Can you convert to the Catholic faith and still believe in creationism?

[Brian777]

Not that quotation.

Ah, so we pick and choose what we want to believe now instead of accepting the entire teaching and guidance of Holy Mother Church. In Catholic slang that is “cafeteria Catholicism.” In official Church language that is heresy!, a mortal sin. Obey Holy Mother Church (especially as today is Mother’s Day:thumbsup:).

 

[StAnastasia]

Ah, so we pick and choose what we want to believe now instead of accepting the entire teaching and guidance of Holy Mother Church. In Catholic slang that is “cafeteria Catholicism.” In official Church language that is heresy!, a mortal sin. Obey Holy Mother Church (especially as today is Mother’s Day:thumbsup:).

That position – nulla salus extra ecclesiam – was abandoned by the church long ago.

 

[scottywolf777]

does a quote from the Holy Office(of the Inquisition), i believe now it is the Sacred congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, mean nothing to you?

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!-Monty Python

Sorry couldn’t resist that temptation.
RE: Teilhard de Chardin
I tried to read him in the past when I was working on a degree in philosophy and basically wore out my dictionary of philosophy just trying to get through the first few pages with all of his jingoisms. I went to a priest in distress and asked him what I should do about it. His reply was that if i understood it I was too far gone so i was OK for now. Please let’s not confuse the OP with a notion that to be catholic means to accept or even have to read Chardin most catholics even the ones with roman collars and even mitres get along fine without that. If I figured I had to understand him I’d go running and sceaming :bigyikes::bigyikes::bigyikes: into the arms of eastern orthodoxy. in a heartbeat.:byzsoc:

 

[Malia_Belen]

Malia, it appears this thread will derail quickly, because people seem intent on fighting this battle (already fought 100s of time on this site) here.

So, I’ll just leave you with a link that I think you will find enlightening. A very good description of how the Church’s attitude towards evolution has evolved (pun intended ) and where it stands now.

Evolution and the Magisterium by Jimmy Akin
catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0401bt.asp

But bottom-line, you are not required to believe either side and the Church leaves room for each person’s judgment on the issue. I do think you’ll find it a bit of an annoyance to be in the minority and you’ll surely encounter uncharitable folks on this issue, but that’s true of any issue. And I think this stuff only tends to matter on sites like this anyway.

Wow, you’re right…boy did it derail. I think most people stopped answering the initial question two pages ago and even on the first page someone just tried to persuade me by appealing to my intelligence…so apparently if I don’t believe then my intelligence is somehow at fault. This is God we are talking about. The all powerful. He’s certainly capable of creating the world in six days although it’s also very possible that he created evolution. I don’t care if Christians believe in evolution as long as it begins with God but why are people upset when people believe God created the world in 6 days as Augie said it all began with God?

 

[Malia_Belen]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!-Monty Python

Sorry couldn’t resist that temptation.
RE: Teilhard de Chardin
I tried to read him in the past when I was working on a degree in philosophy and basically wore out my dictionary of philosophy just trying to get through the first few pages with all of his jingoisms. I went to a priest in distress and asked him what I should do about it. His reply was that if i understood it I was too far gone so i was OK for now. Please let’s not confuse the OP with a notion that to be catholic means to accept or even have to read Chardin most catholics even the ones with roman collars and even mitres get along fine without that. If I figured I had to understand him I’d go running and sceaming :bigyikes::bigyikes::bigyikes: into the arms of eastern orthodoxy. in a heartbeat.:byzsoc:

LOL, I already feel like I want to go running. Being protestant was never this difficult. All it required was that you had faith…that you believed. Sometimes, it seems or I feel like that being Catholic requires a Ph.d in anthropology, philosophy, religion, rules and regulations and biology with a little pinch of faith thrown in for good measure. Sorry for being a bit pessimistic but I came here with one question and now I’m leaving with more questions that I came with. For example, who is Chardin?

 

[Seamus_L]

I’m a Latin Mass Catholic and I’ve never believed in evolution. I see it as nothing more than an ever changing theory. Regardless of what science periodically uncovers or claims to uncover I prefer to believe God’s unchangeable word.
Once you elimanate the story of creation you eliminate the need for a saviour, and that's not a theory.

 

[scottywolf777]

LOL, I already feel like I want to go running. Being protestant was never this difficult. All it required was that you had faith…that you believed. Sometimes, it seems or I feel like that being Catholic requires a Ph.d in anthropology, philosophy, religion, rules and regulations and biology with a little pinch of faith thrown in for good measure. Sorry for being a bit pessimistic but I came here with one question and now I’m leaving with more questions that I came with. For example, who is Chardin?

Chardin aka Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a french Jesuit philospher, theologian and anthropologist who wrote in the 1930’s and got in trouble with the Vatican with some of his “modernist” scientific ideas.
By the way, you don’t really need all those degrees to be a good catholic. St Francis flunked out of school and did just fine. Just read the Bible and the catechism and listen to your heart. Don’t let all this scare you away from the church. The church is 2000 years old we can accumulate alot in that time. Don’t expect to know it all in a day. You have an eternity to learn anyway. Just keep on studying.
An interesting website I discovered last night to learn is:gloria.tv.com
About page 10 or so there is an excellant video with Alex Jones a former pentecostal minister. It’s about 40 minutes long so get your tea and cookies and relax and enjoy.

 

[PJM]

=Malia Belen;5179246]I’m thinking about converting to the Catholic faith but I read in a book that most Catholics believe in evolution. I’ve also seen a few posts on here in the past that seem to kind of make fun of the Protestant belief in creationism. So I guess I have two questions. Can one convert to the Catholic faith and believe in creationism and also if the answer is yes to that question are creation believers kind of ostracized because of this belief?

Thanks for reading.

Actually friend, “creationalism” is a Doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.

Let’s see if you’re understanding of the term is tha same as ours?

We accept the possibilty of evolutation, so long as it does not exclude the necessary intervention of God as “the First Cause.”

Catholics believe that God is the Creator of “everything” [which is to say to make out of nothing]. Additiionally Catholics understand that the the continued and constant presence of God in all of His Creation is essential and is what keeps the Universe in existance.

Are we ostracized? No, only by a relative few who think they know more and know better. We are over a BILLION strong, that’s a darn nice size target for a whole lot of folks who think they know more and know better.

Actually, I found you’re postion as stated a bit strange, and I’ve been teaching and sharing our Faith for nearly fifteen years.

God bless you, and thanks for asking.

Love and prayer’s,

 

[Brian777]

That position – nulla salus extra ecclesiam – was abandoned by the church long ago.

O ho! let’s see what Vatican II has to say…

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336 - Lumen Gentium

also, outside the church there is no salvation is a dogma of the Faith, and therefore it can not change…ever. That would be like the Church suddenly declaring that God is not Triune. Its just not happening.

 

[Rogerteder]

I’m thinking about converting to the Catholic faith but I read in a book that most Catholics believe in evolution. I’ve also seen a few posts on here in the past that seem to kind of make fun of the Protestant belief in creationism. So I guess I have two questions. Can one convert to the Catholic faith and believe in creationism and also if the answer is yes to that question are creation believers kind of ostracized because of this belief?

Thanks for reading.

the answer to your question is yes

 

[AdvanceAlways]

I’m a Latin Mass Catholic and I’ve never believed in evolution. I see it as nothing more than an ever changing theory. Regardless of what science periodically uncovers or claims to uncover I prefer to believe God’s unchangeable word.

                      Once you elimanate the story of creation you eliminate the need for a saviour, and that's not a theory.

This is sad…I’m a Latin Mass Catholic and I can tell you, simply read a science book…the world is not 6,000 years old. Science is not heresy. Evolution happened, God happened.

 

[StAnastasia]

This is sad…I’m a Latin Mass Catholic and I can tell you, simply read a science book…the world is not 6,000 years old. Science is not heresy. Evolution happened, God happened.

AdvanceAlways, you are right about science and evolution. However, God did not happen; God Is.

 

[Holly3278]

I’m thinking about converting to the Catholic faith but I read in a book that most Catholics believe in evolution. I’ve also seen a few posts on here in the past that seem to kind of make fun of the Protestant belief in creationism. So I guess I have two questions. Can one convert to the Catholic faith and believe in creationism and also if the answer is yes to that question are creation believers kind of ostracized because of this belief?

Thanks for reading.

Yes, you can convert to Catholicism and still believe in creationism. I believe in old earth creationism and I am a convert to Catholicism.

 

[StAnastasia]

Yes, you can convert to Catholicism and still believe in creationism. I believe in old earth creationism and I am a convert to Catholicism.

And you can be an old earth creationist (as I am) even as a non-convert.

 

[DonLeon]

I’m thinking about converting to the Catholic faith but I read in a book that most Catholics believe in evolution. I’ve also seen a few posts on here in the past that seem to kind of make fun of the Protestant belief in creationism. So I guess I have two questions. Can one convert to the Catholic faith and believe in creationism and also if the answer is yes to that question are creation believers kind of ostracized because of this belief?

Thanks for reading.

Although “Creationism” is in scripture and may be taught by the church, I accept evolution also because for all I know it may be part of God’s plan ,for why else would it have been revealed to us? Please don’t say “the devil done did it”!

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem: D

 

[StAnastasia]

Although “Creationism” is in scripture and may be taught by the church, I accept evolution also because for all I know it may be part of God’s plan ,for why else would it have been revealed to us? Please don’t say “the devil done did it”!PAX DOMINI
Shalom Aleichem: D

DonLeon, the important thing is that Creationism and evolution are in no way contradictory. Creation is a theological idea, and evolution a scientific one. They are no more contradictory than “love” is contradictory of “purple.”

 

[DonLeon]

DonLeon, the important thing is that Creationism and evolution are in no way contradictory. Creation is a theological idea, and evolution a scientific one. They are no more contradictory than “love” is contradictory of “purple.”

Well said, and I agree.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[Wampa]

Wow, you’re right…boy did it derail. I think most people stopped answering the initial question two pages ago and even on the first page someone just tried to persuade me by appealing to my intelligence…so apparently if I don’t believe then my intelligence is somehow at fault.

Yeah, welcome to the world of online apologetics, where “apologetics warriors” do battle and vociferously arguing an opinion is more important than actually persuading someone. Sorry for the levity, but five years on this site and you tend to see the same impotent patterns over and over

I’m sorry that so few bothered to address your question, but at least a few did! A relevant answer should not have even included one’s opinion on the underlying debate (note that I didn’t weigh in on the “the battle”, though I definitely have a position).

Good luck in your conversion! This is a great site with a lot of good information, it just requires some work from you to find it, wading through all the “warriors” posts If you complete the conversion process, WELCOME HOME! I’m a convert myself, from the Lutheran faith.

 

[Wisci]

Hello all,

I have not posted much (as you can see) most of the time I just look around at things. I enjoy reading on all the interesting topics. But since this is one area of particular interest to me I feel the need to insert my two cents worth.

To the original question, no the church does not require that you believe evolution. This much has been said elsewhere. But I cannot imagine a situation in which one might be ridiculed or singled out for believing in Creationism. Even though the posts on this forum may be misleading it seems to me that this is the sort of topic that you have to go looking for. It usually doesn’t just come up. Those of us interested in it usually go looking for a good debate over topics such as this. So I wouldn’t worry about it to much.

I will also say this. Don’t let someone else convince you what to believe, especially in something such as this. As the topic of evolution vs creation is largely irrelevant, with regards to our salvation, no matter how interesting it may be. So feel free to believe in Creationism and only let your own reason change your mind. After all we are all only just human and everyone who has posted on this site is subject to fallibility and at the end of the day we just cannot really know for sure.

 

[StAnastasia]

To the original question, no the church does not require that you believe evolution.

Wisci, you’re quite right. Nor does the Church require that you believe in gravity, plate tectonics, cell theory, atomic theory, the germ theory of disease, or that idea that the earth revolves around the sun, or that it is spherical rather than flat. These ideas might be essential for your responsible participation in a scientific career, but they are not necessary to the faith.

StAnastasia