Vatican Official Refutes Intelligent Design

[rpannier]

Man...even the Vatican says id is not science....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican's chief astronomer said Friday that "intelligent design" isn't science and doesn't belong in science classrooms, the latest high-ranking Roman Catholic official to enter the evolution debate in the United States.

The Rev. George Coyne, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, said placing intelligent design theory alongside that of evolution in school programs was "wrong" and was akin to mixing apples with oranges.

"Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be," the ANSA news agency quoted Coyne as saying on the sidelines of a conference in Florence. "If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science."

His comments were in line with his previous statements on "intelligent design" — whose supporters hold that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power.


the full article can be found at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051118/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_evolution

[shockingelk]

1. This article

This article was the tipping-point for a conservative catholic friend who I've been in a two week debate over ID. She now thinks ID ought not be taught in science class.

I'd been making identical arguments against ID being taught along side evolution as are presented in the article, but it took someone from the Vatican saying the exact same thing as I was to tip her: that ID isn't science and if taught, should be taught in religion or philosophy class.

I learned of ID while getting a B.S. in Philosophy and Religion from a public university. And have no problem being taught about the idea, which s at least as old as Anslem's statement of the Teleological Argument for the existence of God. But it was correctly taught to me as a philosophical, not scientific idea.

[StClone]

2. Isn't God Omnipotent?

If your Catholic friend needs more to ponder ask why he/she doesn't believe God is Omnipotent. When they respond, inform them God is all-powerful and could have created the world with Evolution and also make the earth appear older than its 5000 years complete with amazing Evolutionary fossils. Belief in the Intelligent Design is therefore blasphemy.

Catholics used to be a lot smarter and compassionate. I think the Pedophile scandals and targeted Republican manipulation has dumbed down the once great faith to a Fundie level mentality.