Asymmetric Religion and Philosophy

All humans have a God-given necessity to worship and commemorate (What purely evolutionary purpose would such an impulse serve?). To some, Darwin's birthday is an occasion to fulfill that need.

I imagine that most people celebrate Darwin because they hate religion and not because they love "science" or "reason." If people were just recognizing a scientific discovery, they'd choose the much more influential, and religious, Isaac Newton.

I can't speak to Darwin's influence in biology, but in politics and society, his impact has been negative to the extent that people have used Darwin extra-scientifically, to justify eugenics, as the Nazis did, or to further Atheism.

By the way, Catholics can fully believe Darwin's theories. Catholics have, since the turn of the century, acknowledged the reality of biological change over time, on earth. Here's a shorter version of what Catholics may and may not believe.

CNN

9/11 and Holocaust denier Richard Williamson is a scandal to not only the Church, but to all people interested in historical accuracy.

The Pope should re-excommunication him. That being said, the stories above aren't quite accurate. The excommunication was lifted, but they weren't "accepted into the Church." It was the beginning of a process. And, the pope didn't lift the excommunication of Williams specifically, but on a group of schismatic bishops.

Here's another perspective.

Wikipedia

It may have to do with the the ancient Gaelic festival Imbolc. Some modern pagans feel that Christian appropriations of pagan traditions somehow diminish Christianity. I see draining a symbol of pagan meaning and filling it with Truth as a beautiful victory for Christ.

Relatedly, Christians should be aware that pagans and atheists think turnabout, fair play. The most obvious example is Christmas. Some try to convert this Christian holiday, its day chosen to coincide with the pagan Sol Invictus, to a secular expression of good will. Indeed, how many modern Christmas songs mention Christ? Conscious or unconscious secularists use "Happy Holidays," Santa Claus, and commercialism, all things that have their proper role in Christmas' celebration and in our society in general, to accomplish this task, as the first Christians used pagan rituals to draw people to Christ.

Nothing to go nuts over, but one must be aware of these things.

It's also the feast day of St. Brigid of Kildare, a slave and pagan priestess who converted to Christianity, with the aid of St. Patrick, in the fifth century.

From here.