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EDHS Contemporary World Affairs -> Discussion Topics, Week E -> Vatican hosts Darwin conference
Post Info TOPIC: Vatican hosts Darwin conference
[(JordanA.)]


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Vatican hosts Darwin conference
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The Vatican is sponsoring a five day conference to mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species.

The subject is the compatibility of evolution and creation.

It is one of two separate international academic conferences being sponsored by the Vatican this year.

They aim to re-examine the work of scientific thinkers whose revolutionary ideas challenged religious belief: Galileo and Charles Darwin.

Scientists, philosophers and theologians from around the world are gathering at the prestigious Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome to discuss the compatibility of Darwin's theory of evolution and Catholic teaching.

Christian churches were long hostile to Darwin because his theory conflicted with the literal biblical account of creation.

But the Catholic Church never condemned Darwin, as it condemned and silenced Galileo.

Pope John Paul II said that evolution was "more than a hypothesis".

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Yet as recently as 2006 a leading Catholic Cardinal, Christoff Schoenborn, of Vienna, a former student and friend of Pope Benedict XVI caused controversy by saying that Darwin's theory of natural selection was incompatible with Christian belief.

A leading American scholar of biology, Prof Francisco Ayala, plans to tell the conference that the so-called theory of intelligent design, proposed by Creationists, is flawed.

"The design of organisms is not what would be expected from an intelligent engineer, but imperfect and worse," he said.

"Defects, dysfunctions, oddities, waste and cruelty pervade the living world".

Do you think this is god or bad that the Catholic Church is looking into Charles Darwin's Origin of Species theory?



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Vanessabug


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I think that this is pretty bizzare. Dont the ideas of the church and... Darwin... completely contradict eachother?? Pope Benedict XVI said it himself!

Now the Catholic church is contradicting itself!

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KW00D


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Que ironico


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moniCA92870


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I also find this kind of strange. i thought i was reading the article wrong or something. i don't think it's either good or bad- it's just unexpecting.  But at least they're not being close minded ....
and while they are doing that, maybe apologize to Galileo.  it may not count but, come on! he knew what he was talking about!! 


-- Edited by moniCA92870 at 01:00, 2009-03-04

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ich_binJason


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I think its better. I believe in evolution and don't believe in intelligent design so I'm already biased in my opinion. As long as their teaching dinosaurs existed, I really don't have a problem with them (see Mike Huckabee).

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DaisyVo1212


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the VATICAN is hosting a Darwin conference?? good for them!! the Catholic church is getting less and less narrow minded, that's good that they are giving Darwinism a chance, even though the church teaches Creationism.

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lookitspeter


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Im interested to see how this turns out. It says that scientists, philosophers, and theologians from around the world are gathering to discuss whether Darwin can fit with the Bible. I think this is a good idea because regardless of the outcome at least Christians will know whether or not Darwin is compatible with Christian teaching. Im also interested to see what scholars supporting intelligent design will say in response to Professor Francisco Ayalas statement that the theory of intelligent design is flawed.

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alecralph


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i think its good that they are starting to believe in things that have evidence rather than in a blind belief

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LaurrenM


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I think that its a good thing that they are trying to understand and be open minded to other things.

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jacobcorbin


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That actually goes against most everything the catholic religion stands for. And, like vanessa said, they're contradicting themselves. We might see another schism if the pope starts to believe it...

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Bonemail-(Christophe K)


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What you have to realize about Darwin is that he talked about evolution being form one species adapting to a surrounding. What people took that for was that a whole species could evolve into another and if you have ever read his book he never mentions anything about humans being evolved from anything else but rather adaptation of species to their surroundings. That is where evolution has it's problems cause we have no records of any inorganic object just starting to evolve and learn to breath eat and live.
As a catholic I believe personally in adaption of species to fit their surroundsings but not in full blown evolution. Also you have to realize that all religions are faith based so following something blindly and giving yourself faith are to diffrent things. To follow blindly is to ignore all common sence and reality around you no matter how distorted your views are. To have faith is to realize you don't know everything and thusly you give faith that god is in control.
As for this summit I could care less cause as I tell people all the time it's better to be spiritual then religious cause religions are created by man but your spirit was created by god.

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Snackycakes


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What if evolution could be the answer to how life has become what it is today, and not who had started it. Maybe evolution is a natural process that God had instilled in life? (Not intending to be blasphemous to anyone sensitive about this). You have to ask contreversial questions in order to solidify your faith in a religion and seek out wisdom to reinforce your beliefs. This conference (in my opinion) is a positive influence on Catholics/Christians and the people in general. It is conforting that the Vatican is open to holding this.


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