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The pro-science pontiff: Pope Francis on climate change,

evolution and the Big BangChris Mooney

Published: January 5, 2015 - 8:47AM

Comment

In the last decade or so, there has been a resurgence of the idea that science and religion are in fundamental conflict withone another. The argument is often associated with prominent thinkers, like neuroscientist and author Sam Harris, whohas argued that "there is a conflict between science and religion, and it is zero-sum" -- but it also gains strength from thepolitical context in which we live.

After all, we see science-religion conflicts all the time: Creationists try to disrupt the sole teaching of evolution.

Religiously driven anti-abortionists come up with dubious scientific arguments for why the procedure is dangerous.Seeing these science and religion conflicts inclines us to believe that science and religion . . . conflict.

There's a difference, though, between the idea of a necessary conflict between science and religion, and the notion thatconflicts merely happen at some times, for some individuals or religious groups. The latter is obvious and irrefutable --but the former is seemingly contradicted whenever we see a prominent religious believer who also strongly embracesscientific realities. And it looks like we might be seeing, right now, the most prominent one of those in a long time: PopeFrancis.

In October, the new Pope spoke at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and appeared to endorse two major scientificconcepts that have often given religious believers big trouble: the Big Bang and evolution.

On the Big Bang, he remarked that it is "considered to be the origin of the world" and "does not contradict the creativeintervention of God."

And then there's evolution. "God is not ... a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life," said Francis onthe occasion. "Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creationof beings that evolve."

In other words, the pope appears to be embracing an idea that had great currency in the Enlightenment -- the notion of aGod who created a universe that follows laws that can be scientifically discerned. That's an idea that certainly wouldhave appealed to deeply religious scientists like Galileo, who argued, in his famous "Letter to the Grand DuchessChristina," that the insights of Copernicus could be made compatible with the Bible.

More recently, meanwhile, the Guardian reported recently that the pope is planning to issue "a rare encyclical onclimate change and human ecology" next year. Certainly, Pope Francis has been quite active on the subject of takingcare of the environment, arguing back in May that Catholics must "Safeguard Creation. Because if we destroy Creation,Creation will destroy us! Never forget this!" The pope also declared, during the Lima, Peru climate change conferenceearlier this month, that the "time to find global solutions is running out."

Indeed, there has been much environment and climate-related activity coming out of the Vatican. Earlier this year thePontifical Academy of Sciences (along with the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences) convened a workshop entitled"Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility," bringing together a number of scientists and expertswho then released a statement declaring that "If current trends continue, this century will witness unprecedented climatechanges and ecosystem destruction that will severely impact us all."

Thus, while creationists may reject science out of religious belief, other religious believers accept and embrace what

8/10/2019 Print Article_ the Pro-science Pontiff_ Pope Francis on Climate Change, Evolution and the Big Bang

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1/4/2015 Print Article: The pro-science pontiff: Pope Francis on climate change, evolution and the Big Bang

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science tells us -- and frequently also do so out of religious motivations.

In fact, the idea that Pope Francis wants the world to do something about climate change, and that he apparently seesthis as a matter of taking care of the creation, hardly makes him unique. James West of Mother Jones points to pollingdata suggesting that large numbers of US Catholics also support climate action, including a very strong majority amongHispanic Catholics.

But it's not just Catholics. While Evangelicals often get a bad rap for not wanting to do anything about climate change,the fact is that a substantial minority of them actually do. While a majority of white Evangelical Protestants are

"somewhat or very unconcerned" about the issue, some 35 percent are either "somewhat or very concerned," accordingto recent polling by the Public Religion Research Institute.

The biblically based stewardship or "Creation Care" message -- which went very, very mainstream earlier this year inthe blockbuster film "Noah" -- may not have won out with a majority of these believers. But it appears to have madesubstantial inroads. And evangelical leaders like the climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe are working every day toconvince more believers, by making theologically (and politically) resonant arguments for why they need to take climatescience seriously.

So in sum: The relationship between science and religion is complex, and generalisations are dangerous. There's nodoubt that many religious people around the world cling to their beliefs (or, to what they think their beliefs require) inthe face of evidence, and history shows science-religion conflicts popping up at regular intervals. But it also showssomething else: Believers who find a way to reconcile faith and science.

If Pope Francis continues on his current course, he has the power to make this latter group a whole lot more prominentthan it already is.

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