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I don’t think that is really a intellectually consistent position. If Genesis is meant as a fairy tale, then that isn’t showing man love; it’s simply lying to us, which makes the Popes’ assertion that God did so self-contradictory and unbelievable.

I don’t think that is really a intellectually consistent position. If Genesis is meant as a fairy tale, then that isn’t showing man love; it’s simply lying to us, which makes the Popes’ assertion that God did so self-contradictory and unbelievable.

I can't argue with that.

"For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
"But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
John 5:46-47

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I think you mistaken in understanding the Pope’s teaching. He isn’t calling Genesis a fairy tale, but the inspired word of God written in a way to communicate the truth about creation and life.

Secondly, what is your belief of Genesis?

Two points:

1. Since when is science the final arbiter of all truth? It never has been. Science is the observation and application of natural laws... it doesn’t deal with philosophical and metaphysical truth.

2. The creation story in Genesis isn’t told as a science manual. It is a true story of God’s love and our beginnings told from the perspective of a Father to His children. When it was originally told, we were told in such a way that man could understand. Just as you simplify the complex for your young children, so God did for us. This doesn’t make it false. Rather, it is full of meaning and truth... just not from a scientific, literal reading.

For example, consider what was done on each of the six days. In the beginning, the Earth was without form and void. On the first three days, God made the form (light from dark; sea from sky; dry land). During the next three days He filled these forms in order (sun and moon; fish and birds; plants and animals). This isn’t science... it is more than that.

He didn’t say it was a “fairy tale”. If that’s what you heard you weren’t listening.

Retelling an event to tell us the truth about God is not a fairy tale. It might be a “myth” in the classical sense, but not a lie. Read Tolkien’s essay on mythology and his discussion of mythmaking to CSLewis.

A Catholic sees God’s hand in evolution. Science might tell us the “how” but the Bible tells us the “Why”.