The Vatican dismisses creationism? (ritual, evolution, genesis, myth, atheist)

[MaddLlama]

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.

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

Something I came across by accident that I thought I would share.

[Mike182]

sorry, is this saying that Catholics are denying creationism...? or have i read it completely wrong?

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Mike182

sorry, is this saying that Catholics are denying creationism...? or have i read it completely wrong?

I think it just means that the Vatican astronomer is denying creationism bassed on a literal interpretation of Genesis. But I would be very surprized if it meant the astronomer was saying God did not create the universe.

[michel]

I was quite intrigued, and impressed, until I saw:-

"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."
nce, to know that, just because something is possible, it may not be a good thing to do."

That implies that a conscience can only come through Religion............

[JMoum04]

Originally Posted by michel

I was quite intrigued, and impressed, until I saw:-

"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."
nce, to know that, just because something is possible, it may not be a good thing to do."

That implies that a conscience can only come through Religion............

No, a conscience can only come through spiritual virtues, which many religious people believe is best propogated by religion and a connection with God.

[michel]

Originally Posted by jmoum

No, a conscience can only come through spiritual virtues, which many religious people believe is best propogated by religion and a connection with God.

Does that mean that you believe that atheists have no conscience ?

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

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.

I don't see a competition unless there is a "germ" of it in religion trying to catch up with science.

I also don't see, as the article goes on, science needing a conscience from religion. Some of the biggest, loudest protestors to nuclear weapons were avowed atheists. Whatever conscience there is in scientists, is readlly based on humanitarian principles.

But I do think it is a bit much to frankly dismiss as pagans the many literalists of the Christian bible.

[Mike182]

on a side note, but one i find interesting, would people here say that "pagan" is being used as a term of offense in this context?