Does Darwin's theory of evolution contradict Catholicsm?

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Broad generalisation there. How many scientists do you know personally?
None.
What’s your explanation for the Pontifical Science Academy, and that Pope Francis, our Holy Father is a scientist.
This is not releveant to the thread. The PSC doesn’t concern itself with the interpretation of Scripture.
 
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You probably are OK with the estimated ages of most Egyptian mummies too (all are less than 5000 years old). But presumably you must instantly reject those mummies which are older than 5778 years (eg. Chinchorro mummies)? All of a sudden, the dating techniques produce spurious results.
It’s my understanding that dating techniques are based on comparing what is there now to what there originally. But determining what was there originally is an assumption, hence the potential for errors exists. But to be honest, I know very little about it.
 
It is mysterious
So, we’re allowed ‘mystery’, but only literal mystery, and never allegorical mystery? Uhh… whatever. 🤷‍♂️
, but there is no getting away from the fact that the words “there was evening and there was morning” is an obvious description of the length of one day - Sun or no Sun
The funny thing is that you focus on these words, “there was evening, and morning, the Nth day”, without recognizing the cadence found in the narrative. It’s a poem. And we all know poems are always historically, scientifically literal, right?
According to you, the reason the Lord designated “six days” of work is that creation took billions of years. Makes so much sense!
No… according to me, the reason for the seven “day” creation was to give voice to the notion of Sabbath rest… which was enshrined in covenant with the Mosaic law.
Because the Bible teaches salvation, not science.
Science? Who said anything about the Bible teaching science?
You. You’re the one insisting on literalistic interpretation, remember? 😉
Genesis is describing a miracle - creation. It is futile to explain a miracle with science, that’s why creation is described in terms of HISTORY, not science. Genesis is a book of history.
A history book that describes literal events must be in accord with science… or else it’s a lie, no? You can’t have it both ways: if it’s literal, and historical, it must fit with scientific reality.
Yeah… I guess all those references to times of the day in the OT, let alone the Gospels, were inserted later.
We’re not talking about the time of the latter OT or the Gospels; we’re talking about the time of Moses (as far as I know, Moses wrote Genesis). So in the time of Moses, what unit of time is used in the OT to describe a period less than a day?
Fine. Just one example, to demonstrate to you that you’re making claims that you can’t support:

In Exodus 14, we see a reference to the “evening watch” (or the “watch before the dawn”). Yes, even in the Pentateuch, we see that the ancients had divisions of time less than a ‘day’.
I’m sorry that you can’t tell the difference between an potentially fallible opinion and an ex cathedra teaching.
There’s an ‘ex cathedra teaching’ that creation was six 24-hour days? OK, I’m game. Please cite it.
 
Retired now, analytical chemistry, chemistry of pollution, geology.

My fav soft rock man is a very devout catholic. Dinosaurs and devotions. Great name for a book!
 
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Life on earth did not start billions of years ago - more like only 5778 years ago.
I have already stated that I accept that the earth could be billions of years old.
So… creation (including creation of living creatures) took six 24-hour days, but the earth could be billions of years old while living creatures only 5778 years old? Umm… contradict yourself much? 😉
 
Try it some time. You might be surprised.
I have asked a few preists:
My late uncle was a priest - clueless.
The parish priest in my home town - clueless.
The parish priest I have now - clueless.

For the majority of priests, I would imagine evolution and how to fit it
into Scripture are the furtherest things from their minds. Not a fault, just a fact.
The odd Jesuit might think about it.
 
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So… creation (including creation of living creatures) took six 24-hour days, but the earth could be billions of years old while living creatures only 5778 years old? Umm… contradict yourself much? 😉
How have I contradicted myself?
 
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It never fails to amaze me how some Catholics - despite pronouncements from multiple Popes that evolution is not incompatible with our faith - act like fundamentalists on this subject.

Our son-in-law is one of the most devout Catholics I know, and a highly respected evolutionary biologist with tenure at a major university. His opinion on the subject is thus: “Evolution is God’s modus operandi.” I agree completely, and don’t bother myself for a minute wondering about the complexities. As long as I know God is the ultimate Creator, I don’t need anything else.
 
For the majority of priests, I would imagine evolution and how to fit it into Scripture are the furtherest things from their minds.
Surely there is a message in that? The truths of scripture neither lie in gardens or snakes or the sciences, nor are they contradicted by them.
 
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The bible says the creation of the universe and the planet earth in particular took no longer than 7 days. If one takes genesis literally this is estimated to have occurred 6,000–12,000 years ago

I don’t see how you can remain consistent with your train of thought if you are willing to accept an old universe. Unless of course you view creation as an allegory. In which case i still don’t understand why you reject evolution as a possibility. Forget the science, explain to me why the mere possibility of it would conflict with the faith?
 
But to be honest, I know very little about it [techniques for dating rocks, mummies, etc.].
I can believe that. What’s clear is that you don’t at all find fault with the scientific process or tools - you are largely blind to those - rather you (unlike Christ’s Church) feel bound to take a literal interpretation of various Bible texts, and will not be influenced by anything not in accordance with that literal interpretation.
I don’t see how you [Glark] can remain consistent with your train of thought if you are willing to accept an old universe.
Consistency is not of concern to Glark. His reasoning starts and ends with the belief that the relevant Bible texts are to be understood as providing literal, historical temporal descriptions of actions God took to directly create life on earth. Mind you I have read on a Creationists’ website that genesis requires the entire universe to be created in the quite recent past too. So his position is not as extreme as some.
 
The Lord described his creation as “very good”.
Not always. He calls part of His creation “not good” at Genesis 2:18.
Is death “very good”?
Put death in the “not good” part of creation if you wish.
God offered only plants and their seeds as food to Adam and Eve and all the other creatures before the Fall.(Gen 1:29-30)
And eating a plant seed causes it to die. You yourself are agreeing here that death was present before the fall.

rossum
 
Which science says a virgin birth is possible?
Biology. Have a look at parthenogenic lizards.
Or that a man can walk on water?
Happens all the time, see here for just one example.
Or that bread and wine can become the body and blood of Christ?
You are confusing Substance and Accident. In Thomist terms, science only deals with Accident, not Substance.
Or that a dead man can be resurrected?
Science shown that a man in a death-like coma can revive after three days. The blood and water from Jesus’ side shows that the spear missed his heart and hit the Thoracic lymph duct, which sits above the heart. Given that the spear entered at an upwards angle then that is perfectly possible scientifically.
Are you saying science trumps Scripture?
Are you saying that the world God created is false and misleading? Is your God a version of Loki/Trickster, who made the world to deceive people? The correct interpretation of scripture must match with the correct interpretation of the world. See the Galileo affair for a good example of this.

Your YEC interpretation of scripture is wrong because it does not match with the work of God. The YEC God is a deceiver; the Christian God is not.

rossum
 
Rossum i anm going to pick you up on the reason blood and water came from the side of Jesus.

Its likely He was in hypovolemic shock, firstly from the whipping. It would have been brutal, given the instrument used. Metal balls and bone studded leather thongs. 39 lashes was the norm, and led to blood loss, flesh being stripped off, bowels being exposed. Jesus likely was given more then 39 lashes. He was also beaten up by the guards and that crown of thorns, marine thorns, would have pierced his skull in places.

Hypovolmic shock leads to a build up of fluid callef pericardial effusion , around the heart and pleural effusion around the lungs. So when Jesus was pierced both the lungs and heart would have been pierced, leading to blood and water from the wound.

This has been studied extensively.

Lets make no mistake. Jesus was dead, He had given up His life.

(John 19:34).
 
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