Catholicism and Biological Evolution

[CindyR]

The Catholics handle it beautifully.

(I am not Catholic anymore, but they deserve credit for this one...)

Most Catholics (including the clergy) believe that Genesis (in the Bible) was metaphoric (symbolic, not literal).

And so, was a metaphor for (symbolic of) biological 'evolution', as described by modern science.

Thusly, most Catholics see no conflict between theories of biological evolution and the Catholic faith.

This is, of course, very different than what Christian-fundamentalist "evolution deniers" in many Southern and Western churches would tell you.

I am no longer Christian myself, but I still find this line of thinking interesting...

[Iacchus32]

I have no problem with evolution necessarily, but how does it account for the human spirit and the existence of an afterlife? If such things do exist (this is whole the gist of it), then obviously the myth of evolution is just that, because it's not telling us the whole story and therefore cannot be accepted in the literal sense as well. In which case, yes, the idea that man is a fallen creature, as described in Genesis, becomes all the more plausible. Or, at least it does a better job at bridging "the gap."

Hi Cindy, and welcome to the forums!

[Pegasus]

Originally Posted by CindyR

The Catholics handle it beautifully.

(I am not Catholic anymore, but they deserve credit for this one...)

Most Catholics (including the clergy) believe that Genesis (in the Bible) was metaphoric (symbolic, not literal).

And so, was a metaphor for (symbolic of) biological 'evolution', as described by modern science.

Thusly, most Catholics see no conflict between theories of biological evolution and the Catholic faith.

This is, of course, very different than what Christian-fundamentalist "evolution deniers" in many Southern and Western churches would tell you.

I am no longer Christian myself, but I still find this line of thinking interesting...

Welcome to the forums, CindyR! I've just about exhausted the topic of Roy Masters and it's nice to see some new posts in some of the other forum topics.

I've known quite a few Catholics in different places I've worked. I've always thought that the Catholics I've met are a good example of their faith. I've never known any that put down Protestants. I can't say the same thing for some Protestants. I can think of one Baptist in particular that turns her nose up whenever the subject of Catholicism is brought up in conversation.

Frances Swaggart wrote a series of negative articles titled, "Catholicism: Modern Day Whore of Babylon" in "The Evangelist", the official monthly magazine of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. The articles were compiled and published in a book, "Catholicism - The Modern Babylon."

http://www.shopjsm.org/p-214-a-modern-babylon.aspx

[Iacchus32]

Really? I've always thought the Catholics to be rigid and inflexible? Or, maybe that's just the nuns.

[Epiphany]

This thread has ceased to be about Evolution since the first couple of posts and is now strictly about Catholicism. This is actually a very interesting topic, but I wonder if maybe Iacchus should split and move it to the Religion and Spirituality forum.

[Iacchus32]

Originally Posted by Epiphany

This thread has ceased to be about Evolution since the first couple of posts and is now strictly about Catholicism. This is actually a very interesting topic, but I wonder if maybe Iacchus should split and move it to the Religion and Spirituality forum.

Yes, have split and started a new thread.

[Pegasus]

While I was looking at documents about John Henry Newman, I came across this:

In 1868, the Venerable John Henry Newman corresponded with a fellow priest regarding Darwin's theory and made the following comments:

As to the Divine Design, is it not an instance of incomprehensibly and infinitely marvellous Wisdom and Design to have given certain laws to matter millions of ages ago, which have surely and precisely worked out, in the long course of those ages, those effects which He from the first proposed. Mr. Darwin's theory need not then to be atheistical, be it true or not; it may simply be suggesting a larger idea of Divine Prescience and Skill. Perhaps your friend has got a surer clue to guide him than I have, who have never studied the question, and I do not [see] that 'the accidental evolution of organic beings' is inconsistent with divine design — It is accidental to us, not to God.[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholi..._and_evolution