An article by Jerome Taylor of the Independent newspaper:The Vatican is planning a new initiative to reach out to atheists and agnostics in an attempt to improve the church's relationship with non-believers. Pope Benedict XVI has ordered officials to create a new foundation where atheists will be encouraged to meet and debate with some of the Catholic Church's top theologians.
The Vatican hopes to stage a series of debates in Paris next year. But militant non-believers hoping for a chance to set senior church figures straight about the existence of God are set to be disappointed: the church has warned that atheists with high public profiles such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens will not be invited.
So the church is willing to debate these topics with people who aren't the best people to debate against them. They are up for the fight, so long as they don't have to fight the strongest or best fighter. Why am I not surprised? This is a shallow and empty gesture.
However I'm sure even any amateur theologian could win a debate on modern morals against these bronze aged cult leaders.
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'So the church is willing to debate these topics with people who aren't the best people to debate against them. They are up for the fight, so long as they don't have to fight the strongest or best fighter'
ReplyDeleteIsn't that exactly what dawkins himself does?
Dawkins would not debate the best people who are willing to debate him such as william lane craig or rupert sheldrake