Evolution Again

[FaithT]

Okay, I know Catholics can believe in the theory of evolution but some (many?) scientists take that back as far as us starting out as pond scum or something. Can Catholics believe that? If not, how far back is permissible?

 

[Michie]

Okay, I know Catholics can believe in the theory of evolution but some (many?) scientists take that back as far as us starting out as pond scum or something. Can Catholics believe that? If not, how far back is permissible?

It’s all permissible as long as we believe God created us and we believe in a literal Adam and Eve. Whether God started off creating life with pond scum or not is not an issue.

 

[FaithT]

It’s all permissible as long as we believe God created us and we believe in a literal Adam and Eve. Whether God started off creating life with pond scum or not is not an issue.

Thanks!

 

[Michie]

Thanks!

You’re welcome Faith!

 

[FaithT]

It’s all permissible as long as we believe God created us and we believe in a literal Adam and Eve. Whether God started off creating life with pond scum or not is not an issue.

I don’t mean to sound like I doubt you, but I can’t find anything online that says it’s ok to hold to the belief that many scientists are now spouting about human evolution starting as pond scum. Do you?

 

[Michie]

I’ve posted on this before where the Church states it is okay to believe in evolution, no matter how it was done as long as God guided it. I’ll look later when I have more time but it really puzzles me how this topic trips you up all the time. Whether it be evolution or a literal read of Genesis, God is the Creator. So what is the problem?

 

[Michie]

For a second example, take endosymbiosis and mitochondria and chloroplasts. Endosymbiosis involves one organism living inside another, which can be horrifying if you think of things like tapeworms. However, it also is the fascinating explanation for how our cells can turn food into energy and how plants can do photosynthesis. In the endosymbiotic origin of key parts of living cells, simple prokaryotes (no nuclei; think bacteria) were taken up by larger cells and, over a long time, turned into specialized parts of those larger cells.

Mitochondria, including the ones in your own cells and those of plants and fungi and pond scum, seem to have arisen in this way. Mitochondria perform the most important part of extracting energy from food—without them, you could never use your muscles, for example.

They have their own chromosomes, circular like those of bacteria and not like the rest of your human cells, as well as bacterial-sized ribosomes, tiny machines that build the proteins which make living cells work, not human-sized ribosomes. These and other pieces of evidence say that mitochondria, the ones in your cells as you read this, started out as free-living proteobacteria and ended up as part of you.

That’s an evolutionary process.

Continued below.

A Catholic Defense of Evolutionary Science

God usually works slowly and predictably within the laws He Himself made. When we study the details that we know about the living world, we see that they are truly astounding and enthralling.

crisismagazine.com

 

[Michie]

A Brief Exploration of the Catholic Position on Evolution

There is a great misperception in the culture that Catholicism is anti-science. Many college students confront this error when they encounter reductionism, rationalism, and materialism through their professors. These students do not know how to respond–and far too often–dismiss Catholicism...

catholicexchange.com

 

[FaithT]

I’ve posted on this before where the Church states it is okay to believe in evolution, no matter how it was done as long as God guided it. I’ll look later when I have more time but it really puzzles me how this topic trips you up all the time. Whether it be evolution or a literal read of Genesis, God is the Creator. So what is the problem?

I don’t really know, but it didn’t help me, spending five or so years in the LCMS.

 

[Michie]

Why Evolution is Not a Problem for the Catholic Church - The Society of Catholic Scientists

Some Christians raise theological objections to evolution. This article examines eight of the common ones and explains why they have no force from a Catholic point of view.

catholicscientists.org

 

[Michie]

I don’t really know, but it didn’t help me, spending five or so years in the LCMS.

I’m in the midst of posting info for you now. I hope it helps. But if not, you might want to discuss this with your priest.

 

[Michie]

Evolution — What’s a Catholic to Think? | Pints with Aquinas Blog

We often hear our Protestant friends decry evolution as an assault on the divine inspiration of Scripture. After all, Genesis says that God made everything in six days. Not really enough time for dinosaurs to become birds or apes to become men! Catholics don’t have to reject every aspect of...

pintswithaquinas.com

 

[FaithT]

I’m in the midst of posting info for you now. I hope it helps. But if not, you might want to discuss this with your priest.

Thanks Michie!

 

[Michie]

Thanks Michie!

You’re welcome!

 

[FaithT]

I’m in the midst of posting info for you now. I hope it helps. But if not, you might want to discuss this with your priest.

I forget if we were discussing evolution or something else, but my LCMS pastor said that he was sure the Catholic Church agrees with him when clearly it does not.

 

[Michie]

I forget if we were discussing evolution or something else, but my LCMS pastor said that he was sure the Catholic Church agrees with him when clearly it does not.

People get a lot of misunderstandings about Catholicism through their various churches unfortunately. Not all is deliberate but it’s easy enough to look things up before confusing others. It’s been going on for a very long time. I’m sorry you have had to deal with confusion on these issues.

 

[The Barbarian]

Okay, I know Catholics can believe in the theory of evolution but some (many?) scientists take that back as far as us starting out as pond scum or something. Can Catholics believe that? If not, how far back is permissible?

Since God says that the Earth brought forth living things, I assume Christians believe it.

 

[FaithT]

Since God says that the Earth brought forth living things, I assume Christians believe it.

Catholic Christians? Michie already answered that, but I’d like your input, too.

 

[The Barbarian]

Since God says that the Earth brought forth living things, I assume Christians believe it.

Catholic Christians?

Christians who believe God. Not just Catholics.

 

[FaithT]

Since God says that the Earth brought forth living things, I assume Christians believe it.

Christians who believe God. Not just Catholics.

But Catholics, too, though, right?