Edwin << The Bible and the Catholic Church teach that there was no death prior to the fall of original sin. >>
I would like to get this resolved. Does the Bible and the Catholic Church teach
(1) there was no animal death before the Fall
(2) there was no plant death before the Fall
(3) there was no cellular death of any kind before the Fall
(4) Adam/Eve could not even step on a cockroach in the Garden of Eden before the Fall
All right, skip (4) but the first three I’d like to see answered from the magisterial sources. I think what you will find is there was no
human death (e.g. bodily immortality) before the Fall (Rom 5:12) but the Church is silent about animal death. And if Pius XII and John Paul II are correct about evolution probably being true, then the bodily immortality of Adam/Eve before the Fall needs to be re-interpreted.
Edwin << If these are true then evolution is not. The ideas opposing the bible are held up as true for a few years until the next batch of guesswork changes it all. >>
So evolution is just guesswork? I don’t think you have much respect for modern biology and geology, then? It doesn’t hurt to try to reconcile the Bible and Catholic theology with what we know from science. You young-earth guys need to stay away from the creationist literature and study some real science. There’s no use hiding from it and being afraid. It’s been around a while and is not going anywhere.
Phil P