19. Evolution and the Bible

Although there are some points of similarity between the skeletons of man and the ape, the differences are numerous and fundamental. As one scientist remarked, evolutionists might as well claim that man descended from any other form of life, because differences between man and the ape are as important as between man and other forms. The ape has neither chin nor forehead, Its foot grasps like a hand. Its teeth are not arranged in close rows. If it were forced to stand erect, it would be looking upwards, not forward. The average weight of its brain compared to that of its body is as 1 to 70. For man, the ratio is 1 to 35. The ape cannot speak articulately.

How did the body of the first man originate?

— According to the Bible, the body of the first man was made by God from the slime of the earth.

"And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth" (Gen. 2:7).

1. The natural and obvious meaning of these words from the Book of Genesis is that the body of Adam was made directly by God from created substance. Such is the traditional Catholic interpretation.

The Church teaches that the Genesis account is substantially historically true. But Catholics are not forbidden certain liberty of interpretation. For example, the "day" of creation is not necessarily - and not probably - our 24-hour day. We may consider the work done by God in one "day" as an immediate act, or as the result of a long period of development through the functioning of natural forces.

2. Scripture is not a scientific manual for technical purposes, but it can never state what is false. Above the natural sciences, Scripture acts as a guide of a higher order. This gives men a certain guide to life while science proceeds experimentally and presents conflicting theories.

What is the theory of evolution?

— Evolution is a theory concerning the origin and development of plants, animals, and man.

1. Chemical evolution in rocks (geology) or in the stars (astronomy) should be distinguished from biological evolution. Biological evolution means the development of life from non-life and of present-day species from older simpler forms.

Science explains the formation of inorganic matter from pre-existing matter and of variation within species, but it cannot explain the origin of either matter or life. Divine Revelation alone can explain the origin of things.

2. Scientists originally taught biological evolution by natural selection and looked for proof in a so-called “missing-link”. No missing link was found. All skeletons discovered were proved to be either genuine men or real apes.

Some evolutionists hold that the monkey or ape and man both developed from a common ancestor. Darwin's first man was a highly-developed ape. "Man when he was in honour did not understand; he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them" (Ps. 48:21).

3. Molecular biology replaced natural selection by the theory of gene mutation as the mechanism of evolution. The discovery of great complexity at the smallest level of life in the simplest living things illustrated a Designing Intelligence. This conclusion is bluntly refused by the scientific community.

Most scientists teach evolution as the only scientific explanation of origins. Some distinguished scientists have denied that this is a scientific fact. Fabre, the outstanding naturalist of modern times; Millikan, the great physicist; John Burroughs, the naturalist; Professors Richet (Paris), and Henderson (Harvard); Dr. Dwight, the anatomist; Alexis Carrel, and Sir Bertram Windle. More recently, authors Michael Behe, Stephen Meyer and Dean Kenyon explain design by an Intelligent cause.

4. The Catholic Church has always respected and encouraged science, but has also shown its limits. For example, science cannot prove its own principles, because the very means by which science makes its own conclusions are principles of reason – ie spirit. Science itself requires a higher light to work by, this is “perennial” Philosophy.

Pope Pius XII addressed the Pontifical Academy of Sciences many times. He showed how advances in modern science – both on the micro-cosmic and on the macro-cosmic scales – illustrated the classical proofs of God’s existence and matter’s creation; how science required a higher science to prove its conclusions; and insisted upon the necessity of developing this science of the laws of all being – which is the Perennial Philosophy of the Catholic Church, represented in the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas.

What is the origin of the human soul?

— God directly creates every human soul out of nothing.

1. From the very beginning, God has created every human soul out of nothing.

Thus He created the soul of Adam, when after forming his body, He "breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). Every human soul is created at the same moment that one comes to life, at conception.

2. Man's soul is not produced from some other soul or matter. It is spiritual and simple. It did not exist before the person lived. It did not come to exist after he was already alive. Man's life is due to his soul. As soon as the soul leaves the body, life ceases.

The investigations of scientists have discovered a singular universality and sameness in ideas of right and wrong, a moral code, in all races and peoples, however primitive. These are universally looked upon as wrong: the wanton murder of one not an enemy, stealing from one's own group, maltreatment of children, irreverence, incest, adultery. If this attitude resulted from fear of reprisal, why is not murder considered wrong when against an enemy? Why has incest always been regarded as wrong, when primitive men surely could have no idea of the evils of inbreeding? One must conclude that this universal conscience comes from One Source.

3. Man's soul is not derived from his parents. Only his body is derived from them. There is no possible "evolution" of the soul, for it is a spiritual substance, not subject to the laws of physical nature, and could not possibly be developed from a lower or material form of life.

Manifestations of the soul, like cleverness, talent, traits of character, etc., by which children resemble their parents, are due to the attributes of the body that they derived from their parents, or to training in the family. If one holds a coloured glass to the light the reflection will have the colour of the glass. But the glass did not make the sun whose reflection is cast. Is even the mind a product of evolution? The most primitive man is capable of abstract reasoning. The most intelligent beasts cannot think in concepts.

How many centuries were there from Adam to Christ?

— The Church has never given a decision; this question will perhaps never be answered.

1. It is generally admitted that the Bible teaches nothing definite on the matter. The line of patriarchs, which it gives, with their ages, probably contains many gaps.

A man is said to be a son of another, whereas he may only be a remote descendant. In the same way the Bible speaks of Our Lord as the Son of David, although David preceded Him 1000 years.

2. Some Catholic theologians state that the age of man may be stretched to ten, or one hundred thousand years or even longer. Neither scientists nor theologians have come to a definite solution.