USA United Methodists join the modern world

In one sense it is reassuring to see that within the Christian community in the US there are some significant movements away from the lunacy that is creationism and the pseudo science of "intelligent" design.

In a significant victory for rationalism and common sense it seems that the United Methodist Church in the US has accepted proposals which make clear that the United Methodist Church stance on Evolution is that there is no conflict between Evolution and Church theology. From the article it would seem that this advance in rationalism is intended to make clear that the Church has no issue with modern science and defend against the possibility that younger members would leave the Church if it did not make this clear.

While I am reassured by this advance of rationalism within the US Christian community I must be honest and say that it does of course make the Atheists job a little harder when Theists stop spouting anti-science nonsense. We then are back on philosophical debates about the existence of God etc rather than the much easier job of showing what an irrational bunch Theists are as demonstrated by the Anti-evolutionist movement.

I have found that my own inclination to get out and about on the Internet and "take on" Christians and others over their Theism has been very strongly motivated by the vociferous positions that Creationist IDers were taking in public debate. In some ways had they not been doing this I suspect that I and many others would still have been "quiet" Atheists debating with friends after dinner. In that situation I probably never would have started writing and commenting on the Internet about the issue. Hopefully at least a core of creationists will continue to spout their nonsense otherwise I am going to end up with nothing to get riled about.