Catholics.....?

Question

Are we, as Catholics, supposed to take the book of Genesis(garden of eden) as actual historic fact or symbolism. Please no Catholic bashers.

Answer 1

The Catholic Church does not take the stories of creation in the Bible literally. Catholics believe the book of Genesis tells religious truth and not necessarily historical fact.

One of the religious truths is that God created everything and declared all was good.

Catholics can believe in the theory of evolution. Or not. The Church does not require belief in evolution.

On August 12, 1950 Pope Pius XII said in his encyclical Humani generis:

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, on the part of men experienced in both fields, take place 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 - for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God.

Here is the complete encyclical: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis_en.html

The Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the theory of evolution is the most logical scientific explanation. However tomorrow someone may come up with a better idea.

As long as we believe that God started the whole thing, both the Bible and modern science can live in harmony.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The account in Genesis is likely a very simplified version of what actually occured. Not symbolic, but not a blow-by-blow, factual account, either.

For example, nobody really knows exactly what Adam specificaly did to incur God's wrath, or what the fruit of the forbidden tree really was.

So, let's say that there's probably a lot more to the story than God has ever chosen to reveal.

We'll all have to wait until Judgment Day to hear the rest of the juicy details.

Answer 3

We are free to see the Genesis stories as literary devices and not necessarily factual as long as we believe that god created all ultimately out of nothing,that human beings are all related in one human family,that the first humans revolted against God and that was the Original Sin that we inherit in its effects, that we are not destined for everlasting Death and that we need a savior( among other things that genesis teaches Christians through tradition in the Church.)
I went through17years of Catholic school and i was never taught that evolution and creation were incompatible. The opposite was true.

Answer 4

we as catholics are to look at genesis for its religious truths. it may not explicitly depict history or science accurately, that is not normally the reason for the bible. the bible primarily deals with religious truth, whilst some accurate history or science is offered,geography etc we seek the important truths, or atleast in the spiritual sense of importance. was everything created the way depicted in genesis? one day for god is maybe a thousand for us, the importance of seven days is that the number seven represents perfection in the culture of the time. there are many ways to go into detail, i will offer some sources and sites that may benefit you if you are interested and don't recieve an answer here.....

a cathecism of the catholic church
www.scripturecatholic.com
www.newadvent.org
www.catholiceducation.org
www.ewtn.com
www.fisheaters.com
www.salvationhistory.com

hope these help and god bless.

catholicism and science can go hand in hand as long as science doesn't dispute the fact that god is the ultimate creator and reason for life.

Answer 5

It isn't about having to take it one way or the other. The point of Genesis, whether you choose to interpret it literally or allegorically is that God created all things seen and unseen. So long as one derives that point from it, the Book of Genesis has done it's job.

Answer 6

Not all truths are told using facts. The stories in teh Bible may or may not be factual, but they are true.

People who focus on whether or not the world was created in 6 24-hour days are not seeing the forest for the trees.

Answer 7

Hi Chris, we are called to believe that the Bible is the word of God and not just the nice bits but the whole of the Bible, the things that we as Christians are scorned and mocked for such as the story of Adam and Eve are in fact based in truth and so we must come to terms with this and hold the word of God to be what it is.

Answer 8

According to what I have been taught all stories from the bible are truth. The actual story of how events occur ed. Not bashing. The book was written by man not god but men so there may be a few exaggerations along the way.

Answer 9

The important thing is that God created us .Our God is a God of mystery,there is no doubt there.The Church does not understand The Holy Trinity and does not pretend to understand it.So things about creation will be a mystery,we have to rely on science to find answers.