Can christian now agree with evolution?Pope Benedict admits evidence for evolution.?

Question

POPE Benedict has said there is substantial scientific proof of the theory of evolution.

The Pope, speaking as he was concluding his holiday in northern Italy, also said the human race must listen to "the voice of the Earth" or risk destroying its very existence.

Answer 1

He's said it before, as did JP2, Pope Paul and Pope Pius, that evolution does not conflict with faith.

Pope JP2 issued an encyclical titled "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth" in support of evolutionary science.

Think of all of the Catholic Universities in the USA with medical schools. They don't teach Catholic medicine; they teach western medicine.

Ken W is correct about the Bible. And the cherished KJV is from a Catholic King of England, James VI&I (sixth of scotland first of england).

Answer 2

The pope has given his opinion. His opinion is no more (or less) valid than anyone else's opinion, including yours and mine. Personally, I am not sure what I think about the theory of evolution. There seems to be a great deal more work to be done before science can safely say that evolution is, indeed, a fact. In the end, nobody really knows, but God, since He was the only one there when He said "Let there be life". *giggling at Reverend Soliel* Ahh, my dear Reverend...but the Catholic church has ignored so very many OTHER 10-ton elephants that the room seems to have crumbled under the weight of them. Besides, it's difficult to put any credence to the words of a man who would wear that silly hat.

Answer 3

Hi,

OK, I am not the pope but I believe in evolution as a geologist who finds coral reefs 2000 metres down in the oilfields of western Canada. The Pope is not a scientist but I agree with the statement.

The Catholic church at least after 500 years had the guts to apologize and acknowledge Galileo was correct. Judging from the answers I see from some fundies on the lists, pigs will fly and the earth will fry before they have the guts and common sense to similarly reciprocate with regards to evolution and admit man did not walk with dinosaurs.

By the way some people answering can check out the Pope's academic credentials before you hang yourselves with regards to foolishness.

Answer 4

As you can tell by some of the wonderfully tolerant and open-minded comments you're getting, a lot of people don't consider us Catholics to be Christians. I'm not exactly sure Who they think we love, worship, and serve -- i.e., the Guy up there on that Cross in every Catholic church.

But I will give them a hint: it sure ain't Buddha.

And Catholic Christians have no problem with the idea of evolution. We believe God created everything that is or ever was, but we don't feel the need to force the facts to fit a pre-conceived notion of how He might have done so. It's enough for us to know that He is the Creator.

Answer 5

Funny how so many are bleating about the Pope not being "Christian". What gave them the right to hijack the title of "Christian", anyway? Or do they not care that most of the world's Christians think they're idiots for playing the exclusivist game AND squealing about evolution being the devil's work?

At least they provide a little bit of entertainment for the rest of us, though, eh?

Wolfblayde, Catherine V... I'd say you just about hit the nail on the head there.

Answer 6

This isn't new for the Catholic Church. For years, its stance on Creation and Evolution is that there is no difference between the two.

Excited Bout Christ: G/f, really, are you gonna say that all the PhD's in the world have it all wrong, and you have the answer to all of their questions regarding human origin???

As for scientific proof in the Bible that supports the literal Creation story, where is it?

As for taking the Creation story literally, are you saying that God's Word is so lame that the complete meaning of the Creation story is the literal and obvious, and the literal and obvious? Is His word deep or not? To consider only the literal meaning of the Scriptures would be to completely disregard and discredit all of the possible truths of the Bible, and to accept the literal ONLY. Is God's Word not deeper than that?

Answer 7

In my understanding he is right.Yes we all can admit that we came from evolution. God did not create the earth in one day as we interpret it in 24 hours. The first day may be probably thousands of light years before he was able to create the second day and so forth. He created man on the last day He first created the birds and the beast before he created man . So it is a fact that man evolved from the apes and gradually transformed physically to its present appearance by passing of time. It is very possible. However science and religion are two separate things which is hard to corelate..

Answer 8

Pope Benedict is nothing more than the current Arch-Heretic.

Micro-evolution is very much real and proven, demonstrable, scientific fact.

Macro-evolution still has some evidence holes that need to be addressed. For the time being, it is the best scientific theory. Even then, it hardly completely explains creation.

Answer 9

This isn't new to the Catholic Faith.

Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XIV) have declaired that evolution is possible as long as God created evolution!!! However, none have made a formal *infallible* decision, but all pope's I've listed (may be a few more) have been open minded about evolution.

Answer 10

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19956961/

LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI said the debate raging in some countries — particularly the United States and his native Germany — between creationism and evolution was an “absurdity,” saying that evolution can coexist with faith.

[...]

Benedict also said the human race must listen to “the voice of the Earth” or risk destroying its very existence.

[...]

The pope, leader of some 1.1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, said: “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.

(Wow, Benedict... startin' to sound a little Pagan there...)