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

[The Flood]

The vocal minority of conservative American Protestants have completely taken over the public image of Christianity, at least in the Western world.
We have a lot of work to do.

American Protestants have rap songs and Christian rock music. What do you guys have? Huh? Nothing. This is why you guys are losing. *nods*

Catholics have badass Latin chants. That beats crappy Christian rock any day

[The Archregimancy]

The vocal minority of conservative American Protestants have completely taken over the public image of Christianity, at least in the Western world.

We have a lot of work to do.

American Protestants have rap songs and Christian rock music. What do you guys have? Huh? Nothing.

On the contrary.

We have really cool hats.

Look at this image...

Look at the weak-willed and wimpy little white cap being worn by the man on the left. Compare this with the magnificent, powerful, and manly hat being worn by the man on the right.

Now compare this with the dull and boring greys that dominate your average Baptist pastor's outfit...

Clearly the Orthodox Church must be the One True Church based on fashion sense alone.

All the cool kids know it's true.

And you always wanted to be one of the cool kids, right?

[Constantinopolis]

We also have Power Rangers.

That's still cool, right?

No photoshop was used in the making of that picture. Really. Honest. *nods*

[The Eastern Antarctic State]

American Protestants have rap songs and Christian rock music. What do you guys have? Huh? Nothing.

On the contrary.

We have really cool hats.

Look at this image...

Look at the weak-willed and wimpy little white cap being worn by the man on the left. Compare this with the magnificent, powerful, and manly hat being worn by the man on the right.

Now compare this with the dull and boring greys that dominate your average Baptist pastor's outfit...

Clearly the Orthodox Church must be the One True Church based on fashion sense alone.

All the cool kids know it's true.

And you always wanted to be one of the cool kids, right?

The Pope can have cool mitres

[Mystral]

We also have Power Rangers.

(Image)

That's still cool, right?

No photoshop was used in the making of that picture. Really. Honest. *nods*

Oh don't forget the Byzantines

[Mystral]

Oh and Orthodox Christians have Putin

[Sun Wukong]

We also have Power Rangers.

(Image)

That's still cool, right?

No photoshop was used in the making of that picture. Really. Honest. *nods*

So, if God is Zordon... would that make Jesus the annoying robot?

[The Flood]

American Protestants have rap songs and Christian rock music. What do you guys have? Huh? Nothing.

On the contrary.

We have really cool hats.

Look at this image...

Look at the weak-willed and wimpy little white cap being worn by the man on the left. Compare this with the magnificent, powerful, and manly hat being worn by the man on the right.

Now compare this with the dull and boring greys that dominate your average Baptist pastor's outfit...

Clearly the Orthodox Church must be the One True Church based on fashion sense alone.

All the cool kids know it's true.

And you always wanted to be one of the cool kids, right?

Hey man, the Pope isn't wearing his 3 tier Papal Tiara, he was afraid it would make your guy feel bad ;D

[Violetza]

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 Catholic Church will truly start modernising when it supports gay marriage and allows female, transgender, homosexual and bisexual priests, cardinals and popes. When that starts happening I'll start considering it truly progressive.

[Constantinopolis]

The Catholic Church will truly start modernising when it supports gay marriage and allows female, transgender, homosexual and bisexual priests, cardinals and popes. When that starts happening I'll start considering it truly progressive.

Good to know you care more about priests' private parts than you care about, say, the Catholic Church's stance on global poverty and its support (or lack thereof) for social justice movements.

I couldn't care less about what kinds of legal recognition are or are not granted to relationships between middle-income people with comfortable lifestyles who happen to be gay. It doesn't matter. They'll be fine either way. You know what does matter? How many children in the world are going hungry tonight. How many people have access to clean drinking water. How many people can find jobs to support their families.

Get your priorities straight, progressives.

[Caradhas]

Pope Francis will eventually be murdered by hardcore Catholics, mark my words.

[Land of wisdom]

Pope Francis will eventually be murdered by hardcore Catholics, mark my words.

Going to be hard do you think he is stupid he has tons of guards, he controls who can be in the Vatican and he won't be poisoned even if they try it, its allot harder to slip poison poison into the pope's meal then ever

[Daburuetchi]

Looks like the Catholic Church cant just pull a Council of Trent anymore and ban new thought. They have to put a veneer of progressiveness on their backwards reasoning so they dont die out. That was the whole point of Vatican Council 2 and its been the trend to slow modify their backwards reasoning ever since. I especially like how gay people are deemed to have an objective moral disorder to not completely alienate anyone not living in the 17th century. Good Job!

[Pope Joan]

See the thing about Pope Francis is that he's not actually re-inventing church beliefs on anything, he's just stating the church's beliefs in the correct, more tolerant and progressive way. The Catholic Church has long accepted evolution but the fact that he is saying this now marks an important change in priorities for the church.

Right. The RC Church has nothing against reason, and is a firm proponent of natural theology which intends to be based upon reason.

I don't see any magic wands in the accounts of Genesis either. If you posit a creator as your first cause, why could not that creator use any mechanisms whatever? Evolution is a mechanism.

[Old Tyrannia]

American Protestants have rap songs and Christian rock music. What do you guys have? Huh? Nothing.

On the contrary.

We have really cool hats.

Look at this image...

Look at the weak-willed and wimpy little white cap being worn by the man on the left. Compare this with the magnificent, powerful, and manly hat being worn by the man on the right.

Now compare this with the dull and boring greys that dominate your average Baptist pastor's outfit...

Clearly the Orthodox Church must be the One True Church based on fashion sense alone.

All the cool kids know it's true.

And you always wanted to be one of the cool kids, right?

Ah, but the leader of the Church of England has the most magnificent hat of them all.

Separation of church and state? Pffft.

[Risottia]

Progressive pope. Nice. I just hope he's not assassinated.

Lets not.
Albeit I rather wish Oscar Romero hadn't been gunned down by those US funded death squads.

With the moral complicity of "someone" in the Vatican back then, by the way.
Let's also remember the suspects about the death of first Pope who tried to tackle the IOR issue...

Anyway, Francis, QUIT TRYING TO CONVERT ME!

[Risottia]

Ah, but the leader of the Church of England has the most magnificent hat of them all.

Yeah but Frankie wears an iron cross. How badass is that?

[The Nexus of Man]

I realy, really, like the fact that it has surpassed various Protestant denominations with this statement. And I hope that this is a major step towards driving out creationism from the Biology classes in schools.

Charming. Not even as a theory?

Charming.

[Risottia]

I realy, really, like the fact that it has surpassed various Protestant denominations with this statement. And I hope that this is a major step towards driving out creationism from the Biology classes in schools.

Charming. Not even as a theory?

Charming.

Creationism isn't a theory. It's an hypothesis, and a sucky one at that, because it isn't verifiable or falsifiable.

[The Nexus of Man]

Charming. Not even as a theory?

Charming.

Creationism isn't a theory. It's an hypothesis, and a sucky one at that, because it isn't verifiable or falsifiable.

It makes it more exciting, not more "sucky".

And it is a theory to some.

[Susurruses]

Creationism isn't a theory. It's an hypothesis, and a sucky one at that, because it isn't verifiable or falsifiable.

It makes it more exciting, not more "sucky".

And it is a theory to some.

Those "some" are people that do not know the definition of a scientific theory and assume that 'theory' carries the exact same meaning as 'hypothesis' or 'unverifiable bunkum'.

[The Nexus of Man]

It makes it more exciting, not more "sucky".

And it is a theory to some.

Those "some" are people that do not know the definition of a scientific theory and assume that 'theory' carries the exact same meaning as 'hypothesis' or 'unverifiable bunkum'.

And there are "some" who have scientific prowess and still see it as a theory. We can go on with this all day.

[Toronina]

Those "some" are people that do not know the definition of a scientific theory and assume that 'theory' carries the exact same meaning as 'hypothesis' or 'unverifiable bunkum'.

And there are "some" who have scientific prowess and still see it as a theory. We can go on with this all day.

And these "some" likely lie about their prowess. Most scientists support Evolution

[The Nexus of Man]

And there are "some" who have scientific prowess and still see it as a theory. We can go on with this all day.

And these "some" likely lie about their prowess. Most scientists support Evolution

And some don't.

[Maqo]

Those "some" are people that do not know the definition of a scientific theory and assume that 'theory' carries the exact same meaning as 'hypothesis' or 'unverifiable bunkum'.

And there are "some" who have scientific prowess and still see it as a theory. We can go on with this all day.

And there are "some" who have scientific prowess and believe the earth is flat. Yet we don't teach that.

Can you name a testable prediction that creationism makes?