Is Evolution Compatible With Catholicism?

[SoulBeaver]

@Allegra: I’m not basing my decision on the stance of Catholicism and Islam on evolution. I am curious and don’t know if I should believe in a triune God or not. At the moment both Catholicism and Islam have valid points, sound logic and a strong following. I’m just not sure what to pick, so I pray to God for guidance in this matter. In the meantime, I want to ask questions and keep searching for the answer in the hopes that, one day, I will find it.

 

[JM3]

It seems that the consensus of people online say it is not contradictory. This is interesting, because it clashes with the local opinions of catholics. Is there a possible reason for this discrepancy?

I would suspect that most catholics only hear of ‘atheistic’ evolution or fall into the bible fundamentalism trap without giving it much thought.

The Church says this in the catechism,

295 We believe that God created the world according to his wisdom.141 It is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind fate or chance.

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P19.HTM

The thought that evolution might be the way that God creates is not something that most people can comprehend.

I found this article very interesting. aish.com/ci/sam/48951136.html The hebrew roots of evening and morning being chaos and order I thought was very eye opening (there was chaos and there was order, day one.).

 

[twinc]

Evolution and Catholicism are absolutely incompatible - the Church teaches,has taught and must always teach ‘simul et ex nihilo’ = catholic doctrine of creation = instant creation in its whole substance out of nothing = no evolution necessary or possible = God did not and could not possibly participate in that which did not and could not happen = to accept or teach Evolution has been and is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics but as we see even here not many Catholics realise or know this - via Google search box type in [response to L Coyne Jr] and click - also see www.cfnews.org/sung-pio.htm - twinc

 

[twinc]

Evolution and Catholicism are absolutely incompatible - the Church teaches,has taught and must always teach ‘simul et ex nihilo’ = catholic doctrine of creation = instant creation in its whole substance out of nothing = no evolution necessary or possible = God did not and could not possibly participate in that which did not and could not happen = to accept or teach Evolution has been and is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics but as we see even here not many Catholics realise or know this - via Google search box type in [response to L Conte Jr] and click - also see www.cfnews.org/sung-pio.htm - twinc

 

[twinc]

Evolution and Catholicism are absolutely incompatible - the Church teaches,has taught and must always teach ‘simul et ex nihilo’ = catholic doctrine of creation = instant creation in its whole substance out of nothing = no evolution necessary or possible = God did not and could not possibly participate in that which did not and could not happen = to accept or teach Evolution has been and is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics but as we see even here not many Catholics realise or know this - via Google search box type in [response to L Conte Jr] and click - also see www.cfnews.org/sung-pio.htm - twinc

 

[JM3]

Evolution and Catholicism are absolutely incompatible - the Church teaches,has taught and must always teach ‘simul et ex nihilo’ = catholic doctrine of creation = instant creation in its whole substance out of nothing = no evolution necessary or possible = God did not and could not possibly participate in that which did not and could not happen = to accept or teach Evolution has been and is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics but as we see even here not many Catholics realise or know this - via Google search box type in [response to L Coyne Jr] and click - also see www.cfnews.org/sung-pio.htm - twinc

A prime example of what I meant.

A question twinc.

Does a woman conceive a fully developed human, able to reason and fend for itself?

299 Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: "You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight."151 The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the “image of the invisible God”, is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the “image of God” and called to a personal relationship with God.152 Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work.153 Because creation comes forth from God’s goodness, it shares in that goodness - "and God saw that it was good. . . very good"154- for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world.155

 

[Discipulo]

Evolution and Catholicism are absolutely incompatible - the Church teaches,has taught and must always teach ‘simul et ex nihilo’ = catholic doctrine of creation = instant creation in its whole substance out of nothing = no evolution necessary or possible = God did not and could not possibly participate in that which did not and could not happen = to accept or teach Evolution has been and is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics but as we see even here not many Catholics realise or know this - via Google search box type in [response to L Coyne Jr] and click - also see www.cfnews.org/sung-pio.htm - twinc

This is not a matter of Faith, so I am sure Catholics are free to take any position on it, but the last two Popes have stated it is not against the Faith to believe in Evolution, but that God did intervene to create the Human soul, that is not something that can evolve. And Since God, as the Lord Jesus said, is a spirit, and thus has no physical body(except Jesus), to create man in his “image” would mean to imbue him with a Soul, and since every life is imbued with the Holy Spirit I see no contradiction here.

 

[Hokomai]

DNA is transmitted by descent only. All living things share DNA. Therefore all living things are related. Therefore evolution is a fact, just like gravity is a fact. We are still working on a full understanding on how evolution and gravity happen. These understandings are called theories. But evolution and gravity are facts, and the statements of Pius X shall not prevail against them!

 

[Dragonslayer]

@Allegra: I’m not basing my decision on the stance of Catholicism and Islam on evolution. I am curious and don’t know if I should believe in a triune God or not. At the moment both Catholicism and Islam have valid points, sound logic and a strong following. I’m just not sure what to pick, so I pray to God for guidance in this matter. In the meantime, I want to ask questions and keep searching for the answer in the hopes that, one day, I will find it.

I’m glad you are not basing your choice just on compatability with evolution. As well as what you have already said, I suggest you look closely at the origins of both religions, and their “founders”.

 

[JM3]

But evolution and gravity are facts, and the statements of Pius X shall not prevail against them!

Last time I looked, evolution was still a theory.

The statements of Pope St. Pius X deal with certain errors and, for those Catholics faithful to the Magisterium, they will prevail!

 

[SoulBeaver]

JM3 and Hokomai, I appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut, but I have to ask that you refrain from arguing about evolution itself. Everybody and his pet knows what will happen to this thread if we start arguing about this. We don’t need another flamewar that will result in a locked thread and more animosity towards these types of questions.

This is not a matter of Faith, so I am sure Catholics are free to take any position on it, but the last two Popes have stated it is not against the Faith to believe in Evolution, but that God did intervene to create the Human soul, that is not something that can evolve. And Since God, as the Lord Jesus said, is a spirit, and thus has no physical body(except Jesus), to create man in his “image” would mean to imbue him with a Soul, and since every life is imbued with the Holy Spirit I see no contradiction here.

This is what I believe as well. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden, they were the first modern humans, perhaps even one of the other now extinct hominid species. That we survived and have an innate connection with God can be proof enough that we have a soul and that God put us here even with evolution.

I tried explaining this view to some of the people I have talked to, but they refute them on the grounds that either evolution is false, or that I’m just being silly, which is very frustrating.

 

[twinc]

A prime example of what I meant.

A question twinc.

Does a woman conceive a fully developed human, able to reason and fend for itself?

only God does and did - Macro evolution or evolution as origin is what evolution is really about - anyway the question is do you accept what the Church teaches as binding and what is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics - the correction is via Google at [response to L Conte Jr] - check it out and please then reply - twinc

 

[twinc]

This is not a matter of Faith, so I am sure Catholics are free to take any position on it, but the last two Popes have stated it is not against the Faith to believe in Evolution, but that God did intervene to create the Human soul, that is not something that can evolve. And Since God, as the Lord Jesus said, is a spirit, and thus has no physical body(except Jesus), to create man in his “image” would mean to imbue him with a Soul, and since every life is imbued with the Holy Spirit I see no contradiction here.

Catholics are certainly not free to accept Evolution since permission to research and discuss[as is the case here] does not mean and cannot mean allowed to accept and no Pope or Popes have or can or needs to ever allow Catholics to accept what has not and cannot happen - twinc

 

[twinc]

I understand how it could be, but this was a question that was presented to me. When man sinned, did he bring death into the world for all creatures, both man and animal? If so, it’s my understanding that according to evolutionists, animals were thought to died before “man had evolved”… is this a conflict?

Catholics should know this and should have been told this,so that even if no one else knew they knew for the answer can only be found in Catholic bibles and accepted as obvious that God and death are incompatable - see Catholic bibles at Wisdom 1:12-16 - that is why God created herbivores originally, and carnivores later, for when the leaves and fruits are eaten the tree and plants do not die - twinc

 

[twinc]

@Allegra: I’m not basing my decision on the stance of Catholicism and Islam on evolution. I am curious and don’t know if I should believe in a triune God or not. At the moment both Catholicism and Islam have valid points, sound logic and a strong following. I’m just not sure what to pick, so I pray to God for guidance in this matter. In the meantime, I want to ask questions and keep searching for the answer in the hopes that, one day, I will find it.

if it helps,know that Abraham’s GOD was a triune GOD,knowingly or unknowingly rejected by both Jews and Muslims - twinc

 

[twinc]

I would suspect that most catholics only hear of ‘atheistic’ evolution or fall into the bible fundamentalism trap without giving it much thought.

The Church says this in the catechism,

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P19.HTM

The thought that evolution might be the way that God creates is not something that most people can comprehend.

I found this article very interesting. aish.com/ci/sam/48951136.html The hebrew roots of evening and morning being chaos and order I thought was very eye opening (there was chaos and there was order, day one.).

why this Catholic cannot comprehend or accept that evolution is the way God creates is because it cannot and did not happen and because Jesus showed us have God creates instantly and completely out of nothing = simul et ex nihilo = Catholic doctrine of Creation - twinc

 

[twinc]

Evolution and Catholicism are absolutely incompatible - the Church teaches,has taught and must always teach ‘simul et ex nihilo’ = catholic doctrine of creation = instant creation in its whole substance out of nothing = no evolution necessary or possible = God did not and could not possibly participate in that which did not and could not happen = to accept or teach Evolution has been and is forbidden and anathema to and for Catholics but as we see even here not many Catholics realise or know this - via Google search box type in [response to L Coyne Jr] and click - also see www.cfnews.org/sung-pio.htm - twinc

Correction: Google search [response to L Conte Jr] -twinc

 

[twinc]

DNA is transmitted by descent only. All living things share DNA. Therefore all living things are related. Therefore evolution is a fact, just like gravity is a fact. We are still working on a full understanding on how evolution and gravity happen. These understandings are called theories. But evolution and gravity are facts, and the statements of Pius X shall not prevail against them!

micro evolution is an acceptable fact but macro evolution is not science or a fact for it is pseudo/phoney science and not even a theory since it did not and cannot happen - twinc

 

[SoulBeaver]

Twinc, I thank you for all of your (name removed by moderator)ut. However, please refrain from attacking the views and opinions of other posters in this thread so as to avoid a flame war. Stating that your personal beliefs and your understanding of the Catholic Religion and it’s doctrines lead you to believe that evolution is false and a fakery is completely acceptable and understandable. However, try to keep your opinion from aggressing against the opinion of others, even if you believe them to be wrong.

 

[TMC]

I would encourage anyone that wants to know what the Church actually teaches about evolution to read the Church’s actual documents, such as Communion and Stewardship, which I linked to in an earlier post and again below. The fact that some Catholics take a fundamentalist/evangelical view of the topic says nothing about what the Church actually teaches. Read the Church’s teaching and see for yourself.

Communion and Stewardship