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3rd October 2009, 05:48 PM
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Reps: 10 (power: 0) | | | EVOLUTION - you know the Pope accepts it right? Pretty straightforward question, just not sure if many people here knew that. (I had no idea until reading a new book on the topic)
Turns out that the majority of senior clergy members and including His Infallible-ness the Pope recognize that evolution is a fact.
Evolution is a theory in the same vein as Einstein's theory of Relativity.
This issue is that most people who don't want to recognize it as a fact, are confusing theory with hypothesis.
The evidence for evolution is indeed overwhelming and abundant, which is why any reputable scientist supports that it is indeed a fact.
I can understand why some people who have been deliberately mislead would think otherwise. (some people think that humans evolved from monkeys, and then ask why there are still monkeys..hahaha). | 
3rd October 2009, 06:43 PM
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Reps: 686,314,855,663,773,952 (power: 686,314,855,663,814) | | Originally Posted by weybourne1 Pretty straightforward question, just not sure if many people here knew that. (I had no idea until reading a new book on the topic)
Turns out that the majority of senior clergy members and including His Infallible-ness the Pope recognize that evolution is a fact.
Roughly speaking, yes.
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3rd October 2009, 08:54 PM
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Reps: 1,493,472,100,140,931,584 (power: 1,493,472,100,140,946) | | Originally Posted by weybourne1 Pretty straightforward question, just not sure if many people here knew that. (I had no idea until reading a new book on the topic)
Turns out that the majority of senior clergy members and including His Infallible-ness the Pope recognize that evolution is a fact.
Evolution is a theory in the same vein as Einstein's theory of Relativity.
This issue is that most people who don't want to recognize it as a fact, are confusing theory with hypothesis.
The evidence for evolution is indeed overwhelming and abundant, which is why any reputable scientist supports that it is indeed a fact.
I can understand why some people who have been deliberately mislead would think otherwise. (some people think that humans evolved from monkeys, and then ask why there are still monkeys..hahaha).
I don't want to start a debate over the validity of evolution, but just to address what you're saying here, yes, it's fairly well known that the pope accepts the evolution theory. I believe he also believes in the gap theory (basically, 7 days meant 7 ages in genesis). But the pope is just a man, and he doesn't have any more or less authority than any other Christian. He's just a man. I would argue that his position in the church is fairly unbiblical, as is the power that people give to him.
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3rd October 2009, 10:17 PM
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3rd October 2009, 10:27 PM
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Reps: 448,540,680,020,073,216 (power: 448,540,680,020,089) | | Originally Posted by weybourne1 Pretty straightforward question, just not sure if many people here knew that. (I had no idea until reading a new book on the topic)
Turns out that the majority of senior clergy members and including His Infallible-ness the Pope recognize that evolution is a fact.
I believe that the Pope and most clergy hold evolution as the most likely theory... while teaching that believing in creationism or evolution is not against the faith. | 
4th October 2009, 12:00 AM
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Reps: 686,314,855,663,773,952 (power: 686,314,855,663,814) | | There is a whole book on the topic of the RCC views on evolution etc - which I'm looking forward to reading as soon as I have time to read anything beyond what I need for my studies: Mobipocket eBook: "Creation And Evolution" by Fr. Stephan Horn
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4th October 2009, 07:46 AM
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Reps: 10 (power: 0) | | | I apologize if there is a more appropriate room for this question..I was just under the impression that this is the only place we atheists can post.
I appreciate the replies, and sorry if my original tone came across as harsh - it's just that I don't see why evolution is such a threat to some people, you know?
History is full of previous ideas being altered - that's how we were able to develop newer and better medicines, for example - and by ignoring factual evidence just because it doesn't line up with past ideas, that can be the most dangerous way of thinking!
On the flip side of things, because science is always discovering new truths (example recently would be the release of articles on Ardipithecus ramidus), science is open to amending past ideas to include new information, rather than deny it's validity because it doesn't line up with past findings. And that's the best part about science, and scientists - they admit when they were wrong - which makes their evidence that much more substantial.
Anyways, I was just trying to get a sense of what the general Christian public thought about evolution, since a lot of them that I meet aren't even willing to study the evidence, and that, to me, is a shame. | 
4th October 2009, 08:14 AM
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Reps: 1,124,929,859,130,509,824 (power: 0) | | Originally Posted by weybourne1 Pretty straightforward question, just not sure if many people here knew that. (I had no idea until reading a new book on the topic)
Turns out that the majority of senior clergy members and including His Infallible-ness the Pope recognize that evolution is a fact.
Evolution is a theory in the same vein as Einstein's theory of Relativity.
This issue is that most people who don't want to recognize it as a fact, are confusing theory with hypothesis.
The evidence for evolution is indeed overwhelming and abundant, which is why any reputable scientist supports that it is indeed a fact.
I can understand why some people who have been deliberately mislead would think otherwise. (some people think that humans evolved from monkeys, and then ask why there are still monkeys..hahaha).
The pope is just as welcome to his opinion as anybody else. Doesn't affect me or my religion one bit. | 
4th October 2009, 09:23 AM
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Reps: 62,872,008,933,257,656 (power: 62,872,008,933,270) | | Originally Posted by weybourne1 (some people think that humans evolved from monkeys, and then ask why there are still monkeys..hahaha).
A more likely theory is that monkeys have de-volved from human beings who have chosen to deny the existence of their Creator and wandered off into the darkness of unbelief. IN CHRIST,
ephraim
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Last edited by ephraimanesti; 4th October 2009 at 07:57 PM.
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4th October 2009, 09:47 AM
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Reps: 10 (power: 0) | | Originally Posted by ephraimanesti A more likely theory is that monkeys have evolved from human beings who have chosen to deny the existence of their Creator and wandered off into the darkness of unbelief. IN CHRIST, ephraim
Does this mean that I am going to turn into a monkey?
We share a common ancestor with monkeys, apes, orangutans, etc, etc,etc,. We did not evolve out of them, that is a popular misconception. Agreed? |  | | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode | | | |