Vatican astronomer: creationism "a kind of paganism"

[Dr. Yoshi]

BELIEVING that God created the universe in six days is a form of superstitious paganism, the Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno claimed yesterday.

Brother Consolmagno, who works in a Vatican observatory in Arizona and as curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Italy, said a "destructive myth" had developed in modern society that religion and science were competing ideologies.

He described creationism, whose supporters want it taught in schools alongside evolution, as a "kind of paganism" because it harked back to the days of "nature gods" who were responsible for natural events.

Brother Consolmagno argued that the Christian God was a supernatural one, a belief that had led the clergy in the past to become involved in science to seek natural reasons for phenomena such as thunder and lightning, which had been previously attributed to vengeful gods. "Knowledge is dangerous, but so is ignorance. That's why science and religion need to talk to each other," he said.

"Religion needs science to keep it away from superstition and keep it close to reality, to protect it from creationism, which at the end of the day is a kind of paganism - it's turning God into a nature god. And science needs religion in order to have a conscience, to know that, just because something is possible, it may not be a good thing to do."

Brother Consolmagno, who was due to give a speech at the Glasgow Science Centre last night, entitled "Why the Pope has an Astronomer", said the idea of papal infallibility had been a "PR disaster". What it actually meant was that, on matters of faith, followers should accept "somebody has got to be the boss, the final authority".

"It's not like he has a magic power, that God whispers the truth in his ear," he said.

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=674042006

Really it is nothing new that the Vatican has supported evolution for some time but to say creationism is entirely non-Christian is a different matter.

 

[SoCalian]

sounds about right.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Brother Consolmagno, who was due to give a speech at the Glasgow Science Centre last night, entitled "Why the Pope has an Astronomer", said the idea of papal infallibility had been a "PR disaster". What it actually meant was that, on matters of faith, followers should accept "somebody has got to be the boss, the final authority".

Ah yes, but as that hellspawn Martin Luther said.... "Why not me?"

 

[Samson]

It is an interesting choice of phrase, but I guess it is this blokes opinion not an official vatican stance. If you give up papal infallibility, then can you really say that people who have a different interpretation of the bible are pagans? It is more extreme than calling them heretics. They have a pretty minor difference in belif to you, and not one that makes a difference in day to day life. Esp. if you include "god created the world with dinosaur bones in it" and "god created the universe at the big bang" as creationists.

Brother Consolmagno, who was due to give a speech at the Glasgow Science Centre last night, entitled "Why the Pope has an Astronomer", said the idea of papal infallibility had been a "PR disaster". What it actually meant was that, on matters of faith, followers should accept "somebody has got to be the boss, the final authority".

This is the bit that supprised me. Have the vatican given up on papal infallibility then?

 

[PrincepsAmerica]

No it doesn't mean they've "given up" on papal infallibility. He was simply saying it's been terribly explained and gave his own clarification of it.

 

[plarq]

A few times two wrong makes a right.

 

[Rambuchan]

Ah yes, but as that hellspawn Martin Luther said.... "Why not me?"

As the hellspawn Rambuchan said.... "Who cares what these distant, misguided, contradictory, out of touch with reality, self serving folk think anyway?"

 

[Samson]

No it doesn't mean they've "given up" on papal infallibility. He was simply saying it's been terribly explained and gave his own clarification of it.

So they never meant that the pope was always right, just that he was appointed so you should accept his interpretation?

"Interesting" choice of words to use in that case, not really what they mean at all.

 

[Turner]

I was in Catholic school back in the late 70s/early 80s, and I remember being taught evolution in Science class. Genesis is a metaphor, something Catholics have understood for quite a while now.

Of course, Galileo might have thought differently.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I know a few Catholic creationists in need of being declared anathema.

 

[Che Guava]

As the hellspawn Rambuchan said.... "Who cares what these distant, misguided, contradictory, out of touch with reality, self serving folk think anyway?"

Most of us wouldn't care if it was for the fact that so many people do listen to those distant, misguided, contradictory, out of touch with reality, self serving folk. I tend to think of, oh, say G Bush being misguided too, but I certainly take what he says seriously....