Theistic evolution

[Gawdzilla]

  God is a pretty useless addition.

Short answer.

[Esquilax]

Allow me to illustrate the thought process with a parallel:

"God lives in heaven, above the firmament!"

"Just looked, there's no firmament."

"... God lives above the earth, in heaven!"

"Went to space, no heaven there."

"God lives in heaven, which is an alternate realm of existence beyond the scope of mortal men!"

"Okay, but I'm gonna go look anyway..."

Theistic evolution is the same thing: the god concept fleeing at top speed from the advances in our knowledge, into an ever-shrinking pocket of ignorance. The idea is to preserve the conclusion, not to provide an actual sensible position.

[FatAndFaithless]

I still don't like it when people (including atheists, I've heard many say it) claim that the Catholic church accepts the scientific theory of evolution. They don't; they accept their version of evolution, which is almost identical, but with the caveat that Adam and Eve were literal real people that lived at the same time (original sin and all that). That's not 'accepting' a scientific theory, that's tweaking a scientific theory to fit your doctrine.

[robvalue]

Right, they pretend to accept it while shitting all over it and not understanding it.

[Esquilax]

Right, they pretend to accept it while shitting all over it and not understanding it.

You have summed up Catholic standard operating procedures.

See also: New Pope's stance on gays, transgender people and the like. They want all the accolades of being progressive and enlightened, while only actually paying lip service to, and fundamentally insulting, the actual thing they're talking about. I'd call it mastery of the backhanded compliment, but it's not even particularly subtle: without the habitual benefit of the doubt that religion tends to get, everyone would see through it.

[FatAndFaithless]

Right, they pretend to accept it while shitting all over it and not understanding it.

You have summed up Catholic standard operating procedures.

See also: New Pope's stance on gays, transgender people and the like. They want all the accolades of being progressive and enlightened, while only actually paying lip service to, and fundamentally insulting, the actual thing they're talking about. I'd call it mastery of the backhanded compliment, but it's not even particularly subtle: without the habitual benefit of the doubt that religion tends to get, everyone would see through it.

What, you mean comparing transgender rights and advocacy to nuclear weapons isn't subtle?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people...61223.html

[vorlon13]

well, changing pronouncements from God Almighty would be heresy, after all.

Their recourse is to be HONEST, say their sacred documents are (again) wrong and go home, or announce a "new and improved" revelation, change the registered trademarks, and start doing business under a new name.


Trying to serve 2 masters, as they essentially are trying to do, is accounted as something one shouldn't be doing, btw . . .