On 10/4/09 12:34 PM, wf3h wrote:
chief vatican astronomer has little use for the ignorant superstition
of creationism:

http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articl...d-scientist/1/

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, on the other hand, still faces
fierce resistance in some circles, as it has ever since On the Origin
of Species was published 150 years ago. Even in Canada, a 2008 poll
found that only 58 percent of respondents accept evolution, a figure
that drops to 37 percent in Alberta. The Vatican has also found itself
caught up in the controversy. Pope John Paul II embraced evolution as
“more than a hypothesis,” but the current pope, Benedict XVI, has
referred to the universe as an “intelligent project,” leaving some
people to wonder if he is less committed to science than his
predecessor.

Consolmagno has little patience for intelligent design. “Science
cannot prove God, or disprove Him. He has to be assumed. If people
have no other reason to believe in God than that they can’t imagine
how the human eye could have evolved by itself, then their faith is
very weak.” Rather than seeking affirmation of his own faith in the
heavens, he explains that religion is what gives him the courage and
desire to be a scientist. “Seeing the universe as God’s creation means
that getting to play in the universe - which is really what a
scientist does — is a way of playing with the Creator,” he says. “It’s
a religious act. And it’s a very joyous act.”

The United States is the home of science denial. A huge percentage of
Americans still believe the superstitious-religious "claptrapism" of
creationism.


--
Birther-Deather-Tenther-Teabagger:
Idiots All