By Donat Picard
PARIS, France--Because of articles in our French magazine, La Vie Chretienne, we were invited to participate, live, on a national radio broadcast called France Culture in a debate on science vs. religion.
In the context of this invitation, reporters came to our office Dec. 7 to interview the La Vie Chretienne staff. The questions ranged from our personal involvement in the magazine to our perspective on the showdown between faith and science, the evolution theory on the origins of humankind, cloning, youths and the future.
Off the record, we started a discussion on their personal beliefs (about a God they do not worship, and about a science that does not necessarily give them--as they mention themselves--hope for their tomorrow).
The debate took place Dec. 9, from 9 to 10:20 at the headquarters of Radio France--Radio Culture. The debate was broadcast live nationwide.
Five guests were present, an astrophysicist and cosmologist, a biologist from the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherch Scientifique), a Catholic priest (Dominican), a geologist working on a research project on and around Noah's Ark, and myself.
The discussions went well. Each participant was respectful of all expressed opinions. During the debate, the presenter used two comments that were recorded by the reporting team that had visited our office.
One comment was from Dominique Martin De La Cruz, La Vie Chretienne managing editor, about our belief on the authority of the Bible.
The second was from Dominique Alcindor, Paris associate pastor, who expressed his faith in a Creator, explaining that scientific discoveries might be a big asset for humanity but don't have to quench the faith of the believer.
The debate showed us the impact of our magazine, and its potential. It also confirms that our theology is taken seriously, even by unbelievers. Journalist Marie-Odile Monchicourt, who presented the debate, was comfortable presenting the magazine as a publication of the Eglise Universelle de Dieu (WCG).
Before, during and after the debate, no mention was made by her or anyone else about the WCG being a cult. The church in France had previously been put on the top of a government list of cults, so this was indicative of the progress that has been made in our efforts to get our name removed from that list.
Before leaving the studio, I talked more with three of the debaters and they asked for a subscription to La Vie Chretienne.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2000