The Pope believes in science? Not so fast

Published Jun 29 2009, 05:44 PM by Jeff Inglis

Stop the presses/electrons/bits/telepathic waves!

Pope Benedict XVI has declared that scientific tests actually prove something! This from a man who disputes the scientific benefits of birth control, and who challenges scientific evidence about homosexuality.

So what, you ask, does the Holy Father agree with scientists on? Actually, now that you mention it, it's hard to tell.

Seems scientists tested some material taken from what Catholic tradition holds is the tomb of St. Paul, one of Jesus's disciples. What they found, CNN reports the pope as saying, is that bones in the sample "belong to someone who lived in the first or second century."

And, therefore.....?

"This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul," Benedict said in Sunday's announcement.

Let's follow the pope's scientific logic here:

1) Bones are in an ancient sarcophagus that is, traditionally, believed to be St. Paul's tomb.

2) Church tradition also holds that Paul was beheaded in either the year 65 or the year 67 CE.

3) The bones are tested and found to date to "the first or second century," or somewhere between 1 and 200 CE.

4) No one but St. Paul lived during that period. Ignore the theory suggesting that Jesus and 11 other disciples (plus a few folks that Jesus guy encountered) were alive somewhere around then.

5) The next reported human appeared after 200 CE. Ignore the theory that suggests others must have lived then.

6) Therefore, the bones must be those of St. Paul.

QED.