Is this wrong for me to think? Im a Catholic?

Question

Im Catholic, i was raised Catholic till i was ten.. Then i moved in the US. Im 14 now. I believe i am still a Catholic. I pray and worship God and all that but... I believe in the theory of evolution..? The Darwin stuff. And i think only athiests believe that? So im confused right now because i dont know what to think.. Like no offense but its pretty obvious we evolved from apes. We diidnt just magically appear on earth and last time i checked you cant make a woman out of a guy's ribs.. Andd when it rains for forty days it can flood but its not going to be so high that its way beyond the hills and stuff.. Like thats not even possible.. And whats with the pope..? Whats the purpose of having him? He doesnt even do anything..? Hes too old to do anythinggg.. i worship God not a person..Ahhh seee whats up with this.?! Does this make me like half Catholic half Athiest..? Idk im so confused can someone help me please

Answer 1

No.



Catholics have no problem with Evolution.



Do not let the small groups of Atheists and Creationists make you believe that you have to choose between God and humanity's ongoing discovery of God's Creation through Science. This is not true.



Truth cannot contradict Truth. -- Pope Leo XIII



Most Jews and Christians do not take the stories of creation in the Bible literally. We believe the stories included in first 11 chapters of Genesis tell religious truth but not necessarily historical fact.



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



Catholics can believe in the theories of the big bang or evolution or both or neither.



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



And here is the Address of Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on October 22, 1996 speaking of the Theory of Evolution: http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_jp02tc.htm



Here is an interesting article about Pope John Paul II's opinion in the matter: http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=4627



The Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the big bang and evolution are the most logical scientific explanations.



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



Here is a nice list of Christian thinkers in science: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_thinkers_in_science



The Clergy Letter Project an open letter endorsing the Theory of Evolution signed by over 12,000 clergy from many different Christian denominations: http://www.butler.edu/clergyproject/rel_evol_sun.htm



I suggest you read "New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy" by Robert J. Spitzer http://www.amazon.com/New-Proofs-Existence-God-Contributions/dp/0802863833



http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/



With love in Christ.

Answer 2

It's great that you are asking questions, especially since you seem to be laboring under some misconceptions about the Catholic Church. Here are some facts that will probably make you a lot more comfortable.



1. Yes, you are still Catholic. The Church never kicks anybody out. Even excommunicated people are still Catholic (only they can't receive Holy Communion for a while till they get their excommunication lifted).



2. The Church has said it's okay for Catholics to believe that God used evolution to create the world. Nobody actually saw how the world was created, so none of us should say, "We definitely were not evolved from apes" or "We definitely were evolved from apes." For example, if I want to make a cake, I use butter, sugar, eggs and flour. If I want to make cookies, I use butter, sugar, eggs and flour. Having the same building blocks doesn't necessarily mean that one thing evolved from the other. We can theorize (guess), but we can't say for sure.



3. As for the creation story, it's perfectly okay to take that as an analogy, and not a factual account. The Bible isn't a science textbook and never ways. However, one must consider the fact that since God can do anything, we should tell Him that it's impossible for HIM to create another human being out of somebody else's rib, just because we can't. Anyway, the point is that you aren't in conflict with the Church if you believe that story is fictional, like one of the parables Jesus told.



4. Flood - well, I think you might leave that one up to the experts. It only rained for a few days during Hurricane Katrina and entire cities were wiped out. Raining for 40 days would do a TON Of damage, and yes, even fill valleys. My brother is a water engineer who has to build sewers and drains and water overflow systems for such occasions, and he would tell you that raining every day for 10 days would be more than most communities could handle.



5. I think that if you think the pope doesn't do anything, you haven't really been paying attention. He teaches every single day, and his messages are broadcast all around the world online, on the radio, and on television. He meets with world leaders. He speaks out for peace. He tries to convince governors not to execute people. And he prays for all of us. He does a LOT, and he's not too old for any of it! Actually, because he's older, he's got more influence in most parts of the world where old people are respected for their wisdom (not like in the U.S. where we only care about what's young, hip and new).



6. ALL Catholics worship God, not a person. We're not supposed to worship the pope, and we don't, so I don't really know where you picked up on that. It sounds like something that a person who has never been Catholic would say.



7. I know it's been a while since you've been to Mass, but the Catholic Mass has TONS of Scripture. The first half is called Liturgy of the Word, and we have four different readings on Sundays and Feast Days: one from the old testament, one from psalms, one from new testament epistles and one from the Gospels. The second half is called Liturgy of the Eucharist and it's almost entirely word-for-word straight out of Scripture. Plus, most of the songs are based on Bible verses. The Catholic Mass is actually more Biblical than any other Christian worship service except for the Orthodox liturgy (which has the advantage of being longer). So again, I'm not sure where you got the notion that we "barely read the Bible during a Mass." It's not true and very easily proved to be not true. Come to Mass again sometime and you'll see.



8. The collapse of Jericho: You are correct that it's impossible for people to march around a building for a week, blow trumpets and then have it collapse. That's what makes it a miracle! That's how the people knew that God was with them and that they were working in cooperation with God. I'm sure you've experienced miracles in your life - if you don't think so, you've either not noticed or you've explained them away. I've had miracles happen to me, and the Catholic Church has catalogs of miracles that have been verified because there is no scientific/medical explanation for them.



I think you are merely lacking in information. Keep asking questions, but also keep seeking answers, and you'll see.

Answer 3

If you pray and worship God you are a Christian. Atheists don't believe in God. Some Christians believe in evolution and some don't. In Catholicism you can believe it or not believe it. The Church doesn't force your hand on it.



If you believe that the Pope is an authoritative interpretor of the divine relelation provided by Jesus and the Apostles then you are Catholic. If you don't then you are a protestant.



"And how come we barely read the bible during a mass? I thought religions depends on the bible? I can go on all day really"



? Catholic Masses typically have more Bible than protestant services. The system is designed that we get almost the whole Bible within a 3 year cycle.



Anyways I'd put my money on protestant Christian.

Answer 4

It is not wrong for you to think... or to believe in evolution.

No offense...

We did not evolve from apes - they still exist as they always have.

The male skeleton does have one less set of ribs compared to the female.

The flood was not just rain - it was also waters from deep within the earth.

You are right concerning the Pope, but that would not be following the dogma.

You can not be both a Catholic and an atheist - either you believe in God or don't.

Reading the Bible may cause you to question your being a Catholic...

Are you putting your faith in a religion - or in God through Jesus Christ.

Jericho has been unearthed and the walls did in fact fall...

Either by the hand of God or sympathetic vibrations from the horns and marching.

You're right... we could go on.

Answer 5

The problem is you go to school that teaches evolution but you don't go to a church that makes you study the bible. This is a religion that is so steeped in paganism they confuse the people. This is a religion that teaches if you question what they tell you and pay your tithes. I don't mean to be blunt but I was caught up with that to and could not believe how much they lie to people. Hell=no, idols=no, infant baptism=no, priest not marrying and being called father=no and so much more. You might think that it doesn't matter but it does, look at 2 Tim. 3:2,5, I need you to do research and find out for yourself what is truth, I did I was made to research what was truth and what was false, it is so much easier to follow the crowed, but if you really want to learn the truth it takes woke but means your life.

Answer 6

Catholics are Christians. It sounds such as you believe that Catholics aren't Christians. It does not topic what church you cross to, so long as you suppose secure there and also you get plenty out of it. I went to a Baptist church all my existence however I certainly not felt very Spritual there, so I began going to the Catholic church and I cherished it, and so I grew to be Catholic. All the churchs coach the equal message, while it come right down to whats important. You simply ought to come to a decision the way you desire to Worship the Lord. God Bless!

Answer 7

You have been influenced into accepting Protestant concepts. You can still be a Catholic and believe in evolution. Catholics don't believe in a the creation story literally. A day with God can be 1000 years; what does time mean to the Maker of space, time, and matter? Evolution may have been the mechanism that God used to create life on earth as we know it today. Some of the Bible is to be taken literally, other parts are allegory, poetry, and metaphor. As far as the pope goes, he has the last word on doctrine and morals in the Catholic church. The buck literally stops with him. No one 'worships' the Pope; again, this is a wrong-headed distortion of Catholic-bashing Protestants who should know better. Protestants have their own church leaders and their own dogma they follow; "sol scriptura" (bible only) is one of them. It might surprise you to know that the Catholic church originally compiled and translated it from the ancient languages into the current Bible that we know today. You should take C.C.D classes (Catholic Sunday School) and learn more about the faith you were baptized in; it would clear up a lot of your questions. The following link will help you to understand more about the Bible; it is not long, just a page. You can also use the link to read the New American Bible online and learn more.

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About the Mass: Mass is celebrated not only on Sundays, but every day of the year (even though you are only obligated to go on Sundays). Every Mass has readings form the Bible in it; The Old Testament, The New Testament, and the Psalms. You have some ignorant answers to your question here who say "'there isn't much of the Bible in the Mass"..

Answer 8

Well some Christians and Catholics dont like it when you believe that but it doesnt mean you dont believe in god or you're not a good Christian. There is a form of Christianity known as Scientology that believes science can show you more about how god works, and Darwin's Theory of Evolution is part of that too. I dont know much about it hut you could look at that some or just do your own research on both Evolution and Creationism (a fancy name for the theory that god made humans out of the mud and dirt and such with his own hands) and then draw your own conclusion from that. If you want some more of my advice just e-mail me :)

Answer 9

Let's clarify some points here....



1- Atheists are NOT the only people who accept evolution.

2- 40 days of rain CAN flood over 'hills and stuff' but it's not going to flood the enitre earth.

3- The purpose of the pope is supposedly to be god's represenative on earth. Lame but that's what it is and you would know that if you were raised catholic.

4- There is no HALF WAY between atheism and theism. Either you believe in a god or you don't.

5- Troll.



6- The catholic church has never really used the bible during mass because in the eyes of the church it is not the business of the common people to interpret the so-called holy scripture. According to the church there is a dividing line between you and your god that only a priest can cross. The priest is supposed to tell you what to think and believe and you are supposed to just accept it as dogma. Read up on your own religion why don't you?

Answer 10

There are a lot of things in the bible that are just plain silly. I think many Christians aren't really that well-versed in the bible.



It's important to remember that there is a lot in this world that doesn't appear anywhere in the bible at all -- if we didn't listen to scientists, we wouldn't have airplanes, cellphones, the computer you're reading this on, or anything that they didn't have when the bible was written over 2000 years ago. Remember, science brought people to the moon and back. It is worth listening to what science has to say.



Besides, the bible says unicorns exist. This is just one of the mentions: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Psalm%2022:21;&version=KJV;



There is a lot of silly stuff in the bible. Google it, look it up, it's in there.

Answer 11

you are doing alright , you are questioning subjects which can be confusing ,many stories in the bible are metaphors that have a message for us to take in . the pope is the vicar of christ on earth, a successor to peter , he is guaranteed by the holy spirit never to make an erroneous doctrine regarding 'faith and morals.' all subjects outside these 2 parameters are fair game to argue against . 5 years from now you will be an example of a fine catholic . take care

Answer 12

The Catholic Church actually accepts the theory of evolution, because maybe God controls it.

Answer 13

1. you do not have to be an atheist to believe in evolution, many people claim to believe in it and also believe in super beings and stuff like that. They're silly, but that's what they say.



2. the things you mention from the bible seem very unlikely don't they? makes you wonder about all the other highly suspect things in that book.

Answer 14

The pope and the catholic church also believe in evolution.



So, you're in compliance with your religion - just letting ya know :)

Answer 15

I am glade to see you used the word "Catholic" and not Christian....



If a person is a Christian they (must believe that the Bible is the Word of God) not necessarily word for word....but it is the knowledge he felt we should have and that's what we have.....(Christians do believe the Bible is the Word of God)



If you don't believe the Bible is the Word of God, then you don't believe that what it says happened, really happened....(Christians do believe that God created man the way it says he did-and woman)



So to answer your question:



You can still be a Catholic and believe what you do, you can be a Baptist and believe what you do, heck you can even be a Mason and believe what you do...



(BUT YOU AIN'T NO CHRISTIAN)

Answer 16

No, it is a common misconception that the theory of evolution is an atheist doctrine.



Evolution is a scientific theory.



If you acknowledge science, you can acknowledge evolution.

Answer 17

Troll.



The sad thing is how many people are buying it. Not really fair to blame you for the gullible.

Answer 18

You are a 'questioning young person.'

It is normal for those your age to start asking questions about all kinds of things,

including religious issues. I was your age when I began asking, too. . .

Was raised attending a Protestant church, but read the Bible they'd given me enough to recognize some of their false teachings. When they quit referring to the Bible altogether in Sunday School --They began simply discussing our opinions, instead-- I quit going altogether.



I still had serious questions I wanted answers for, so I started asking first other church's ministers, but I found that they were also not answering according to the Bible. So I kept asking until a nonreligious relative suggested that I ask the Christian Witnesses of Jehovah . . . people whom my Dad always told us never to speak with! But, I found out that I had a relative that s one, & asked her my most worrisome question . . . and lo * behold she showed me right in the Bible what the answer is! I didn't think they could have all the answers I sought, but in giving them a chance to answer them, I found that I had no more unanswered questions!



For example, they showed me in my own Bible the warnings Christ & his early apostles gave about those who would falsely teach in his name. A few of them, for example, are:



"Many will say to me:

'Lord, did we not prophesy, expel demons, & perform many powerful works in your name?'

"Yet I will confess to them:

'I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness'."---Matthew 7:22-23



"They publicly declare they know God, but they disown him by their works,

because they are detestable and disobedient and not approved for good work of any sort."---Titus 1:16



"There will ... be false teachers among You. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them . . . Furthermore, many will follow their acts of loose conduct, and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. Also, with covetousness they will exploit You with counterfeit words. . ."---2 Peter 2:1-3



"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give signs and wonders

to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones. You, then, watch out . . ."---Mark 13:22,23





Then, too, we are COMMANDED to ASK QUESTIONS,

& to MAKE CERTAIN that we have *accurate* understanding! :



"Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but TEST the inspired expressions *to see whether they originate with God,* because *many false prophets have gone forth* into the world."---1 John 4:1



". . . True worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed . . .

God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him MUST worship with spirit and TRUTH." --John 4:23,24



"MAKE SURE of all things . . ." --1 Thessalonians 5:21a





If you want to learn how to examine the bible for yourself, I highly recommend the Bible study aids:



"What Does God Require of Us?"

http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm



"What Does the Bible *Really* Teach?"

http://watchtower.org/e/bh/appendix_00.htm





IF you want to compare Catholic beliefs with Bible teachings, these articles are excellent:



"Exposed---Six Myths About Christianity"

http://watchtower.org/e/20091101/article_01.htm



"The Apostolic Fathers—Truly Apostolic?"

http://watchtower.org/e/20090701a/article_01.htm



Is It Appropriate to Pray to “Saints”?

http://watchtower.org/e/201011b/article_01.htm



"What Was the Original Sin?"

http://watchtower.org/e/200606b/article_01.htm



"Is Confession of Sins [to a Human Priest] Required by God?"

http://watchtower.org/e/20100901a/article_01.htm



"The Eucharist—The Facts Behind the Ritual"

http://watchtower.org/e/20080401a/article_01.htm

.

Answer 19

You are onto something. But, that whole evolving from apes thing is pure Darwinist, eugenic nonsense.

Answer 20

And this is why Christianity fails.

Answer 21

because you should be Muslim, if you don't follow Islam you will go to hell, it's same for every one.