No Creation for the Pope

From Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy, comes a pronouncement by Pope Benedict XVI that the creation/evolution debate is an “absurdity.” The pope instead reiterated the Holy See’s official approval of evolution, echoing his predecessor that belief in evolution can coexist with faith:

“They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other,” the pope said. “This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such.”

The pope also pointed out that “while there is much scientific proof to support evolution, the theory could not exclude a role by God” (the pope’s job might be in danger were he to say otherwise!).

Our prayer is that all the [skeptics] of the world would fully examine what science really shows about evolution

We wonder what the pope would say in response to the comments of Dan Barker, who, in an article in this week’s (Ontario, Canada-based) National Post titled “Ditching God,” explains what led him to abandon Christianity:

I realized the Bible has all this metaphor in it. If Adam and Eve are just a metaphor [...] then maybe God himself is one big metaphor.

Sadly, Barker’s “realization” that the Bible—including, specifically, Genesis—is (supposedly) filled with metaphor may have been based on his absorption of the attitudes of those like the pope and compromising Christians, who tout supposed “scientific proof” as confirming the “reality” of evolution and lambaste, often without familiarity, any attempt to critique evolution as “absurd.” It is disappointing that yet another prominent figure in the worldwide representation of Christianity, such as the pope, has surrendered the authority of the Word of God to the fallible opinions of humanity.

Our prayer is that all the “Barkers” of the world would fully examine what science really shows about evolution—and what the Bible plainly teaches as true history—before coming to the conclusion that God may be a metaphor. A wealth of information on the topics of evolution and the Bible (specifically Genesis) is available on our Get Answers section.

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