Origin of Species/Natural Selection does not conflict with christianity. Observing the laws of nature was taking place long before Darwin. Thomas Acquinas, who had an IQ of over 200 and is considered one of the top 10 smartest people to have ever lived addressed this in Summa Theologia and supported Augustines view of 'accidental' developement or 'evolution' some 800 years ago. I'm 'pretty sure' Thomas Acquinas is a tad sharper pencil in the box than Kurt Cameron. His summas are considered to be everything that man knows about god and mans relationship TO god. It's indisputed in any real sense and is the greatest work of writings on the subject. Approximately 80 volumes. And he died at 42. 'I cannot write another thing. My words are like straw to me'. Hence the saying 'the last straw'.
St. Augustine lived some 1600 years ago, and died in 430. So this 'evolution' thing has been around for quite a while now.Thomas Aquinas, however, managed to articulate a meeting of science and religion that refused to compromise the truth of either discipline. Aquinas asserted in his Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles, that “the Christian conception of God as the author of all truth and the notion that the aim of scientific research is the truth indicates that there can be no fundamental incompatibility between the two” (Tkacz). He did not elevate religious fundamentalism above science, advocating scientific research to prove scriptural infallibility, as many creationists are wont to do. Rather, he advocated non-literal interpretation of the Bible, but the maintenance of a strong faith in God.
Aquinas, interestingly enough, also proposed what was essentially an early form of the evolutionary theory, and which now resembles the modern Intelligent Design theory to a certain extent. On Creation, Aquinas acknowledges the role of accident, a particularly contentious point in the modern evolution vs. creationism debate, saying, “that divine providence does not exclude fortunes and chance...so it would be contrary to the meaning of providence, and to the perfection of things, if there were no chance events” (Augustine, qtd. in O'Leary). Even more notably, he suggests what is essentially microevolution:
“Nothing is said to be complete to which many things are added, unless they are merely superfluous, for a thing is called perfect to which nothing is wanting that it ought to possess. But many things were made after the seventh day, and the production of many individual beings, and even of certain new species that are frequently appearing, especially in the case of animals generated from putrefaction...species, also, that are new, if any such appear, existed beforehand in various active powers; so that animals, and perhaps even new species of animals, are produced by putrefaction by the power which the stars and elements received at the beginning.” (Augustine, Q. 73)
In this passage, Augustine quite literally suggests that creatures have evolved independent of any divine interference, out of initial creation.
It is these 'new age' whacko fundamentalist bible thumpers that are, yes, stupid, and deny natural selection. They know nothing of god or evolution.
Last edited by word; 10-04-2009 at 07:27 AM.
Of course not. People on both sides still operating within the mindframe that there's a fundamental opposition between religion and science are living in the 18th century. They need an urgent aggiornamento.
St. Thomas wrote some of the most intellectually challenging and clever texts I've ever had the pleasure to read. He was certainly a very intelligent person. That sentence is completely bizarre though.
She is cute but no goddess.
Get ahold of yourselves gentlemen.
Putting down the theory of evolution to Aquinas is a bit of a stretch, but it makes sense to cite him as a counterpoint to the false dilemma of natural history and theology.
Freaking wonderful. Kirk Cameron makes me throw up a little in my mouth every time I see him.
This chick must be in Nor-Cal if she's saying " a" --- And yeah, I'd totally bone her, like, fer real
Good stuff Dan
Growing pains was a damn fine show. Too bad we had to find out some of the cast were ed up. Oh well, such as life. FYI I like the Cosby Show too. A top 10 for me.
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