Now here's an interesting fact. The Vatican holds the position that evolution isn't incorrect. Nothing new to others, perhaps, but very new to me.

Pope Pius XII, a deeply conservative man, directly addressed the issue of evolution in a 1950 encyclical, Humani Generis. Pius XII states that nothing in Catholic doctrine is contradicted by a theory that suggests one species might evolve into another - even if that species is man. The Pope declared:

The Teaching Authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions, on the part of men experiences in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter - for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God.

In other words, the Pope could live with evolution, so long as the process of "ensouling" humans was left to God. Pius XII cautioned, however, that he considered the jury still out on the question of evolution's validity. It should not be accepted, without more evidence, "as though it were a certain proven doctrine."

Almost 50 years later, in 1996, Pope John Paul said:

Today, almost half a century after publication of the encyclical, new knowledge has led to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis. It is indeed remarkable that this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory.

Evolution, a doctrine that Pius XII only acknowledged as an unfortunate possibility, John Paul accepts forty-six years later "as an effectively proven fact."

Interesting. In plain english, the Catholic Church is declaring that evolution is a valid doctrine. More than a theory, they have accepted that the circumstantial evidence for evolution (which is all we'll ever have) is so overwhelming as to be irrefutable, and cannot reasonably be denied.

He (John Paul) recognized that science and Scripture sometimes have "apparent contradictions," but said that when this is the case, a "solution" must be found because "truth cannot contradict truth."

The stance of the Catholic Church is a surprisingly familiar one. They maintain that science and religion are not necessarily at odds. That evolution and creation are both valid theories.

Let me elaborate. The church accepts the theory of evolution, that we are descended from apes and single-celled organisms and various other species we would prefer not to think about when considering our ancestral tree. What they maintain, however, is that the hand of god is evident in this process. That god created the universe via the 'Big Bang'. That the driving force behind evolution is not natural selection ie. 'Survival of the Fittest', but instead is the intent of a higher being. That each human being is no animal, but has within him a soul that comes from god.

I mentioned that their stance is a familiar one. Indeed, it is. It's my stance. It's the opinion that I have repeatedly explained to whoever happens to be trying to convert me at the moment. And I find it interesting that they never noticed just how similiar my stance is to that of the Church. Imagine how much breath they could have saved. Imagine how much pain they could have spared my eardrums. Ultimately, my only disagreement with the Catholic Church is regarding the existence of Jesus. They say he's the son of god. I have no opinion there. Maybe it's time some of these self-proclaimed missionaries actually listened to their (usually captive) audience for a change. Or maybe they were too busy proseltyzing to notice that the Church accepted evolution as a fact. Maybe I should just stop bashing them, but I can't help it. They're so annoying. Also, I accept that some of those people I've met are Protestants who disagree with the view of the Catholic Church, but I doubt all of them are. To the next person who ignores my views and tries to preach to me - "The pope agrees with me. Go argue with him."