Pope Francis supports evolution, says God isn't a magician

[Utceforp]

yeah god picked up a pen and wrote the bible.

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.

If the Bible is divinely inspired, then why are there so many inaccuracies and mistakes?

[Benuty]

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.

If the Bible is divinely inspired, then why are there so many inaccuracies and mistakes?

Because the Jews didn't give a shit.

As for the New Testament... it is not important.

[The New Sea Territory]

That classic is responsible for hundreds of thousands of death in "Gods" name.

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

Nope. Christianity has been around longer and has sparked more wars than Islam. Doesn't make Islam better, since they are both incorrect, contradictory, baseless religions.

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

Nope. Christianity has been around longer and has sparked more wars than Islam. Doesn't make Islam better, since they are both incorrect, contradictory, baseless religions.

And we succumb to the threadjack, just as Arche wanted.

[Vindex Nation]

Well, the Pope has made another (relatively) progressive statement. In the past, the Catholic Church has alluded to backing evolution, however it was qualified by 'intelligent design'. He has actually declared support for the idea that the Big Bang theory and evolution are real - however that they were 'started' by God.
I think this is definitely one of the most progressive/secular statements made by the Church. Pope Francis has increasingly supported various secular ideas, such as being less intense about opposition to LGBT people, contraception, etc, and other things that were once very taboo for the Church. He shows a much more open-minded, in my opinion. I think that saying that 'God doesn't have a magic wand' is a pretty big deal for the Catholic Church. It reflects the ideas about religion that many religious (and irreligious) people may have in the 21st century. Although the Catholic Church is far from being a progressive or modern institution, it has come a long way under Pope Francis.

I think that the Pope, and whoever is predecessor is (if he is progressive, too) could continue the modernization of the Church, even if it is a very slow process. Pope Francis seems to do this modernization in a very slow way that won't offend anyone too much, while keeping up largely with public opinion. I really wish he'd just declare complete support for all the things the Church opposes, but I doubt that'd ever happen in the near or medium future.

So, NSG, what are your thoughts on this? Is Pope Francis really as progressive as everyone says he is? Is this a big deal? What's the future for the modernization of the Church?

The day that the Church OKs LGBTs and contraceptived(maybe abortion), I hope this site is still around so I can see certain poster's The Flood heads explode.

The curch would never "OK" Abortion. It will never "OK" anything on the list of the Five Non-Negotiables.
here they are -> http://www.stjoseph-marysville.org/faqn ... ables.html

[Coccygia]

Big deal. The Church has been OK with evolution for quite some time now. Next he'll declare support for Copernicanism, I suppose.

[Nerotysia]

The day that the Church OKs LGBTs and contraceptived(maybe abortion), I hope this site is still around so I can see certain poster's The Flood heads explode.

The curch would never "OK" Abortion. It will never "OK" anything on the list of the Five Non-Negotiables.
here they are -> http://www.stjoseph-marysville.org/faqn ... ables.html

Sure. It was once essentially a "non-negotiable" fact that the Earth was the center of the universe.

Actually, I hope you're right, and that the Church refuses to ever compromise on those issues. It will make them seem as archaic as they are and hopefully it will encourage people to leave the Church in the dust bin of history, where it belongs.

[Vindex Nation]

The curch would never "OK" Abortion. It will never "OK" anything on the list of the Five Non-Negotiables.
here they are -> http://www.stjoseph-marysville.org/faqn ... ables.html

Sure. It was once essentially a "non-negotiable" fact that the Earth was the center of the universe.

Actually, I hope you're right, and that the Church refuses to ever compromise on those issues. It will make them seem as archaic as they are and hopefully it will encourage people to leave the Church in the dust bin of history, where it belongs.

I Hope I am right to, as a Catholic myself I sure hope it doesn't negotiate upon these beliefs. (there is a deference between a fact and a belief you know.)

[Nerotysia]

Sure. It was once essentially a "non-negotiable" fact that the Earth was the center of the universe.

Actually, I hope you're right, and that the Church refuses to ever compromise on those issues. It will make them seem as archaic as they are and hopefully it will encourage people to leave the Church in the dust bin of history, where it belongs.

I Hope I am right to, as a Catholic myself I sure hope it doesn't negotiate upon these beliefs. (there is a deference between a fact and a belief you know.)

Of course. Some beliefs happen to be dumb. Some facts are not actually facts. Your point?

[Arumdaum]

God may not be a magician with a magic wand, but Pope Francis must be. His ability to make everyone praise him without actually saying anything different to what his predecessors have said for over a century (and in some cases for millennia) is surely magical.

this tbh

[Shaggai]

God may not be a magician with a magic wand, but Pope Francis must be. His ability to make everyone praise him without actually saying anything different to what his predecessors have said for over a century (and in some cases for millennia) is surely magical.

If the universe were a bad sci-fi movie, he would turn out to be an alien with a mind-control device.

[Eleanor Ritas]

God may not be a magician with a magic wand, but Pope Francis must be. His ability to make everyone praise him without actually saying anything different to what his predecessors have said for over a century (and in some cases for millennia) is surely magical.

If the universe were a bad sci-fi movie, he would turn out to be an alien with a mind-control device.

Palpatine wasn't working, so they switched to a Brazilian Obi Wan circa Alec Guinness.

Now he does the Jedi Mind Trick.

"We believe in feeding the poor."

*waves crust of bread and can of tuna*

HOLY SHIT, THIS GUY IS CONTROVERSIAL!!!

[Shaggai]

If the universe were a bad sci-fi movie, he would turn out to be an alien with a mind-control device.

Palpatine wasn't working, so they switched to a Brazilian Obi Wan circa Alec Guinness.

Now he does the Jedi Mind Trick.

"We believe in feeding the poor."

*waves crust of bread and can of tuna*

HOLY SHIT, THIS GUY IS CONTROVERSIAL!!!

AQ'd.

[Senyosu]

If the universe were a bad sci-fi movie, he would turn out to be an alien with a mind-control device.

Palpatine wasn't working, so they switched to a Brazilian Obi Wan circa Alec Guinness.

Now he does the Jedi Mind Trick.

"We believe in feeding the poor."

*waves crust of bread and can of tuna*

HOLY SHIT, THIS GUY IS CONTROVERSIAL!!!

This is not funny anymore for one reason and one reason alone.

The tea I was drinking went up my nose.

You bastard.

[Constantinopolis]

Sure. It was once essentially a "non-negotiable" fact that the Earth was the center of the universe.

False. That was never even a teaching of the Church.

When the Copernican controversy began, the Church cautiously favoured the scientific establishment at the time (which was geocentrist) against the wild claims of a bunch of maverick astronomers who (at first) had very flimsy evidence for their new theory.

The fact that the wild claims of those mavericks turned out to be true in this particular case does not invalidate the general rule that if a bunch of fringe scientists challenge long-standing consensus, they should be treated with the utmost skepticism.

[Othelos]

yeah god picked up a pen and wrote the bible.

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.

so if I added to the bible and claimed that I was inspired by god, that would be perfectly valid.

[Geilinor]

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.

so if I added to the bible and claimed that I was inspired by god, that would be perfectly valid.

If you got enough churches to agree, sure.

[Senyosu]

so if I added to the bible and claimed that I was inspired by god, that would be perfectly valid.

If you got enough churches to agree, sure.

Well, I think Protestants only need one church to make a thing legit.

[Constantinopolis]

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.

so if I added to the bible and claimed that I was inspired by god, that would be perfectly valid.

That is, in fact, precisely what the Mormons did.

It didn't go down too well with everyone else, though.

[Keventle]

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.

If the Bible is divinely inspired, then why are there so many inaccuracies and mistakes?

Inspired, but written by men after years of verbal story telling.

[Constantinopolis]

If the Bible is divinely inspired, then why are there so many inaccuracies and mistakes?

It's not a bug, it's a feature. The Bible is supposed to convey a message about life, death, and the universe. It's not supposed to be "89153 Random Facts You Didn't Know About the Ancient World".

[Keventle]

If the Bible is divinely inspired, then why are there so many inaccuracies and mistakes?

It's not a bug, it's a feature. The Bible is supposed to convey a message about life, death, and the universe. It's not supposed to be "89153 Random Facts You Didn't Know About the Ancient World".

and that...

The Bible is a book; books can be interpreted and explained in different ways. I find "Bible Bangers" are those that would read Harry Potter and think it's word for word or any book in that matter.

[Forty Twoania]

That classic is responsible for hundreds of thousands of death in "Gods" name.

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

I don't know how you can say that. Christianity is just as bad as Islam. The political situation in the Middle East today is literally an exact copy of the situation in Medieval Europe. Medieval Europe was probably even worse since it was completely domninated by the Catholic Church, at least the Middle East today has people who are fighting for Secularism and Democracy

[Keventle]

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

I don't know how you can say that. Christianity is just as bad as Islam. The political situation in the Middle East today is literally an exact copy of the situation in Medieval Europe. Medieval Europe was probably even worse since it was completely domninated by the Catholic Church, at least the Middle East today has people who are fighting for Secularism and Democracy

It's bad because extremist have overturned the religion into some cult. Muslim people are actually very peaceful people.

[Forty Twoania]

I don't know how you can say that. Christianity is just as bad as Islam. The political situation in the Middle East today is literally an exact copy of the situation in Medieval Europe. Medieval Europe was probably even worse since it was completely domninated by the Catholic Church, at least the Middle East today has people who are fighting for Secularism and Democracy

It's bad because extremist have overturned the religion into some cult. Muslim people are actually very peaceful people.

I completely agree, Muslims were the ones who preserved and even expanded the knowledge of the Classical Civilizations, while the Europeans were too busy killing each other.