Polygenism Again

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Faith1960

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I know we aren’t allowed to believe in polytheism but we ARE allowed to believe that our bodies evolved.

I believe our bodies evolved and I believe all humans have souls…but how did that happen?
 
I know we aren’t allowed to believe in polytheism but we ARE allowed to believe that our bodies evolved.

I believe our bodies evolved and I believe all humans have souls…but how did that happen?
2 distinct processes.

The Human Body arises from the natural laws of generation.

The Human Soul is a direct breathing from God in the life of the Body.

ICXC NIKA
 
I know we aren’t allowed to believe in polytheism but we ARE allowed to believe that our bodies evolved.

I believe our bodies evolved and I believe all humans have souls…but how did that happen?
Our bodies evolved through the course of history. At some point along that evolution, when we reached the evolutionary form appointed by God, He imbued our first mother and first father with rational souls, distinguishing them from not only the animals, but also other proto-humans.
 
Our bodies evolved through the course of history. At some point along that evolution, when we reached the evolutionary form appointed by God, He imbued our first mother and first father with rational souls, distinguishing them from not only the animals, but also other proto-humans.
The Church teaches differently:

"Adam and Eve: Real People

"It is equally impermissible to dismiss the story of Adam and Eve and the fall (Gen. 2–3) as a fiction. A question often raised in this context is whether the human race descended from an original pair of two human beings (a teaching known as monogenism) or a pool of early human couples (a teaching known as polygenism).

"In this regard, Pope Pius XII stated: “When, however, there is question of another conjectural opinion, namely polygenism, the children of the Church by no means enjoy such liberty. For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parents of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents. Now, it is in no way apparent how such an opinion can be reconciled that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the teaching authority of the Church proposed with regard to original sin which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam in which through generation is passed onto all and is in everyone as his own” (Humani Generis 37).

“The story of the creation and fall of man is a true one, even if not written entirely according to modern literary techniques. The Catechism states, “The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents” (CCC 390).”

Source: Catholic Answers

Ed
 
Our bodies evolved through the course of history. At some point along that evolution, when we reached the evolutionary form appointed by God, He imbued our first mother and first father with rational souls, distinguishing them from not only the animals, but also other proto-humans.
This makes sense to me. Once man was reasoning rather than innocent, came the fall of man. Sort of like children, until they reach they age of reason, they cannot really sin. Once man could sin, they were fully human. Kind of ironic though.🤷
 
This makes sense to me. Once man was reasoning rather than innocent, came the fall of man. Sort of like children, until they reach they age of reason, they cannot really sin. Once man could sin, they were fully human. Kind of ironic though.🤷
The contention appears to be that two almost humans were selected for souls. What about the rest of the alleged hominids? Adam and Eve are not presented in the Bible as having been born in the conventional way.

Ed
 
The contention appears to be that two almost humans were selected for souls. What about the rest of the alleged hominids? Adam and Eve are not presented in the Bible as having been born in the conventional way.

Ed
I don’t know. The rest of the hominids eventually became human I guess or died out. What do you think happened to the early hominids?
 
I don’t know. The rest of the hominids eventually became human I guess or died out. What do you think happened to the early hominids?
They were animals, much like monkeys or apes that exist today. There are bodily structures in common, but land-dwelling animals usually have two arms or wings and legs, and a head. This body pattern was suitable for travel, obtaining food and so on.

That these hominids became human does not agree with Church teaching.

Ed
 
Not sure we should be discussing evolution. The topic is taboo due to it creating a lot of heated (to put it mildly) debate. That said, Catholics may believe in evolution. As stated, our bodies evolved, but our human, rational soul is created by God.
 
Not sure we should be discussing evolution. The topic is taboo due to it creating a lot of heated (to put it mildly) debate. That said, Catholics may believe in evolution. As stated, our bodies evolved, but our human, rational soul is created by God.
That makes sense but how, when considering Humani Generis? (Sp)
 
They were animals, much like monkeys or apes that exist today. There are bodily structures in common, but land-dwelling animals usually have two arms or wings and legs, and a head. This body pattern was suitable for travel, obtaining food and so on.

That these hominids became human does not agree with Church teaching.

Ed
I agree. I think they died out. So actually we are back where we started from. Adam and Eve were humans. Humans can reason. It’s interesting that only a being who can actually sin is granted a soul.
 
Not sure we should be discussing evolution. The topic is taboo due to it creating a lot of heated (to put it mildly) debate. That said, Catholics may believe in evolution. As stated, our bodies evolved, but our human, rational soul is created by God.
How did our bodies evolve in your opinion? As far as I am concerned humans in the antiquity and humans today have the same type bodies.
 
The Church teaches differently:

"Adam and Eve: Real People

"It is equally impermissible to dismiss the story of Adam and Eve and the fall (Gen. 2–3) as a fiction. A question often raised in this context is whether the human race descended from an original pair of two human beings (a teaching known as monogenism) or a pool of early human couples (a teaching known as polygenism).

"In this regard, Pope Pius XII stated: “When, however, there is question of another conjectural opinion, namely polygenism, the children of the Church by no means enjoy such liberty. For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parents of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents. Now, it is in no way apparent how such an opinion can be reconciled that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the teaching authority of the Church proposed with regard to original sin which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam in which through generation is passed onto all and is in everyone as his own” (Humani Generis 37).

“The story of the creation and fall of man is a true one, even if not written entirely according to modern literary techniques. The Catechism states, “The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents” (CCC 390).”

Source: Catholic Answers

Ed
I don’t see how this differs from what I wrote. The first two true human forms were Adam and Eve. They were distinguished from the neanderthals and other proto-human species… could you explain what’s wrong with this?
 
How did our bodies evolve in your opinion? As far as I am concerned humans in the antiquity and humans today have the same type bodies.
The duration of “modern human life” (maybe 10,000 generations) is too short a time to observe the effects of continuing evolution.

ICXC NIKA
 
I know we aren’t allowed to believe in polytheism but we ARE allowed to believe that our bodies evolved.

I believe our bodies evolved and I believe all humans have souls…but how did that happen?
Polygenism
 
2 distinct processes.

The Human Body arises from the natural laws of generation.

The Human Soul is a direct breathing from God in the life of the Body.

ICXC NIKA
Could you explain further?
 
The Church teaches differently:

"Adam and Eve: Real People

"It is equally impermissible to dismiss the story of Adam and Eve and the fall (Gen. 2–3) as a fiction. A question often raised in this context is whether the human race descended from an original pair of two human beings (a teaching known as monogenism) or a pool of early human couples (a teaching known as polygenism).

"In this regard, Pope Pius XII stated: “When, however, there is question of another conjectural opinion, namely polygenism, the children of the Church by no means enjoy such liberty. For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parents of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents. Now, it is in no way apparent how such an opinion can be reconciled that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the teaching authority of the Church proposed with regard to original sin which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam in which through generation is passed onto all and is in everyone as his own” (Humani Generis 37).

“The story of the creation and fall of man is a true one, even if not written entirely according to modern literary techniques. The Catechism states, “The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents” (CCC 390).”

Source: Catholic Answers

Ed
catholic.com/tracts/adam-eve-and-evolution
 
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