Question about an awser on Catholic Answer show...

[cgonz]

Hello,

First of all, your show has been a blessing!!!

During last week show in response to a caller Jimmy Akin said that (I am paraphrasing) the teaching of the church was open for discussion pertaining whether or not there was one Adam ( a common ancestor for all human kind), later that week on show that Tim was hosting, he and the host (Michael Barber) emphatically indicated that this issue was closed.

Jimmy Akin response alluded at the encyclical that both Tim and Michael alluded but went on to explain that the Church did not completely closed the door for interpretation and that in the light of recent advances in Science this is an important question that needs to be address.

If Tim and Michael are right then how can the Church reconcile with scientific evidence about evolution?

I really hope that I get an answer!!!

Many thanks,

Caleb

[UnworthyApostle]

"Pope Pius XII declared that "the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions . ..with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—[but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God" (Pius XII, Humani Generis 36).

The church has no prob with people holding to evolutionary theory at all as long as it is not atheistic naturalism which says that we are all here by blind chance and natural selection, but that evolution is part of God's plan and somehow has His hand in it.

http://www.catholic.com/library/Adam..._Evolution.asp

here is a good place to start learning about the church and science.

[buffalo]

Go here to discuss- Eve, Adam and His Rib

[valentino]

cgonz:the church holds that man resulted from the union of 1 man and 1women.In the beginning just 1man.Ive never heard it said due to scientific developments the question is open to debate.

[yinekka]

If Jimmy is right and there is room to discuss whether we did or did not descend from one man and one woman and if the Church did come to the conclusion that Adam and Eve were a community of people that would raise problems re Original Sin. Did Jimmy go into that?

[cgonz]

Thank you for all the responses. I appreciate all your time!

To the best of my recollection Jimmy did not go into the question of original sin...but he was (like always) very erudite in his response and quoted the same enciclical that was quoted on the following Pod cast.

(I wish I remember the exact day for the Podcast on both shows, but Jimmy's was roughly two weeks ago and Patrick was either later the same week or the week after).

[Joe Kelley]

Originally Posted by valentino

cgonz:the church holds that man resulted from the union of 1 man and 1women.In the beginning just 1man.Ive never heard it said due to scientific developments the question is open to debate.

This is the teaching of paragraph 37 of the ENCYCLICAL HUMANI GENERIS OF THE HOLY FATHER PIUS XII

37. 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 that either after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parent 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 with that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the Teaching Authority of the Church propose with regard to original sin, which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam and which, through generation, is passed on to all and is in everyone as his own

referenced earlier by UnworthyApostle.

[dnar]

Evolution cannot be reconciled to Christianity. There is absolutely no possible way. Folks who try to do so are merely trying to conform to the world and feel like a part of it....

If humans evolved from earlier primates at all...then adam and eve didn't commit the first sin which resulted in death and decay. This would put death long before the first sin and Christianity knows of nothing of the sort. It is taught and has been taught that death is the result of sin.

Evolution is pure stupidness and a fairy tale for grownups.

[Jerok]

Originally Posted by dnar

Evolution cannot be reconciled to Christianity. There is absolutely no possible way. Folks who try to do so are merely trying to conform to the world and feel like a part of it....

If humans evolved from earlier primates at all...then adam and eve didn't commit the first sin which resulted in death and decay. This would put death long before the first sin and Christianity knows of nothing of the sort. It is taught and has been taught that death is the result of sin.

Evolution is pure stupidness and a fairy tale for grownups.

I sincerely hope you're joking. Evolution is the single best theory we have on life in the world. Refuting thousands or millions of scientists who have provided proof for this theory would be a nearly impossible undertaking that normally 6000-year old Earth believers attempt to do (and very poorly). One reason I am not embarrassed to be Catholic is its acceptance of science.

I can't imagine God would put all sorts of evidence for evolution on the Earth, having his chosen Church reject evolution, and expect scientists to still believe in Him.

[dnar]

Originally Posted by Jerok

I sincerely hope you're joking. Evolution is the single best theory we have on life in the world. Refuting thousands or millions of scientists who have provided proof for this theory would be a nearly impossible undertaking that normally 6000-year old Earth believers attempt to do (and very poorly). One reason I am not embarrassed to be Catholic is its acceptance of science.

I can't imagine God would put all sorts of evidence for evolution on the Earth, having his chosen Church reject evolution, and expect scientists to still believe in Him.

No I am not joking and you cannot reconcile Catholicism and Evolution. Its impossible to do.

[Sarahforgiven]

Evolution is a theory not a fact

[Jerok]

Originally Posted by dnar

No I am not joking and you cannot reconcile Catholicism and Evolution. Its impossible to do.

The deposits of faith of the Catholic Church neither requires nor precludes evolution.

Thus, we are free to accept the observations of scientists or to form our own uneducated opinion.

[George Stegmeir]

With no intention of being sarcastic, I will wager that you have never discussed this issue with a Jesuit!

[dnar]

Originally Posted by Jerok

The deposits of faith of the Catholic Church neither requires nor precludes evolution.

Thus, we are free to accept the observations of scientists or to form our own uneducated opinion.

Our whole faith is based around Original Sin...if there is no sin Jesus died for no reason and the whole religion crumbles.

[Jerok]

Originally Posted by dnar

Our whole faith is based around Original Sin...if there is no sin Jesus died for no reason and the whole religion crumbles.

How does evolution interfere with original sin? Hint: It doesn't.