|
In 1981, Pope John Paul spoke to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and said, "The Bible itself speaks to us of the origin of the universe and its makeup, not in order to provide us with a scientific treatise but in order to state the correct relationship of humanity with God and the universe. Sacred Scripture wishes simply to declare that the world was created by God."
So, how it all worked out--creation-wise and/or evolutionary-wise--is not really the purpose of the Book of Genesis. It is, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, a book to reveal "what God wants us to know for the sake of our salvation." The logistics of who came first, who parented who and how inbreeding and incest was avoided (if it was) or its consequences dealt with, is not what we need to know in order to be faithful Catholics. We need to know that God created our soul and the soul of every human being and that this same God created the forces that resulted in the world as we know it. We need to know that God desires our highest good and gives us the means to achieve it.
I wouldn't trouble myself too much with HOW but focus on WHY. This is certainly not meant to discourage you from scientific exploration of the origins of humanity. But whatever you may discover as a scientist should not challenge your faith. |