Pope punts

Pope: Creation vs. evolution an ‘absurdity’

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.

The pontiff, speaking as he was concluding his holiday in northern Italy, also said that while there is much scientific proof to support evolution, the theory could not exclude a role by God.

“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 favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such.”

Good for the Pope. As an atheist/agnostic myself, maybe I shouldn’t care. But there are lots of believers in the world. The Pope speaks for lots of them.

Caveat: There may some longer ID-friendly wording in his full statement. But as long as he stays with God as a “causer of causes,” or some such formulation, I’m okay with this.

Comments

  1. BloodSpite wrote:

    Sanity from a religious figure at last!

    Posted 26 Jul 2007 at 8:34 am

  2. commissar wrote:

    I’m waiting for PZ Myers’ take. He hates the Pope, this one especially, always calling him Nazi-Ratzi and such. If anywhere in his statement, the Pope is too ID-friendly, Myers will, as it were, crucify him.

    Posted 26 Jul 2007 at 8:57 am

  3. canuckistani wrote:

    I’d applaud, but among the fundamentalists who really push creationism, the word of the pope is like the word of the devil, but with a funny hat, so I’m not sure how much to hope for here. I was worried when the pope sacked the head of the Vatican Observatory that he was going to turn his back on science, but I’m glad that doesn’t seem to be the case.

    But I will also wait to see if PZ (Peace be upon Him) finds a smoking gun. Among us militant atheists, the pope is not an admirable figure.

    Posted 26 Jul 2007 at 9:44 am

  4. Michael wrote:

    among the fundamentalists who really push creationism, the word of the pope is like the word of the devil,

    Among us militant atheists, the pope is not an admirable figure.

    Well, I’m not a fundamentalist or an atheist, but as a Lutheran you can sign me up for the anti-Pope club also. :)

    I do grudgingly give this Pope some credit for intellectual consistency.

    Posted 26 Jul 2007 at 2:41 pm

  5. DavidC wrote:

    I’d applaud, but among the fundamentalists who really push creationism, the word of the pope is like the word of the devil, but with a funny hat, so I’m not sure how much to hope for here.

    It depends. Not all fundamentalists Protestant-types are anti-Catholic. Although they don’t recognize the authority of the Pope, they do recognize that they are often allied with devout Catholics on social issues.

    I’m a non-militant atheist and as of now I don’t have any particularly strong views about this Pope, but it appears that this is a positive development.

    Posted 26 Jul 2007 at 3:05 pm

  6. Grim wrote:

    I think I like this Pope. He’s been fairly impressive as a scholar and a thinker, as well as a religious figure.

    Posted 26 Jul 2007 at 10:06 pm

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