[vyper]

The even bigger problem being that there's plenty of Catholics who staunchly claim they are "Catholics not Christians".

They probably don't want to be associated with the various protestant churches who think all Catholics are going to hell.

Actually...what kind of dumbass Catholic says they aren't Christian in any way other than a smartalik one meant to rat on "bible thumpers"?

And I'm sure they then promptly go off and convince themselves that the Protestants, Christian or otherwise, are all going to hell too.

Both are as bad as each other, the Catholic church has just been doing it longer.

[Solatar]

The Catholic Church condemns nothing about other religions that is morally good (for the purposes of this...morally good = being nice, and I know some of you will still nitpick). From the Church's (admittedly biased for Christianity) view any religion that brings you closer to God brings you closer to Jesus (since they have the whole Jesus = God thing going on). So basically...all good Christians of any denomination, Muslims, Jews, whatever others that don't go around killing people for fun, are set...

[StratComm]

Since the Catholic church is a worldwide organization and ID is largely a US problem, I can easily see why the Vatican would give the ID "movement" the proverbial finger.  After all, there's no reason to destroy your image worldwide to back an argument that basically amounts to an insult to modern progress.  Not that the Catholic church has the best record on such things, but it's not in their best interests to push someone elses embarresment... I mean agenda.

[karajorma]

Exactly. It makes the catholic church look more modern than the reactionary dinosaurs who are pushing ID. The catholic church definately appreciate that kind of publicity because too often it looks the opposite way round.

[aldo_14]

Worth noticing that the Catholic Church is against biognesis, though. They probably appreciate evolution is something they can bend biblical mythology/God around quite easily.

[Solatar]

When I was a little kid, I never got why the "religious people and the science people" all argued over the creation of the universe. Why couldn't the religious people say "God farted the big bang, things run smoothely after that. He reserves the right to intervene but doesn't all the time."

...still wondering that.

[Ford Prefect]

Because that's Deism, and Deism doesn't sit right with most people.

[Solatar]

It's not Deism if God can intervene whenever he wants, is it? Just saying he's not up there arranging DNA molecules.

[Ford Prefect]

Close enough, though. The basic idea that God set the universe in motion but isn't responsible for our circumstances is still an idea that doesn't seem to fit naturally with people.

[NGTM-1R]

That is essentially what the Church preaches, though; God gave us the right to choose, and now he's sitting back and letting us choose. He reserves the right to interfere, however.

[Ford Prefect]

Well you're talking ethics, now. I was just referring to the idea that God created nature but did not shape its course.

[TrashMan]

Funny thing, aint it?

If he created nature and all it's laws (biologicals ones) then in a indirect way he did shape the course of development.....in a way   Or did he?

[Col. Fishguts]

We're all going to hell anyway. As we know from South Park, only the Mormons and Saddam Hussein will go to heaven.

[Solatar]

Dance parties with Satan...woohoo