We were talking about science and my dad (a semi-lapsed Catholic who has "found" Jesus - I didn't know he was lost - at a megachurch) mentioned that he and a buddy of his called themselves evolutionary creationists. I was intrigued. That type of approach to the creation of the world is more appropriate of my views on the matter as well. Dad went on to explain that he and his friend believe in a good God who created the universe and also that he ordains things to evolve and move at a particular place in a particular way. He says, and I think I agree with him, that God would not just create something with a snap of his fingers and boom there it is (although he can if he wants to) and leave it alone. God planned out a specific way in order for His creatures to appreciate more the beauty and ways of His creation. Dad's friend is also an Apostolic Christian by the way. (If he were a true "apostolic Christian" he would be Catholic :] )
Back to the story: I could see where Dad was coming from. He had a point. And it was a lot better than some creationist stuff that I've heard. That's another post. He then segued into a slight against the Church saying that we had never approved or condoned science and that it was something that we were afraid of. I had to jump in with some words myself. This type of accusation that the church never condoned science is a misnomer. In fact, and I would recommend purchasing this book, the church was and always has been appreciative of science. You just have to do a little research.
At this time, our waiter guy over heard us and asked what we were talking about. So we filled him in. He started talking about how the church changed it position on the whole make-up of the solar system to fit the new information. We got into Galileo and he started into a whole new set of slights against the church. In fact, it was not the church that was in a hissy-fit over Galileo and Copernicus -both devout Catholics- it was the Protestants who were incensed over this new heliocentric model of the solar system. The church advised their scientists to treat these new theories as hypothesis until more information was obtained. That was the practice. Galileo thought that he had the truth already. He published it as such and the church, with the Reformation still fresh, gave Galileo a small slap on the hand. Protestants adhered to a rigid interpretation of the text and "clearly" this went agaisnt the word of God. The church did not want to have any further divisions happen. This whole ordeal is not what modern media and "scholarly" research make it out to be.
Ideas on the interpretation of particular passages of scripture were now "called into question". The church has always understood that the sum of human knowledge gained might shed more light on the particular interpretation of scripture. Reason is a gift of God and he intended that we use it. Nothing in nature can contradict what he has revealed in his word. Therefore, the interpretation of passages in the right context can and do make sense. St. Thomas Aquinas is worth quoting at length here:
"First, the Truth of Scripture must be held inviolable. Secondly, when there are different ways of explaining a Scriptural text, no particular explanation should be held so rigidly that, if convincing arguments show it to be false, anyone dare to insist that it still is the definitive sense of the text. Otherwise unbelievers will scorn Sacred Scripture, and the way to faith will be closed to them."
As you can imagine, the discussion got a little heated. I thought the waiter guy was going to flip a gasket. He suggested that we watch movies entitled "Zeitgeist" and "Zeitgeist II". He said they go on to explain how all the religions are the same and that they are different expressions of the same thing. Sadly, I've heard that many times. If truth is objective, then there can only be one path. I tried explaining this to him and he couldn't wrap his mind about it. He called himself a pan-theist. I know. It's like ancient pagan times again. Regardless of his views it was quite the discussion and the evening.
I really enjoy Monday Night football.
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