Religion supports astronomy and religious people should not be afraid of the scientific study of celestial objects, according to the Pope's astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, the new director of the Vatican Observatory and a Jesuit. He says, ‘Religious people need to know that astronomy is wonderful and that they shouldn't be afraid of it. John Paul II said of evolution that 'truth cannot contradict truth; if you think you already know everything about the world, you are not a good scientist, and if you think you know all there is to know about God, then your religious faith is at fault.’ Dr Consolmagno said the Vatican supports astronomy because it is an important part of being human. Meanwhile Richard Dawkins told the Wall Street Journal that 'ignorant Christians’ are holding back science, and it was a wonder ‘that America is the leading scientific nation despite having this incubus around its neck of an uncultured ignorant almost majority’. See: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/richard.dawkins.ignorant.christians.are.holding.back.science/66207.htm