Science

[FaithT]

Do Catholic schools teach theistic evolution in their science curriculum?
I was talking to a woman yesterday who goes to and used to work at, the LCMS church I belonged to, about their believe in a young earth and refusal to accept evolution. She said that even Catholics teach the same as the LCMS does. I told her she was wrong and that, as a matter of fact, Catholic schools teach theistic evolution in their science classes. Now I’m wondering if I was correct or not.

 

[RileyG]

Do Catholic schools teach theistic evolution in their science curriculum?
I was talking to a woman yesterday who goes to and used to work at, the LCMS church I belonged to, about their believe in a young earth and refusal to accept evolution. She said that even Catholics teach the same as the LCMS does. I told her she was wrong and that, as a matter of fact, Catholic schools teach theistic evolution in their science classes. Now I’m wondering if I was correct or not.

I went to a Catholic college, although I didn't take science courses there, I know for a fact they taught evolution in their science courses. Also, the RCC does indeed accept theistic evolution and the Big Bang. We are very pro-science.

 

[FaithT]

I went to a Catholic college, although I didn't take science courses there, I know for a fact they taught evolution in their science courses. Also, the RCC does indeed accept theistic evolution and the Big Bang. We are very pro-science.

What about church schools, k-8th?

 

[FaithT]

What about church schools, k-8th?

Anybody know?

 

[FaithT]

I went to a Catholic college, although I didn't take science courses there, I know for a fact they taught evolution in their science courses. Also, the RCC does indeed accept theistic evolution and the Big Bang. We are very pro-science.

My pastor said that he “thinks” they teach it there, so I asked another pastor/priest from another church I sometimes go to but haven’t heard from him yet. I called the archdiocese but she didn’t know and referred me to the principal at our church school who never really answered my question. She emailed me and said that they “teach it in some way” but the term theistic evolution can mean a few different things and shes wondering what exactly I meant. I wrote her back but probably won’t hear back until tomorrow.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello @FaithT, our son went to a Catholic High School. His teacher (in his freshman class on the OT) taught that the story of Creation (in the opening Chapters of Genesis) was simply a "myth" (I was visiting his school and sat in on that particular class, and I heard him teach that personally, that the Creation Story in Genesis is a myth, that is).

However, I do not believe that that is what the Catholic Church itself teaches. For instance, the CCC/Catechism of the Catholic Church continues to teach that ~all~ of us are the begotten children of our progenitors, Adam and Eve. That said, the Catholic Church now allows (but I do not believe insists upon) the idea of evolution (with certain, important limitations, of course), the most important of those limitations being that all of Creation is "of God" (was called into existence out of nothing by Him, and that it endures/continues to exist today by His decree and power, alone .. e.g. Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3, 11:3).

It is important to note that I am NOT a member of the Catholic Church, I just had a kid who went to Catholic High School.

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - if I am wrong about any of the above, I would truly appreciate it if one (or more) of our Catholic members would point out my errors/misunderstandings to me. Thank you

 

[Michie]

AI summary:

No, according to Catholic teaching, Adam and Eve are not a myth but are considered the real, first parents of all humanity. While the biblical creation story is understood to convey profound truths through symbolic and spiritual language, the Church teaches that Adam and Eve were literal, historical individuals from whom the human race descends and in whom Original Sin is rooted.

• Literal first parents:
  The Catechism of the Catholic Churchstates that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve. Catholic Answers emphasizes that the Church teaches they were real, literal first parents from whom all humans descend.
  
  
• Symbolic and literal:
  The Church teaches that the Genesis account is both real and symbolic. The events took place in reality, but the story may not be a literal, scientific, or historical retelling of events. Catholic scholars often see the Genesis stories as symbolic, metaphoric stories that express basic truths about the human condition, while still being accounts of real history.
  
  
• Monogenism vs. Polygenism:
  This teaching is tied to the concept of monogenism (the idea that humans descended from one couple). The Church's position is that all people are descendants of Adam and Eve and are implicated in their sin, a belief that stands in contrast to the theory of polygenism (humans descending from many progenitors).
  
  
• No definitive position on every detail:
  While the Church holds that Adam and Eve were real, it does not have a definitive position on every specific detail of their existence or the exact circumstances of the human race's origin, especially in light of scientific discoveries.
• 
  
  

  Adam, Eve, and Evolution

  The controversy surrounding evolution touches on our most central beliefs about ourselves and the world. Find out what Catholics believe about it.

  www.catholic.com
  
  
  
• Adam and Eve Were Real People