Vatican newspaper backs judge's support of evolution

I know I was a little slow in posting this suprising turn of events in the fight for Evolution and Science but, I thought it wasn't true. I thought it was a hoax. It doesn't exactly that the Vatican supports Evolution. But it does say that this intelligent design crap is, well, crap. It even praised the Judge's decision in Pennsylvania that intelligent design is not science nor should it be taught as it.

Ian Fisher and Cornelia Dean for The New York Times writes:

The Vatican newspaper has published an article labeling as "correct" the decision by a judge in Pennsylvania that intelligent design should not be taught as a scientific alternative to evolution.

"If the model proposed by Darwin is not considered sufficient, one should search for another," Fiorenzo Facchini, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Bologna, wrote in this week's edition of L'Osservatore Romano.

"But it is not correct from a methodological point of view to stray from the field of science while pretending to do science," he wrote, calling intelligent design unscientific.

"It only creates confusion between the scientific plane and those that are philosophical or religious."

The article was not presented as an official church position, but in the subtle and purposely ambiguous world of the Vatican, the comments seemed notable, given their strength on a delicate question much debated under the new pope, Benedict XVI.

Advocates for teaching evolution hailed the article.

"He is emphasizing that there is no need to see a contradiction between Catholic teachings and evolution," said Dr Francisco Ayala, professor of biology at the University of California, Irvine, and a former Dominican priest. "Good for him."

But Robert Crowther, spokesman for the Centre for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute, a Seattle organization where researchers study and advocate intelligent design, dismissed the article and other recent statements from leading Catholics defending evolution. Drawing attention to them was little more than trying "to put words in the Vatican's mouth," he said.

Trying to put words in the Vatican's mouth? L'Osservatore Romano (The Rome Observer) is the Vatican's official newspaper. Isn't that words coming from the Vatican's mouth?

While not all its articles represent official church policy, it would not be expected to present an article that dissented deeply from that policy.

I don't see the Vatican embracing Evolution, but I do see them condemning intelligent design as the lie that it is. What I don't understand is, why do these I.D. proponents feel that lying to their kids and telling them this is true is a good religious upbringing?

The entire article can be found here:
Vatican newspaper backs judge's support of evolution

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