Vatican Astronomer's Tough Bible Claim: A Literal Reading That Leads to Young Earth Creation Theories Offers Up an 'Almost Blasphemous Theology'

Vatican astronomer and planetary scientist Brother Guy Consolmagno believes that literal readings of the Bible that lead some Christians to reject certain scientific theories and conclude that the Earth is young constitute a "bad" or an even "blasphemous theology."

Brother Guy Consolmagno (Vatican Observatory)

"It's almost blasphemous theology," he told Fairfax Media while visiting Australia Wednesday. "It's certainly not the tradition of Catholicism and never has been and it misunderstands what the Bible is and it misunderstands what science is."

Arguing that the Bible shouldn't be viewed as a science book, Consolmagno, who has worked at the Vatican Observatory since 1993, went on to say that, unlike others, he doesn't see a conflict between science and religion.

Exploring science, he argued, provides a way of getting closer to God.

"Science is a way of getting close to creation, to really getting intimate with creation, and it's a way of getting intimate with the creator," he told the outlet. "It's an act of worship."

Consolmagno went on to note that he believes his faith tells him that the Lord made the universe, but that science tells him how it was accomplished.

The astronomer was also in the headlines last month after telling Catholic News Service that he believes it's likely that alien life will eventually be discovered — but that the revelation won't prove or disprove God's existence.

(H/T: Christian Post)

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