Comments on: Darwin’s Victory

By: Tony Cassidy

Tony Cassidy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:17:16 +0000

Hi Phil. Thanks for an interesting article. So many issues in there. The beauty of nature cannot be denied. Science might rule ok but are there indeed any rules as to how far we should go with science? Who will guide us with that? Anyone? No-one? All of us together? Or do we just crack on regardless? Darwin appears to have been an amazing scientist, by all accounts, and I am sure Josef Ratzinger (former member of the Hitler Youth or not) would have enjoyed to discuss his understanding of the world in which we are living. I know that John Paul II was very much pro-science and has apologised on many occasions for errors made by his predecessors down through the centuries. But the pain of your own life and shines through as you write. This is normal, I suppose. I may do the same if I were in your shoes. One final point. You equate Darwin to science and the Vatican to superstition. I beg to differ. Neither is Darwin the whole of science – there is much more – and nor may the Vatican be superstious, the definition of which is the offering of divine worship to beings other than God or the offering of worship to God in an improper manner. Let’s enjoy the moments of pure truth rather than the moments of potentially incorrect “consolation” or “healing” of our childhood memories, memories for you, clearly, of difficulties at the hands of poor, rather than proper, RC influence. I do agree however that science is indeed awesome !! For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – as was clearly the case when Skippy’s big toe connected with the ball for the winner at Rugby Park on Wednesday night just past. Wooooof !! Thanks again. Please keep up the good work (esp with the Roscommon case, fighting sectarianism etc).

By: James

James — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:37:29 +0000

Evolution as an idea has been around for thousands of years. Even the ancient Greeks believed in it.

St Augustine DID write about evolution.

The article is wrong though to claim that the Catholic Church accepts Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. It does no, and how could it? The Church claims that there is a purpose to life, driven by God. Darwin’s theory of random mutation and chance driving evolution is incompatible with Christianity.

Darwin’s theory further is not supported by the fossil record, which shows sudden leaps in the complexity of life-forms rather than the gradual change Darwin’s theory suggests there should be, and is far from proven.

On the human eye – how could it have evolved gradually over millions of years, when if one of its many components are missing, it will not work as an eye?

Even if Darwin’s theory was somehow proven, it would still not spell end of religious belief. Science has no answer to the question of how life began and it has no answer to the question of how the universe began.

Phil is entitled to write anything he likes on his blog, but as a very infrequent contributor, I’m disappointed to see he is a supporter of the “religion and science are incompatible,” camp.

Also disappointing to see Phil trot out the standard anti-Catholic, gross oversimplification of the Galileo controversy and the lie that he was tortured by the Church.

The Church acted more in accordance with accepted scientific principles than Galileo did.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:53:59 +0000

Highly controversial stuff you heretic heathen!

Where does the ‘Big Bang Theory’ fit into all of this scientific fact?

What must be bore in mind is that is exactly what Darwin came up with – a ‘theory’. A highly plausible theory mind you but a theory nonetheless.

It hasn’t been proven beyond all doubt that there is no God. If we are awaiting scientific proof of such a deity or Divine being then I’m afraid we could be waiting a long time for any white coated lab technician to prove it either way. Folk will still remain devout superstitious beings for any number of reasons, myself included.

To end on a primary school note, if the theory of evolution is true, how come you still see them monkeys around?!?