The Vatican is ready to have people challenge its' ideas. Or is it?
"In an effort to improve relations between non-believers and the Catholic Church, the Vatican has decided to host a series of debates in Paris. The pope ordered that a foundation be established to facilitate open dialogue between atheists and agnostics and top Catholic theologians.
The foundation, Courtyard of Gentiles, which was set up by the Pontifical Council for Culture, hopes to host the debates next year. Even though the church is opening its doors to atheists, they are being selective about which atheists will be allowed to participate. According to a report on The Independent Web site, "militant" atheists, especially those who have "high public profiles such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens will not be invited."
The president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, told the National Catholic Register earlier this month that they were prepared to host non-believers who were of the "noble atheism or agnosticism" persuasion. He said that "polemic" non-believers like Piergiorgio Odifreddi, Michel Onfray, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens would not be invited. He added that those kind of atheists meet the truth with "irony and sarcasm."
I know plenty of atheists who dismiss "the truth" with "irony and sarcasm". I wouldn't call them high profile either. The Vatican is really limiting its' choices here. Perhaps they are afraid of being owned by the atheists?
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