Bob Park “hits them all again in his column”:http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn111105.html, “What’s New?”. As my father first brought to my attention, then as I saw in the news and now read in Bob’s column, Pat Robertson verbally intervened after the ousting of the Dover, PA schoolboard. After the voters in Dover taught the schoolboard that when you live by politics, you die by politics, Pat Robertson decided to pitch his two cents into the rank waters of this wishing well [OnlineJournal169]. Said Mr. Robertson to the people of Dover:
I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God; you just rejected him from your city. And don’t wonder why he hasn’t helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I’m not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that’s the case, don’t ask for his help because he might not be there.
The proponents of so-called “intelligent design” might claim, until they are blue in the face, that ID has naught to do with religion. But why are the most wounded people in this episode those with radical religious beliefs? Why are those most excited by the Kansas science standards not scientists or educators, but those who would see America brought under the grip of a Christian fundamentalism? You can put lipstick on the pig of intelligent design, but that won’t cover up the smell of pig.
In the face of statements by radical Christian sects like those led by Mr. Robertson, it’s refreshing to hear the measured and reasoned tones of the Catholic church speaking out from centuries of experience in this argument. Without committing anybody to evolution or intelligent design, Cardinal Poupard of the Pontifical Council for Culture said at a press conference [PhiladelphiaInquirer],
“But we also know the dangers of a religion that severs its links with reason and becomes prey to fundamentalism,” he said. “The faithful have the obligation to listen to that which secular modern science has to offer.”
Amen, Cardinal. We at least agree that science without ethics or responsibility, and religion without reason, are both dangerous to human life. While I don’t agree that Christian religion is the only way to obtain ethical guidance, at least reasonable people can agree that religion and science are both important.
Unfortunately, not long after Cardinal Poupard made this statement the Pope went and overrode his non-commitment. The Pope stated that the universe is an “intelligent project”, from which we can infer that the Pope falls back on dogma in the face of applying reason the universe. What else can you expect the man to do?
.. [OnlineJournal169] “http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_169.shtml”:http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_169.shtml
.. [PhiladelphiaInquirer] “http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/religion/13076632.htm”:http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/religion/13076632.htm
