There was a fair bit of talk last week about Pope Giblets Benedict's weekend seminar on evolution. I haven't seen any post-seminar commentary yet, but I'm not sure I would expect much, given that no official statements are forthcoming.
I'm sort of puzzled as to why this is a story, though. As the Times puts it:
In 1996, Pope John Paul declared evolution "more than a hypothesis," and in 2004 as Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict endorsed the scientific view that the earth is roughly four billion years old and that species changed through evolution. Indeed, there has been no credible scientific challenge to the idea that evolution, the foundation of modern biology, explains the diversity of life on earth.
Given that history, scientists and church experts say they cannot imagine the study session ending with any alignment of the pope or the church with intelligent design or American-style creationism, which often posits that Earth is only about 6,000 years old.
The Catholic Church actually has a pretty good history regarding the whole evolution thing, having perhaps learned their lesson with the whole Galileo debacle. The Church also lacks the idiot-literalist movement so prominent in the more obnoxious forms of Protestantism, so the chances of the Pope endorsing young-Earth creationism are basically zero. So why the fuss?
But Father Fessio and others say the pope, based on his statements and writings, remains deeply concerned specifically about the contention among some supporters of modern evolution that the theory refutes any role of God in creation.
"Given this ideology, the temptation or danger is real to say that you don't have any need of God, that the spirit doesn't exist," said Msgr. Fiorenzo Facchini, an Italian priest and paleoanthropologist. "And the church should keep guard against this and denounce it."
That would be the sort of thing you'd worry about, you know, if you were the Pope. I mean, if you're already religious, you sorta kinda need there to be some role for God in the creation of humanity, otherwise what's the point?
So, the leader of a major world religion is concerned about a theory that some claim removes the need for God in creation. why is this news?
(I was reminded of this this morning by John Wilkins, whose article can easily stand in for pretty much any of the other commentary I've read.)
- Log in to post comments
Excellent post.
For those not up on the theological niceties of the Catholic Church vs various Protestant and evangelical sects, it's news because it points out the differences.
For those way up on the theological niceties, it's news-worthy (at least) because there are reasons to believe Benedict XVI has not quite the same level of "separation of Church and Science" in his philosophy as John Paul II.
And in the middle of the Fourth Great Re-Awakening, any major religious statement about evolution is news.
The reason it matters, though is twofold:
1. The Catholic church is a major source of education in the world. If they go gaga, we're in for a period of increasing gaganess.
2. The Catholic church is a major source of political influence in the world. Ditto.
As it happens, earlier in my procrastination today I came across a series of excerpts from Benedict's writings on evolution and cosmology in the context of Christianity. It seems clear that he isn't anywhere close to intelligent design. (I'm Jewish myself, but I enjoy reading intelligent Christian thought.)
http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/p81.htm