Ouch....

So, this came across my Facebook news feed today: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/god-is-not-a-magician-pope-says-christians-should-believe-in-evolution-and-big-bang/#.VE_QSbxV71c.facebook

It's an article about the pope telling people not only that they should believe in evolution, but that it is in line with Biblical teaching. He's saying that God is not a magician, and that he obviously couldn't do anything that he wants. “When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything — but that is not so,” a quote from the Pope to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, sends a very clear message that his god is not strong enough.

From the article:  “God is not a divine being or a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life,” the pope said. “Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”

First off, let's deal with the second part first.  This statement has some truth. Micro evolution, the slight adapting of species to their specific environment, does indeed happen. I won't argue that, and very few people will. However, because of the context and the connotation of the word Evolution in our world today, I think it's safe to say that the Pope wasn't talking about that. I also agree that evolution implies something that has already created evolving. This is one reason I can't believe in Evolution. However, if he is willing to accept the fact that God is the creator, why does he not accept that he created things the way he wanted them and not in a way that required evolving? I also don't see how he can claim to believe that God is the intelligent designer of life, but that he's not a divine being or magician... What does that leave? I don't know about you, but all of the beings I know that can create life out of nothing pretty much fit in that first category... O.o

Now, being the pope, you would think Francis there would have read the Bible. Now, while I realize the Catholics have some extra scripture compared to what I as a baptist use, but I'm pretty sure both book use the book of Romans (they do, I just looked it up). Romans 1:20 says that "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."

Well crap. I guess the whole not-a-divine-being thing goes right out the window. In fact, the very subject that the Pope was addressing throws his idea right out the window. It's creation itself that displays the fact that God is a divine being.  And now we bring in the next verse in Romans:
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." Romans 1:21 (NIV)

This is a dark world we live in and the darkness has now enveloped the Vatican ( I realize some people will argue that that happened a while ago, but whatever). This is not the first time I've had complaints about the things the pope stands for, and I think that it won't be the last.

Francis, you're going to get saddle sores from riding this fence. Pick a side, bub. I serve the all powerful God that not only created the Universe in 6 literal days, but is still alive and active in lives today, and CAN, in fact, do everything and anything. Feel free to join me whenever.


~ES