Are We Done Yet?
Evolution, it seems, remains a hot topic in some circles these days. Personally, after not one or two but three posts on the topic, I'm nearing the end of my mental food chain on this one. But, Catholic Online featured an interesting Q&A on the topic this week. Father Edward Oakes provided some refreshing (and mathematically mind-bending) insight. Worth a read.
He addressed the question I wanted answered:
Q: What type of evolution is acceptable for Catholic doctrine, and up to what point can a Catholic follow evolution?Sounds fine to me.
Father Oakes: Well, as I said, if evolution means "descent with modification," then evolution is quite acceptable, since that's just the way things are. Anaxagoras said that "the seed of everything is in everything else," a teaching that dovetails very nicely, in my opinion, not just with evolution but also with the patristic teaching of the "logoi spermatikoi" found in all rational beings -- and, according to St. Augustine, in every identifiable being.
My real worry would be rather about the more amateurish attempts to reconcile evolution and the Christian religion -- which, in my opinion, aren't in conflict to begin with. In other words, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Done.
posted by CafeCath @ 6:40 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Exactly. It isn't broke, no need to fix anything.
That is, if we start at the point of not taking certain things in the Bible literally (like the creation account in Genesis), there's nothing to fix. Until we accept that some things in the Bible are not to be taken literally, we'll see the need to fix a lot.
The American Roman Church will not stop the drift of Catholics out of parishes, or prevent the evangelicals from claiming many of these disaffected people, by playing doctrinal footsie with the nationalist protestant right wing. The protestant right rejects the scope & political implications of the Catholic "pro-life" positions, which actually are admired by liberal protestants for consistancy & global view.
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