The Vatican *once again* states evolutionary support
An interesting article in the L'Osservatore Romano this week following up a PA court decision - the Vatican has re-instated its position on evolution and has stated that Intelligent Design is not a science, rejecting hardcore fundamentalist creationism views (typically found only in the U.S.).
The ID movement sometimes presents Catholicism, the world's largest Christian denomination, as an ally in its campaign. While the Church is socially conservative, it has a long theological tradition that rejects fundamentalist creationism.
"Intelligent design does not belong to science and there is no justification for the demand it be taught as a scientific theory alongside the Darwinian explanation," said the article in the Tuesday edition of the newspaper.
Evolution represents "the interpretative key of the history of life on Earth" and the debate in the United States was "polluted by political positions...'
.... The Church, which has never rejected evolution, teaches that God created the world and the natural laws by which life developed. Even its best-known dissident, Swiss theologian Hans Kueng, echoed this in a recent book in Germany.
These news items are always very interesting in my little world, as I've had more than a few heated discussions with fellow Catholics on their anti-evolutionary stances. This is completely ridiculous to me.
I was taught from a very young age not to throw away the importance of science and intelligence in the name of religion and faith. They should be complementary forces that go hand in hand, which is yet another reason I think our lovely American Fundies are absolutely nutso.
