No one can

be surprised that the Pope believes in Intelligent Design. He believes he is god’s emissary on earth, for Christ’s sake.

However, his assault on atheists requires a response. Either he doesn’t understand those he disagrees with or, taking a page from the

Radical Right, he deliberately distorts the opposition’s views.

For what it is worth, this atheist — this anti-theist —

believes there is order to the Universe, as well as a lot of chance. There are laws governing it all. Those rules, however, need no god-

in-man’s-image. Why is that so hard to accept?

But, beyond me arguing with the Pope, note that ID supporters agree with him.

Again, no surprise. But it does take some of the edge off of one’s claims to supporting the scientific validity of ID if you offer as

support a papal aside. Or disingenuously hiding this Christian movement behind claims that the “designer” or “creator” could be

any faith’s. Yeah, right. Though this is one area where evangelical Christians and Muslims are arm-in-arm — god is great.

I

wonder how Catholics feel about Herr Schoenborn dismissing the casual remarks of the previous pope while they are told to hold the casual

remarks of the current one in high esteem. mjh

Pope: Universe created by ‘intelligent project’ By NICOLE

WINFIELD, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has waded into the evolution debate in the United States, saying the

universe was made by an “intelligent project” and criticizing those who in the name of science say its creation was without direction or

order. …

Benedict focused his reflections for the audience on scriptural readings that said God’s love was seen in the “marvels

of creation.”

He quoted St. Basil the Great, a fourth century saint, as saying some people, “fooled by the atheism that

they carry inside of them, imagine a universe free of direction and order, as if at the mercy of chance.”

“How

many of these people are there today? These people, fooled by atheism, believe and try to demonstrate that it’s

scientific to think that everything is free of direction and order,” he said. …

His comments were immediately

hailed by advocates of intelligent design, who hold that the universe is so complex it must have been created by a higher power.

Proponents of the theory are seeking to get public schools in the United States to teach it as part of the science curriculum. …

Questions about the Vatican’s position on evolution were raised in July by Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn.

In a New

York Times op-ed piece, Schoenborn seemed to back intelligent design and dismissed a 1996 statement by Pope John Paul II that

evolution was “more than just a hypothesis.” Schoenborn said the late pope’s statement was “rather vague and

unimportant.”