Posted on 10/30/2014 4:22:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not “a magician with a magic wand”, Pope Francis has declared.
Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope made comments which experts said put an end to the “pseudo theories” of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator – arguing instead that they “require it”.
“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,” Francis said.
He added: “He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfilment.
“The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.
“Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Amen. Limiting God is not a good idea... And Genesis is fairly clear God formed man with His own hands, not made a bacteria or two and waited around to see what would happen.
Less than 200 years ago the things that we regard as everyday technology were considered “magic”. Multi-ton vehicles flying high up in the air, people communicating with each other from thousands of miles away, etc. And two hundred years from now, the things that we consider “magic” will be regarded as everyday technology by our descendants.
“God understands. God has His plans. That information is unavailable to the mortal man.”
That’s a line from a sad old song from a long time ago.
Yep. The idea that any Christian leader would ever say there are things God cannot do, is insane
Exactly. It’s stunning, really.
to me it is
ping to post 28
RE: I’m guessing parody.
Unfortunately, it isn’t.
Problem is, evolution teaches eons of suffering and death before man, a recent arrival, ever showed up. The Bible says there was no death until man brought it about, and man was created at the beginning (confirmed twice by Jesus in the NT).
Neither backs up the other; in fact, they are completely contradictory.
Evolution was, and is, celebrated as a way to explain our existence without bringing God into it. Evolution and creation are contradictory of one another.
Sounds like Pieter the Roman to me, if these remarks do not change their meaning in context.
There is nothing in the bible that I read that claims nothing ever died prior to the Fall. What are you reading?
Einstein: “God does not play dice..”
Bohr: “Einstein, stop telling God what to do.”
RE: Pretty harsh if you take this literally. Imagine that there was an older apolitical poor Egyptian shoemaker and his wife who was thought to be barren after twenty years of marriage. Now suppose this poor honest family experienced a minor miracle and his wife at age forty gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Is it rational to believe that a just and loving God would send an angel to rip the infant from the breast of its bewildered mother and mercilessly kill it?
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I don’t think it is hard at all if one will accede to the following :
GOD IS OMNISCIENT
GOD IS THE GIVER AND TAKER OF LIFE
GOD ALWAYS WORK THINGS OUT FOR THE GOOD.
GOD KNOWS THE BEGINNING FROM THE END
PHYSICAL DEATH IS NOT THE MOST TERRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENS TO ANYONE, SPIRITUAL DEATH IS.
GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING
In other words if you view things from God’s eternal perspective, then the problem of innocent children dying becomes less insoluble.
So, regarding the death of infants:
Why would God order the death of innocent children?
Some possible answers...
* God knows that these children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents.
* By ending their lives as children, God enabled them to have entrance into Heaven.
There is Biblical evidence that tells us that children who die are accepted into Heaven by the grace and mercy of God (2 Samuel 12:22-23; Mark 10:14-15; Matthew 18:2-4).
Again, this answer does not completely deal with all the issues. Our focus should be on trusting God even when we do not understand His ways. We also have to remember that God looks at things from an eternal perspective, and that His ways are higher than our ways. God is just, righteous, holy, loving, merciful, and gracious. How His attributes work together can be a mystery to us – but that does not mean that He is not who the Bible proclaims Him to be.
RE: Einstein: “God does not play dice..”
Bohr: “Einstein, stop telling God what to do.”
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Well, if Bohr believes that God does play dice, then isn’t he telling God what to do as well?
Just because we can’t comprehend there not being anything before the ‘beginning’ does not mean that wasn’t the case.
“That is just one example why Catholics do not take the Bible literally.”
Speak for yourself. I’m Catholic, and I wouldn’t dream of concocting a hypothetical story about “apolitical Egyptian parents” and their “miracle baby” in order to dismiss Exodus as allegory. God’s ways are not our ways, even what might seem to us to be terribly unjust from the limited view of our temporal perspective probably isn’t from the perspective of an all-knowing and all-powerful God.
Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
And verse 17:
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:21
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
It depends on what you mean by death. This is the way my scripture professor explained it; the meaning of death is separation from God not cessation of biological functions. That’s why Adam and Eve died when they ate from the tree even though they weren’t physically dead. That’s why those who believe in Christ never die no matter how their earthly existance ends.
I knew that was coming...”there was physical death, just not spiritual death.”
The Corinthians verse is clearly referring to physical death.
Does this mean God did NOT create man from the dust of the ground? God is able and, in fact, His Word states it. Why does the Catholic Church teach something different?
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