Intelligent Design, most scientific

[The_Barbarian]

I’m sorry, but I don’t think virtually certain means that God stepped back anywhere near to the level you’re claiming.

I didn’t say he stepped back at all. Those are your words. I told you that He remains intimately involved with every part of creation. Leave me out of that.

You’re preaching a variation of Deism brother-- not true Catholicism.

No, you’re trying to preach it by remote control. And I’m not cooperating.

Actually, based on this, I would say that Pope Benedict XVI is indeed marrying softer forms of intelligent design with softer forms of theistic evolution in order to produce a consistent theological view which mirrors the very concepts the Catholic Church has been teaching all along.

The softer forms of ID are merely traditional Christianity, with a little new agism tossed in. Mostly harmless, except as a wedge to introduce other, less Christian ideas.

Barbarian observes:
The intellect is not the soul. The soul, as I reminded you earlier, is given to each of us directly by God.

…which is a miracle in the “broader sense” according to the Catholic Encyclopedia-- something which you seem to completely ignore when you claim that God directly intevening with his creation through miracles “too much” would result in total chaos, right?

Let’s take another look…

**Thus, though the works of Divine grace, such as the Sacramental Presence, are above the power of nature, and due to God alone, they may be called miraculous only in the wide meaning of the term, i.e., as supernatural effects, but they are not miracles in the sense here understood, for miracles in the strict sense are apparent. **

And God’s creation can be called “design” in the “wide sense” of the term, but is not design in the sense here understood. If you water down meaning, it no longer retains the usage intended in Catholic theology.

Anyway, thanks for you time. I’ll keep you in my prayers. Please be sure to keep me in yours as well-- because I think we both have a lot to learn yet.

Of course. God bless.

 

[The_Barbarian]

That quote purportedly from Pope Benedict XVI, about microorganisms evolving billions of years ago, sounds to me like something drafted by a committee somewhere rather than something he penned himself that acurately reflects his own beliefs.

It was in fact, the findings of the group of scientists and theologians he chaired, and he endorsed the findings with his signature. It is his determination of the consensus of Catholic scholars. And it was accepted by Pope John Paul II.

Here is an account of his thinking regarding creation and evolution from before he became Pope:

I think I would rather accept what he said himself, than what someone else claimed he said, sans even a smidgen of a quotation. Why didn’t Keane just write what he said? I think I know why.

BTW, have you read Keane’s book on origins? The reviews I’ve seen, indicate he’s borrowed all sorts of discredited stories in an attempt to show that a six-day creation is “scientific.”

Is that true? I need to find a copy, and take a look. It would be said to see a Catholic fall that far.

 

[The_Barbarian]

That wasn’t a rhetorical question, BTW. I’d like to know, if anyone knows.