The Catholic View of Creation

D+C

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Hi all,

I am being accepted into full communion with the Catholic Church next month, which I am obviously delighted about. I meet our parish priest weekly for catechism, and all is progressing well.

I do have one issue that I am struggling with, and it’s a bit deep for my catechism discussions so while I will certainly bring it up there, I would appreciate some wider input. I am trying to understand the nature of creation, and the non-human species therein.

First of all, without wanting to get too drawn into this element of the discussion, I am not referring to a literal reading of Genesis, nor am I precluding one. One way or another the Genesis narrative is clearly of huge importance, whether allegorical or literal.

So, the CCC tells us that creation is in a “state of journeying”, a phrase that is often drawn upon to answer why evolution/nature is so brutal and why natural evil occurs. I have two questions that flow from this- firstly does this suggest that creation is journeying towards perfection, that will be attained after the General Judgement? I always imagined that the teaching held that the current Earth would be destroyed and a New Earth created, which seems a bit of a waste if the current one is journeying toward perfection! My second question is since when has creation been journeying? If it is from the beginning of time, the most obvious answer, then why is the Garden of Eden seemingly immune to the natural evils of creation on its journey? This question seems relevant whether the garden is literal or allegorical, because if it is in allegory what is it an allegory for?

The alternative, it seems to me, is that creation has been “journeying” since the Fall. This would seem to reflected in some parts of the CCC, such as 400 which states that the Fall causes the “Harmony with creation” to become broken, and “visible creation has become alien and hostile to man”. Is this when the “journeying” begins, or is this a separate issue? Having read some Orthodox theology I am familiar with the idea that sin has so disfigured creation that it has a retroactive effect, meaning that all the death and destruction of natural history is essentially caused by man’s sin, even prior to the Fall (allowing for an allegorical reading of Genesis). This idea seems to be supported by Romans 8.22, “we know the whole of creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth…”

This would seem to suggest that creation is damaged and broken, rather than “good”. Is this a correct way of viewing it? Which brings me to my final question. How does grace interact with creation? We believe that physical sacraments can be a vessel for grace, but can grace “rain down on creation” through our efforts to steward it, as I read in a recent article I now can’t find?! Through prayer and effort can we help creation along its “journey”?

Thanks in advance to anyone who took the time to read all that!
 

D+C

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Thanks for replying, that is what I want to believe (which I appreciate is a little risky!). If as you say creation has been journeying since it began, and through grace is being guided to ever higher forms of beauty, how do you perceive the Garden of Eden? What does it represent? A state in which people are not exposed to the rawer elements of nature? And how do you see natural evil (natural disasters, disease etc.) fitting into this paradigm? Thanks again!
 
Yarddog
Yarddog
The Garden of Eden represents the state of righteousness. We cannot attain righteousness through our own efforts but must become new creatures, reborn through baptism. Eden is the 2nd creation story in Genesis and the Tree of life is Jesus Christ which God's children may eat of and live.
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Hoghead1

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I hold, D+C, that there are two contradictory Genesis accounts or chronologies, to begin with. I view Gen. 2 as largely mythic. I am a panpsychist. I belief even atoms have tiny minds. I think everything has genuine freedom and can make choices. I think evil occurs largely due to bad choices or bad decision making, for any one of a number of reasons. Remember, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I believe that God provides every creature, moment to moment, a creative possibility to actualize to further beauty. However, God does not force it. It's up to us to decide. And, as I said, for any one of a number of reasons, creatures end up making bad decisions.
 
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God does not deal with myths. Peter wrote that they had not followed cunningly devised fables and Jesus even quoted from Gen. 1:27, so he supported the Creation story.

There are Jews who claim that Adam and Eve and the Creation is a myth that the Jews invented to try and explain how sin entered the world. They even deny the Flood ever happened. But God's word is Truth.
 
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This is of interest to me. I am confused. Do we believe in literal Adam and Eve?

I was raised to believe God created Adam and Eve and God put them in the garden and they disbelieved God. That was the sin, disbelief. We are born going to hell if God does not choose to save us.
 
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Born again Christians believes there are no myths or fables in the Holy Scriptures. Adam and Eve were very real. When we look at the NT, Adam is mentioned several times. Jesus Himself quoted Genesis 1:26.

Maybe not all, but some Catholics claim much of the Creation story is a myth. They are wrong.
 
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