/
2007-07-26 03:00:46 · 24 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The significance is the fundie literalists just became a little more isolated.
2007-07-26 03:21:24 · answer #1 · answered by Bahmo 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Quite significant indeed. The Pope finally is recognizing the Earth as a possible being (about bloody time) and in need of help. As for creration vs evolution, I'm waiting to see how this will play itself out.
I loved the cartoons though. They don't call him the "Enforcer" for nothing.
2007-07-26 11:43:36 · answer #2 · answered by Mama Otter 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most people tend to believe that Darwin did not believe in God, but in actuality he did, and in fact he is buried in a church cemetery. His point was that evolution or change occurs over time. And if you look at the world you can see this from one generation to the next. The belief that we are changing from one generation to the next does not preclude the belief in God. Below are a couple examples of change.
Height – When growing up I was at 6’ at the end of High School, my nephew is 6’-2”, two inches taller and actually I am two inches taller then my dad.
Intelligence level – I am smarter then my parents on some things and they were smarter then their parents on some things.
2007-07-26 10:15:26 · answer #3 · answered by KC 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Pope saw the writing on the wall. Only a few American religious fanatics still tout creationism (giving it the new name "scientific creationism", which makes it -- tada -- scientific). Anyway, religious faith and science are two different things and if they actually conflict then something's wrong. If science discovers something that conflicts with religious belief, then religious people should be able to accept it and adjust their views without losing "faith" in God.
2007-07-26 12:59:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The significance is that a religion whose beliefs are actually true doesn't have to fear truth from other sources. Truth cannot conflict with truth. Religious groups whose beliefs rest upon unauthoritative, simplistic personal interpretations of the Bible constantly conflict with one another, which plainly demonstrates that many of the beliefs formed in this way are untrue. Therefore it should be no surprise when some of these untrue beliefs come into conflict with demonstrated facts of science. The solid, unchanging truth of Catholic doctrine, guaranteed by God Himself, cannot conflict with any other genuine truth. Therefore the Catholic Church has nothing to fear from science, and the Pope's affirmation of truth from scientific sources is really an expression of that fact.
2007-07-26 10:10:15 · answer #5 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The Bible is not a science book, and will not answer *all* questions of science and history. The significance is great in that (some not all) Christians can and have believed in evolution and that God still created. Our Church has always looked at this way, I'm glad it has come to light recently.
2007-07-26 10:07:57 · answer #6 · answered by <><><> 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
When I was a child in a Catholic grade school, the nun who was our Biology teacher explained the Darwinian theory. Then she asked, "What do you think of all this, if you compare it to what you learned about Adam and Eve in religion class?"
Hands shot up all over the classroom. A boy said, "Well, maybe that's just one of those myths. You know, like the Greek myths. It explained how we got here, back when we didn't know. But now we know better."
Catholics have accepted the theory of evolution for a very long time. They do not believe in the literal truth of every word of the Bible. That's nothing new.
2007-07-26 10:08:13 · answer #7 · answered by Austin W 3 · 6⤊ 2⤋
You see the Creationism and Evolution (some parts of it) can go together. You can believe in both. Things do evolve into other things, plants and yes even some animals, but as long as you believe God created all of those animals and caused the evolution then arent we right back to where we started and truth and a theroy working together?
2007-07-26 10:05:10 · answer #8 · answered by smallz 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The significance is that, while he is still willing to appear a dolt on most things, the overwhelming evidence for evolution has left him in a position where he is no longer willing to look like an idiot on this one.
But he has taken a long time.
2007-07-26 10:05:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I think that the Pope is just trying to make us realize that science is not a bad thing! Of course many of us already knew that....
2007-07-26 11:21:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋