Pope Caught Telling A Truth
Dang, this has got to be the first time this old bastard has said anything remotely truthful.
Pope Benedict admits evidence for evolution
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.
In a talk with 400 priests, the Pope spoke of the current debate raging in some countries, particularly the US and his native Germany, between creationism and evolution.
“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 favour of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such.â€
But he said evolution did not answer all the questions and could not exclude a role by God.
“Above all it does not answer the great philosophical question ‘where does everything come from?’“
Aug 08, 2007 @ 06:34:59
may be there’s hope for him yet
Aug 14, 2007 @ 11:06:26
Catholics had always supported evolution. This is not anything new.
Aug 14, 2007 @ 11:30:27
Uhhh.. what?
Aug 16, 2007 @ 15:21:54
Sorry to bash you, but there´s no debate on “creationism” in germany. Even if some tabloids published headlines like: “We are Pope” (… no further comment on that one), and about 50% of the population is NOMINALLY catholic, the veracity of scientific method and findings have never been in question here. Nor is there any debate on changing the subjects and contents of teaching at public and private schools, which base their curriculae on science, not creed or religion (whichever that may be, religion of any kind has no place in a classroom, be it christian, muslim, hindu, buddist, nature-worship, vodoo or any other). Being a german, teacher and concerned atheist, I nevertheless welcome this “change of basic tenor” (which remains to be seen and proven) from the part of the pope. Hopefully it mayl have some effect on the dogmatic views held by many, and not only those of the christian faith.
Aug 17, 2007 @ 00:43:20
According to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) the catholic church sees no factual conflict between science and faith. Evolution has been supported at least since Pius XII (with the special addendum that the soul is “created” by god). Evolution has never been condemned, but there has been a long period of no official mention.
Still today it seems like the support for creationism is at an century high. Even some high ranking officials support creationism – and that includes at least one Cardinal. Cardinal Schonborn wrote an essay some time ago that included the following paragraph:
‘Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense — an unguided, unplanned process of random variation and natural selection — is not”
This seems to be a response to the essay.
Aug 17, 2007 @ 07:41:24
Oliver,
I’m German and atheist, too. You’re mostly right depicting creationism as a non-issue in Germany. But still, there is this “Kultusministerin” from the state of Hessia who plans to have Creationism taught in Biology classes…
Aug 28, 2007 @ 17:23:04
Greetings Oliver, i have to tell you that the debate is starting. Six months ago there was an incident with non approves schoolbooks from the german Wort und Wissen (Word and Knowledge enlisted association)) e.V, the german intelligent design groop. Those books, teaching intelligent design, were used in Biologyclass in two schools in Gießen, an private School run by an christian association. The disturbiting part og this is that the Kultusministerin of Hessen Karin Wollf (Statesecretary of education of Hessia) apriciated what the teachers were doing as an good example of interclass teaching. She said that the children should be taught both theories in biology to let them chose (an recognition yet?). It needed pressure from the opposing Parties and from the people to get a full invbestigation on this matter. A month ago, the politics of Miss Wolf, an ex religion teacher and still highranking member in the lutherian church, was covered by the Prime Minister of hessia Roland Koch, causing new havocs of the opposing Parties.
Hopefully he and his party (the christian demokratic union (our republicans)) will not be reelected.
Still most of the Germans are secular, and witness to christ only oral and not by heart. The danger lies in the political correctness in germany, to tollerate nearly everything until it is to late.
The creationist in germany are not as outspoken like yours in the states. Thats because of the danger to be taken as the fundis they are. Example: The Wort und Wissen eV denies connections to the discovery institute, but on of the topmembers, Siegfred Scherer was/is long tim fellow of the DC.
So the creationists are comming in disguise. Sice we are a so tolerating people, most of us are agnostic and would give ID an 50% chance to be true, just to not offend someone (maybe we are afraid of getting carbombed, dunno…). Religion is not challengened or allowed to be challanged in the public. Why not? Just not!
greetings from Germany, [C]Arrowman
for those who understand german, visit our brightsblog.wordpress.com
hopefully my english wasnt to bad ;-)
Jul 19, 2008 @ 00:16:16
When did evolution ever attempt to say where we initially came from? It just covers how things change, not the origin of everything.
Even so, it’s still nice to hear a powerful religious person say that evolution is fact.
Jul 30, 2008 @ 04:40:54
it is amusing to me that the creationists creed demands that god adhere to their belief system. walt
Jun 27, 2009 @ 22:20:27
One problem in the USA is that the one’s pushing creationism consider the Pope to be an apostate and Catholicism to be an invalid form of Christianity (a heresy, for lack of a better word). So it does not matter one bit to them what the Pope says. I have heard them (I am talking about members of my own family) tell me that the Pope is the Antichrist.