There are religious people who accept some version of evolution but claim
an Intelligent Design of sorts. Of course, rejecting any version of
evolution is pretty much hopeless,given the overwhelming evidence. But
explaining it might be a different matter.
On Fri, Aug 7, 2015 at 9:06 PM, Edward Farrell <ewf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Lawrence,
It's a rhetorical question. My point is simply that "evolution" doesn't
have a common meaning in the secular/christian culture wars. To say that
you accept or don't accept evolution means little when the term is so
semantically fuzzy. Even a creationist might accept evolution in some
limited sense. Southern Baptists have a fairly cut and dried view of it.
The RC church has a very nuanced view of it. You evidenced a nuanced view
in your last post. I have a nuanced view of it. Even on the strictly
scientific side evolution is not a monolithic concept. I've been slowly
working through S. J. Gould's "Structure of Evolutionary Theory" over the
last few years and I've lost track of all the debates over mechanics, some
of which, such as punctuated equilibria, have major implications for basic
assumptions. How are all these views similar and different? It would be
hard to know in any exact way and few would take the time to try and sort
it out. Even Gould's book, which only treats the science, is over 1,400
pages long. To try and roll in all the cultural views as well--good luck.
Ed
Friday, August 7, 2015, 11:18:39 AM, you wrote:
Ed,
Reading your last paragraph I don't know if you are being rhetorical
(saying Catholicism accepts Evolution) or asking a real question. I
frankly have spent the bulk of my theological efforts in Protestant rather
than Catholic theology. But if one looks at a Wikipedia overview of the
subject, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution and
moves down toward the bottom one gets Wiki's opinion of the most recent
official views of he Catholic Church which strike me as rather complex and
not completely digested by the laity:
Lawrence
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechism_of_the_Catholic_Church> (1994,
revised 1997) on faith, evolution and science states:
159. Faith and science: "... methodical research in all branches of
knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does
not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the
things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The
humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led,
as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the
conserver of all things, who made them what they are." (Vatican II GS 36:1)
283. The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the
object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our
knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of
life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even
greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give
him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives
to scholars and researchers....
284. The great interest accorded to these studies is strongly stimulated
by a question of another order, which goes beyond the proper domain of the
natural sciences. It is not only a question of knowing when and how the
universe arose physically, or when man appeared, but rather of discovering
the meaning of such an origin....
Paragraph 283 has been noted as making a positive comment regarding the
theory of evolution, with the clarification that "many scientific studies"
that have enriched knowledge of "the development of life-forms and the
appearance of man" refers to mainstream science and not to "creation
science <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_science>".[68]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-68>
Concerning the doctrine on creation, Ludwig Ott in his *Fundamentals of
Catholic Dogma* identifies the following points as essential beliefs of
the Catholic faith ("De Fide"):[69]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-69>
- All that exists outside God was, in its whole substance, produced
out of nothing by God.
- God was moved by His Goodness to create the world.
- The world was created for the Glorification of God.
- The Three Divine Persons are one single, common Principle of the
Creation.
- God created the world free from exterior compulsion and inner
necessity.
- God has created a good world.
- The world had a beginning in time.
- God alone created the world.
- God keeps all created things in existence.
- God, through His Providence, protects and guides all that He has
created.
*Unofficial Catholic organizations[*edit
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catholic_Church_and_evolution&action=edit§ion=11>
*] *See also: List of Catholic creationist organisations
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_creationist_organisations>
There have been several organizations composed of Catholic laity and
clergy which have advocated positions both supporting evolution and opposed
to evolution, as well as individual figures such as Bruce Chapman
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Chapman>. For example:
- The Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation
<http://www.kolbecenter.org/> operates out of Mt. Jackson, Virginia
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Jackson,_Virginia> and is a
Catholic lay apostolate promoting creationism.[70]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-70>
- The "Faith Movement
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Faith_Movement&action=edit&redlink=1>
",[71]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-71>
was founded by Catholic priests Fr. Edward Holloway and Fr. Roger Nesbitt
in Surrey, England <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey,_England>[72]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-72>
and "argues from Evolution as a fact, that the whole process would be
impossible without the existence of the Supreme Mind we call God."[73]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-73>
- The "Daylight Origins Society
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_Origins_Society>" was founded
in 1971 by John G. Campbell (d.1983) as the "Counter Evolution Group". Its
goal is "to inform Catholics and others of the scientific evidence
supporting Special Creation as opposed to Evolution, and that the true
discoveries of Science are in conformity with Catholic doctrines." It
publishes the "Daylight" newsletter.[74]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-74>
- The Center for Science and Culture
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Science_and_Culture> of the
Discovery
Institute <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Institute> was
founded, in part, by Catholic biochemist Michael Behe
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Behe>, who is currently a
senior fellow at the Center.[75]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-William_A._Dembski-75>
[76]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-Andrew_J._Petto.2C_Laurie_R._Godfrey-76>
There are many Catholic organizations who gain insight into the relation
between Catholic faith and evolution theory from the writings of Fr. Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin> S.J.[citation
needed <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>] Despite
occasional objections to aspects of his thought, Teilhard was never
condemned by the magisterial church.[77]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-77>
[78]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-78>
[79]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-79>
The website "catholic.net", successor to the "Catholic Information Center
on the Internet", sometimes features polemics against evolution.[80]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-80>
Many "traditionalist" organizations are also opposed to evolution, see e.g.
the theological journal *Living Tradition*.[81]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution#cite_note-81>
*Edward W. Farrell *----------------------------------------------
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<http://www.edfarrellphotography.com>
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