Posted on 05/21/2002 10:07:10 AM PDT by johnqueuepublic
You need some sort of teaching authority to interpret scriptures. The Jews had an oral tradition that went along with the Torah, and have developed many written traditions of varying authority as well.
The Theory of Evolution is not a point of Catholic doctrine. The Pope has said that Catholics may consider it, as long as they agree that all humanity is descended from a first couple, whom the Bible names Adam and Eve.
Personally, I think Darwin's General Theory of Evolution is a load of unscientific hogwash. But I don't believe that God probably created the universe around 4000 BC, because I find it hard to believe that He would have bothered to create all those fossils, ancient rocks, or a stellar universe that seems to require billions of years to produce the heavy elements--and faked the whole thing just to make fun of modern scientists.
Parts of the Bible are literal, parts are metaphorical, and parts are arguable as to which they are. I believe in the historical existence of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. But it doesn't really matter, for the essentials of the faith, whether or not Job was a real man, or a figure in an extended parable told to illustrate a point. In the same way Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan doesn't depend on whether such a person ever existed. I reserve judgment on Job's historical existence, but not on the moral and spiritual lesson the book teaches. I believe in the actuality of Moses, because I believe that a real, living God acted in history, not in fable, and therefore spoke to and through particular people.
just something for consideration.
Two questions.
1) Where in the Bible does it ever assert that the sun revolves around the earth?
2) If, as YOU say, the Bible is not to be taken literally, then why should Jesus's vague comment to Peter about "a rock" lead to the multi-trillion dollar Roman Catholic Empire with it's resultant Inquisitions where people were tortured and murdered for refusing to bow to Roman Catholicism's demand for subservience?
because the church claims to be the only official church of Christ. but, Christ never said this. He gave two commandments, thats it. The preponderance of what He said about organized religion, the Pharisees and Saducees, was to condemn them.
the church, and others like them who claim to be the Way, when Jesus said "I am the Way", contradict this statement, the cornerstone of Christian belief.
to maintain power and control, a church or govt. must franchise SOMETHING, either salvation of soul or rights of man. without something to represent as a value to the subjects, they are robbed of relevance and power.
What basis do you have for disbelieving Job was a real man who actually lived?
I have heard this bandied about much recently, is there any (a sincere question, not an attempt to inflame) objective evidence for it?
I'll paraphrase Jesus: "If it is your eye that causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it away. If it is your hand that causes you to sin, cut it off. For it is better to enter the Kingdom missing an eye or a hand than to be rejected whole."
If we followed all of the Bible literally, Christians would certainly be easy to identify, wouldn't we? Obviously Christ was using hyperbole to get his point across, that we should avoid the causes and near occasions of sin. He did this often. What do you think His parables were about, after all?
Taking the Bible literally and claiming it is the only outlet of the Word of God leads Christianity into an intellectual trap. Certain verses of Scripture clearly contradict each other if taken literally and no other knowledge of history and conventions of the time are taken into account. If it is all to be taken literally, and contradicts itself to the literal-minded reader, then it certainly loses its credibility real fast, doesn't it? This fact has been used to discredit Christianity, allowing secularism to take hold to the extent that it has.
As for the evolution and creation question, Catholics are free to consider whatever scientific explanation they wish, within reason. We do believe that man is descended from Adam and Eve. Some Catholics do believe that the earth is only a few thousand years old, and theorize that just as God created Adam as a grown man, He may well have created fossils for us to discover. Perhaps their purpose is that we are to satisfy our intellectual curiosity trying to find their origins.
It follows that if that is the mechanism for lengthening the day that the sun roatates around the earth.
It was actually included as part of Scopes cross of Wm Jennings Bryan.
Evolution and faith are not incompatible.
You misrepresented yourself. This was a miracle that occurred on ONE DAY ONLY. The Bible does not err scientifically in that it posits the sun ALWAYS, HABITUALLY, revolves around the earth, as your note # 19 implies.
If you believe that God created the heavens and the earth, you must accept that He reserves the right, (and has the power) to make miracles.
You mean like the part about where Jesus makes a vague statement to Peter about him being "a rock", and a bunch of people said that that statement gives them the right to torture and murder people who refuse to bend their knee in submission to some guy in a pointy hat?
The Church was culpable in that the popes knew this was going on, but didn't do much to discourage or put a stop to it.
A silly mischaracterization of Church history. Neither one "began" when the schism occured. Both the Western and Eastern Churches easily trace their roots to the apostles. The schism between them is the greatest wound to the body of Christ since the crucifixion.
Pursuit of Liberty: Rerum Novarum. 1-15, Man and Property
Pursuit of Liberty: Rerum Novarum. 16-30, The Church, the Rich, and the Poor
Pursuit of Liberty: Rerum Novarum. 31-47, The State
Pursuit of Liberty: Rerum Novarum. 48-End, The Civil Society
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