Evolution accepted?

[coastie]

Hi all,

I have a question regarding Catholic Doctrine that maybe someone can help with.

In a recent conversation with a co-worker (Catholic). She told me that the Catholic church has adopted evolution as being the method by which all living organisms were crated. Is this true?

Thanks

God Bless

 

[Anise]

Hi Coastie,

The Catholic Church does not teach as doctrine that evolution is how all living things were created. Maybe what your co-worker meant is that the Church does not require us to believe in a completely literal six day account sometimes called creationism. I have met Catholics who lean either way, more or less literal.

 

[nyj]

Evolution, as defined by atheists/agnostics/humanists, has been flatly rejected by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church professes and believes that throughout creation, God took an active role in forming all things. The Catholic Church also professes and believes that after creation, God did not just "leave things to random" but continues to interact with His creation at all times.

As to a literal seven days or a period of a few thousand million years, the Church makes no official declaration, other than to say that God was active in creation, and was directly responsible for the creation of man and the instilling of man with a soul. Man is not an accident (as a "pure" evolution would suggest) and the Church adamantly stands by the importance of man in creation.

Hope that answers your question.

 

[coastie]

Yes it does, thank you.

One thing really quick though, are you refering to the conept of "one day to God could be a million years to us"?

OK 2 things:

Has Catholic doctrine denounced that the world is more than a few thousand years old?

Thanks a ton

in Christ,

Zach

 

[nyj]

Yes it does, thank you.

One thing really quick though, are you refering to the conept of "one day to God could be a million years to us"?

The Church has not ruled either way on this matter, allowing each Catholic who reads the Bible to come to understand this "day period" in their own particular way (so much for the Church not allowing us Catholics to interpret the Bible). Hence, you will find Catholics who believe in a literal 7, 24 hour days to create the world, and Catholics who think that each "day" was simply meant as a way to describe stages of development in God's creation process.

Has Catholic doctrine denounced that the world is more than a few thousand years old?

Nope, the Church has not said one thing officially one way or the other on this matter (in which I mean that the Church has not said Catholics need to believe one way or the other). This is something that individual Catholics can believe or disbelieve depending on their own particular whimsy.

Though I will state that the Church has said that faith will not contradict science. Since science explains to us what happens in reality, and reality is an extension of God's creation, the two are not contradictory. In short: Science tells us what God already knew.

 

[coastie]

That's a good quote that I'll use someday.

Just as long as science isn't wrong like it so often is

Thanks for your help... it's much appreciated.

God Bless

 

[VOW]

To Coastie:

You can find a lot of scientists, if they are honest, who have a deep, abiding faith in God. Of everything that *I* have ever studied in science, my faith has only been reaffirmed. There is an order that is almost beautiful. And physics does teach us that the "natural" state of the universe is disorder, or chaos. Life is far too complex to spring forth from chaos!


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[cheezit]

As a matter of curiosity, isn't it true that scientists and in fact science in it's entirety has never been able to prove any part of the Bible wrong? All they actually manage to do is prove it correct.

Or am I just all wet.

 

[xplode]

I lived in Italy for 14 years and have deatl with Catholics all my life. As a mater of fact, I think 4 years ago, the pop did announce that the Catholic Church did in fact believe in evolution*.

*evolution: constant change of an organist adapt and better itself according to its environment.

They do not believe in the big bang theory or that animals can evolve into other creatures or plants

 

[nyj]

Originally posted by xplode

They do not believe in the big bang theory or that animals can evolve into other creatures or plants

Actually, if you look at who first proposed the "Big Bang Theory" you'll see it was a Catholic priest who went by the name of Georges Lemaitre. Read the following for more info: http://catholiceducation.org/articles/science/sc0022.html

Second, animals cannot evolve into other animals, nor can an animal evolve into a plant... so it'd be really silly to believe that whether or not you were a Catholic.

 

[Catchup]

Has Catholic doctrine denounced that the world is more than a few thousand years old?

Have you heard of the gap theory.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(In the beginning....when the Earth was first created)


Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

(Now....When God started creating our world on Earth.)

Do you understand? There seems to be a gap in time between the first and second verse of Genesis. There is a distinction of time having passed, between in the beginning and now.

LOVE

 

[TheBear]

Hey everyone!

For some serious, in-depth discussions on the theory of evolution, come on over to the Round Table. The discussions do not address any particular churches stance on evolution, however they do go into great details on the subject of evolution, itself. There are many research and scientific weblinks there, as well.

Hope to see you there.


John

 

[PaxChristi]

This is the explanation in my study bible...

"The Catholic Church takes a less literal approach to the Creation story in Genesis, seeing it as a literary device the author used to descrive something almost indescribable."

Think about it... would the Jews have understood quarks?

Paxamorque Christi

 

[coastie]

I was under the impression that the bible and especially historical books like Genesis were not open for interpretation.

Is this not the belief of the Catholic Church?

Is it accepted that God created the primordial ooze that evolutionists believe we evolved from?

Or does the doctrine lean more toward micro-evolution?

If the Catholic Church takes a "less literal approach", does that mean that they discount that God created all animals at once?

in Christ,

Zach