Claim CA660:
Pope John Paul II's statement that evolution is "more than a hypothesis"
is a mistranslation; it should be "more than one hypothesis," implying
a
lack of unanimity among scientists.
Response:
- The Pope's message was indeed mistranslated, but in a way opposite to
the claim. The phrase which, in the original French, means "more than
a hypothesis" was mistranslated into English as "more than one
hypothesis." Looking at the document as a whole, it is clear that the
Pope accepts evolution as a scientifically accepted fact. The
sentences following the one in question refer to a convergence of
acceptance by researchers. The message expands on Humani Generis,
which "had already stated that there was no opposition between
evolution and the doctrine of the faith about man and his vocation,"
provided certain spiritual points were not disregarded. The science is
not in dispute.
- The question of unanimity among scientists should be addressed to
scientists, who show substantial unanimity in agreement with the theory
of evolution (NCSE, n.d.).
- The truth of the theory of evolution is not decided by an
argument from authority.
Links:
Akin, James. 1996. Evolution: What the Pope said,
http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/whatsaid.htm
Thomas, Cal. 1997 (Jan. 25). We're all fallible: The pope, evolution, and
the importance of good translation World on the Web 11(33)
http://lordibelieve.org/twotw/pope.PDF
References:
Further Reading:
Pope John Paul II. 1996. Magisterium is concerned with question of
evolution for it involves conception of man: Message to Pontifical
Academy of Sciences, October 22, 1996.
http://www.cin.org/jp2evolu.html
Gould, Stephen J. 1998. Non-overlapping magisteria. In: Leonardo's
Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms. New York: Three Rivers Press,
pp. 269-283. See esp. footnote on pg. 279.
created 2003-3-25, modified 2003-9-8
