voices of faith q & a

January 29, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. Can one believe in biblical creation and also evolution?

The Rev. Pat Rush, pastor, Visitation Catholic Church:

A. The first chapters of the Book of Genesis present two quite different creation accounts, save for the centrality of God’s creative activity. The insistence on reading the details of either or both of these stories literally leads to the theological theory of creationism, which claims that evolution is completely incompatible with the doctrine of divine creation. Although the Catholic Church firmly believes in the divine inspiration of Scripture, it has generally not been hospitable to a literal reading of the sacred texts. Therefore, Catholic teaching does not find the Bible and evolution incompatible.

Church documents dating back to 1950 acknowledge the plausibility of evolution while still insisting on the immediate creation of the human soul by God. Catholic theology is comfortable with the understanding that while God is the cause and energy of creation, God exercises that role through the evolutionary process. Catholic theology has, therefore, distanced itself from creationism while at the same time rejecting a highly materialistic understanding of evolution.

Moreover, the Catholic Church in the United States, which owns and operates extensive school systems, is not supportive of the notion that biblical creation stories should be mandatory reading in science classes. Such proposals leave the impression that the Christian theology of creation and the scientific theory of creation are incompatible, something to which the Catholic Church does not subscribe.

The Rev. Duke Tufty, Unity Temple on the Plaza:

A. One can believe in anything he or she chooses, and the beliefs one chooses create the reality for that person. If you choose to believe the creation story from Genesis without question, that is true for you. The same goes for the theory of evolution.

Science and religion agree that everything that exists came forth from one creative source. It makes no difference if we call that source God, spirit or energy; it was in the beginning and forever will be the one power of the universe.

The book of Genesis tells us that in the beginning there was nothing; then there were stars and planets, water, vegetation, wildlife and human beings. The theory of evolution holds very closely to this same creative procession. God’s spirit is within us and providing us with what we need to live a comfortable and fulfilling life. The energy that came forth from the big bang 14 billion years ago is in us and providing for us what we need to live a comfortable and fulfilling life.

I don’t believe the story of creation you choose to believe is nearly as important as the fact that you do believe in a higher power within you, providing everything necessary for successful living.