Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth….
With all the arguments over creationism and evolution in our schools today, even in our Catholic schools, isn’t it interesting that 100 years ago today a lot of the argument was put to rest and dogmatically determined. Have we forgotten the 1900 years of church history prior to Vatican II? I think the points below give all Christians a starting point on how to read The Book of Genesis without view it to be entirely mythical or entirely literal.
On June 30, 1909, the Catholic Pontifical Biblical Commission agreed. It issued a decree interpreting the first chapters of Genesis as history, not myth. With the backing of Pope Pius X, the Commission declared that certain truths must be held no matter what the latest scientific theories claim to the contrary. These unarguable points are:
That God created all things at the beginning of time;
That man was specially created;
That the first woman came from the first man;
That all humans are of a single original race;
That our first parents lived in a happy state of justice, integrity, and immortality;
That God gave them a command to test their obedience;
That they disobeyed the divine command at the instigation of the devil who took on the form of a serpent;
That our first parents fell from their state of innocence;
And that they were promised a future redeemer.
Thank God for the Catholic Church and the Successors of Peter.
100 Years Ago Today
With all the arguments over creationism and evolution in our schools today, even in our Catholic schools, isn’t it interesting that 100 years ago today a lot of the argument was put to rest and dogmatically determined. Have we forgotten the 1900 years of church history prior to Vatican II? I think the points below give all Christians a starting point on how to read The Book of Genesis without view it to be entirely mythical or entirely literal.
On June 30, 1909, the Catholic Pontifical Biblical Commission agreed. It issued a decree interpreting the first chapters of Genesis as history, not myth. With the backing of Pope Pius X, the Commission declared that certain truths must be held no matter what the latest scientific theories claim to the contrary. These unarguable points are:
Thank God for the Catholic Church and the Successors of Peter.