Vatican's trying to be friends with Science ...

I dunno whether to commend their efforts or to laugh them silly, but the Vatican, probably realizing that maintaining a rift with Science isn't exactly the smartest thing to do in such a scientifically-governed time that is our modern world, is planning to sponsor, over the course of the next several months, academic conferences about the works of such luminaries as Charles Darwin and Galileo Galilei, two of the fundamental fathers of modern Science, in an effort to "reconcile Science and Religion".

Featuring distinguished international panels of scientists and theologians, these events are the latest efforts by the Catholic Church under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI to affirm that Christian faith and modern science are not at odds, but entirely compatible.

So John Paul II (whom I really had nothing against, he actually tried to help people rather than piss them off and alienate them) and Benedict XVI (two-faced lying religiot if there ever was one – plus he has an uncanny resemblence to someone ... I wonder whom ...?) claim that Science and Religion are fundamentally "not at odds"? Perhaps not technically, but with the inevitable and logical conclusions that both faith and Science respectively hold, it's pretty much impossible for members of these groups not to be at odds on more than one points. Come across any reputable and noteworthy scientist who believes in God, or any indoctrinated Christian who believes in Evolution, and I'm buying you a splendid pizza. I'll even order in from Diamond's. (Best pizza parlor in the Northern Hemisphere, really, based in Saint-Eustache.) Aaaanyway, I digress.

Unlike some conservative Protestant churches, which have rejected Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection as contradicting the biblical account of creation, the Catholic Church has a record of guarded tolerance of Darwin's ideas.

Pope Pius XII permitted "research and discussions . . . with regard to the doctrine of evolution" in 1950, nearly a century after Darwin's theory was published; and John Paul II recognized evolution as "more than a hypothesis" nearly half a century later.

How much you wanna bet that the Vatican is really just as opposed to the "Theory" of Evolution and such, but can't speak this out loud without alienating half their congregation (or more)? After all, the Vatican need to fulfill a cruelly divided role: they need to both secure and spread their fundamental Catholic beliefs, yet they also need to keep people from leaving, which naturally can only lead to pandering now and again, such as what I believe the above excerpt shines of.

And when will the religious ever finally stop referring to Evolution as a "doctrine"? You don't "believe" in Evolution, as you would believe in God. It's just there, a concrete fact that no-one having seen the evidence can honestly reject. Evolution reportedly has more evidence to support it than does the "theory" of gravity, for Pete's sake.

And now, for our customary serving of Christian creationism stupidity and ignorance:

In recent years, however, with the growing prominence of "creationism" and "intelligent design" as alternative explanations for the existence of humanity and the universe, Catholics have increasingly voiced doubts about Darwin's acceptability.

Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, a friend and former student of Pope Benedict's, provoked controversy with a 2005 article arguing that "neo-Darwinian dogma" is not "compatible with Christian faith" and insisting that the "human intellect can readily discern purpose and design in the natural world."

Sigh. I'll refrain from once again repeating how Creationism, and it's "variant", Intelligent Design, are not alternate theories or explanations, but are simply faith-based beliefs. (... Whoops.)

Good to know that this "neo-Darwinian dogma" (what ...?) isn't compatible with Christian Faith, though, and that's pretty much true. And the only time "human intellect can readily discern purpose and design in the natural world", is when it's ignorant of most, if not all, basic scientific facts and evidence, simply put. Science has an uncanny knack for explaining everything perfectly, with testable and verifiable results and conclusions to boot, whereas faith and "Intelligent Design" don't really have those assets.

Anyway ... I'm all for repairing rifts and fights (I'm such a pacifist :P), so they have my best wishes as to the success of these "academic conferences". I can only hope they don't stoop to archetypal Creationist-level hypocrisy and dishonesty and hire actual scientists who really are worth listening to, instead of two-faced cowards and basic idiots. (Ie. if they mention astrologist Dr. Gonzalez or creationist neurosurgeon Dr. Egnor, that's pretty much it for it all in my book.