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My favorite one is: Evolution and Creationism should be given equal time in education.

Not even the Catholic Church thinks Creationism should be taught (I'm Catholic if it matters) in school as science.

From Wikipedia: Here is viewpoint of the Vatican's chief astronomer, Fr. George Coyne, issued a statement on 18 November 2005 saying that "Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science." Cardinal Paul Poupard added that "the faithful have the obligation to listen to that which secular modern science has to offer, just as we ask that knowledge of the faith be taken in consideration as an expert voice in humanity." He also warned of the permanent lesson we have learned from the Galileo affair, and that "we also know the dangers of a religion that severs its links with reason and becomes prey to fundamentalism." Fiorenzo Facchini, professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Bologna, called intelligent design unscientific, and wrote in the January 16–17, 2006 edition L'Osservatore Romano: "But it is not correct from a methodological point of view to stray from the field of science while pretending to do science.... It only creates confusion between the scientific plane and those that are philosophical or religious." Kenneth R. Miller is another prominent Catholic scientist widely known for vehemently opposing Young Earth Creationism and Intelligent Design.



I'm not sure why "not even the Catholic Church" comes into play (is it the standards bar for forcing religious topics in schools?)

I'm from the bible belt of the USA, and I've only heard this from protestant christians (some of whom I'd use as the standards bar for the above).


>"I'm not sure why "not even the Catholic Church" comes into play "

Because is a religion with the same Genesis book on the bible and it's an example of at least one religion (the root of Christianity) that doesn't believe in teaching Religion as a science


> Because is a religion with the same Genesis book on the bible

But not the same view of the role of the Bible in the religion -- sola scriptura is a doctrine of the Protestant Reformation.


More from a historical Galileo standpoint of science vs religion.


It's only recently the Catholic Church has gone so nutso right-wing - in even recent decades they were heavy on the social justice, relatively speaking.


The current Pope is pretty progressive. Case in point that I read earlier today:

    "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us,
    with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not
    just Catholics. Everyone! `Father, the
    atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone!"
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2021997332_apeuvati...


The Catholic Church (including its heirarchy) has always (at least, since it became established within the Roman State) included both factions that are extremely pro-elite and those that are extremely social-justice oriented, as well as everything in between.


>"in even recent decades they were heavy on the social justice"

They are still very active in social justice activity. At least that is very true in poor zones of Latin America


Yep. Even as an atheist and humanist, I am happy to commend Christians who do actual good for people :-)




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