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In my internet surfing, I recently came upon a webpage that contains three lists: (1) What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Origins; (2) What Does Molecules-to-Man Evolutionism Teach about Origins; and (3) What Does Cutting-Edge Science Teach About Origins?

Frankly, as a cradle-Catholic, I grew up blissfully unaware of the first list. As I progressed thru the American educational system and then graduated to throwing away so much of what I was exposed to, I remained much more concerned about other things. You know, like, ISIS, Roe v Wade, CRS. But, in the area of Church doctrine, I don’t spend much time with the finite timetable in Genesis. I hope this doesn’t make me a heretic; but I am much more in awe of the concept that GOD created everything, my little brain ain’t ready to put a clock on it.

So, does this mean that the commonly espoused version of “evolution” (thinking of Darwin here) means that GOD did not create the world? Nope. For me, GOD is capable of doing anything He wants to (no doubt, He is relieved that I think so). Even (shudder) capable to creating a system that incorporates (gasp) evolution. Really not all that different than your car: you put gas in it more than once (renewing resources), you change the oil more than once (out with the old, in with the new), and if you live east of the Rocky Mountains, you patch the rust in it. Or, you trade it in for something newer (now that concept should make us all shudder; unless, of course, your name is Noah). For me, evolution IS consistent with an omnipotent Divine Being – there is nothing in my understanding of evolution or the Big Bang that keeps me from picking up my Bible (quick: who initially floated – sorry – that concept? If you said a “Belgian Jesuit” you get a gold star).

I did especially enjoy the eighth item which says that the “literal obvious sense must be believed unless reason dictates or necessity requires.” First, of course is the word “believed.” As in, “I believe in GOD, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit”? I don’t think so. Yeah, disagree with Pope Leo at your peril. Second, a person’s reason trumps the Bible? Well, St Peter had something to say about that. Oh, wait, Leo meant the Church’s interpretation, not mine? Ok, fine. But, does the Church really equate the Trinity with a boat big enough for two of everything (considering what science tells us about species we have identified as living or extinct, it’s hard to believe that Adam named every creature and Noah got ‘em all on something measured in “cubits”). (And the number of critters in Noah’s barque isn’t only two of each, if you’ll read a little bit further in Genesis.) You see where I’m going with this, don’t you? “Everything” is “literal and obvious”? I’ll stand with St Lawrence who presented the poorest of the poor when Valerian demanded the riches of the Church. And no, I have never figured out how many angels can sit on the head of a pin (how about how many Christians ISIS has butchered?).

“Original Sin”? Can you say “ISIS”? What part of the human condition don’t you get? Intuitively obvious to the most casual observer (which includes me, for a change).

No, I am not a cafeteria Catholic; but neither can I get everything w/n the definition of Catholic on my plate. I want to; but some days I just don’t think I’m really living the First Commandment.

I spend more time shaking my head at the church that decorated the sanctuary with streamers and other icons of a local football team, than I do with exactly how many hours were in the Biblical day. I just looked again. And I still can’t believe it. You can go to the webpage and see for yourself: http://voxcantor.blogspot.com/2015/02/behold-tabernacle-of-seattle-seahawks-12.html I will grant you that the church I belong to does not have the Tabernacle front-and-center, where it belongs. And there have been occasions when the decoration committee must have been exercising un-used budget and certainly un-used taste. But I have never seen an abomination like this (unless it was in the “non-denominational church” my sister attends: it has a drum set on stage – not even a cross). I am torn (so to speak) between the comment that anybody with backbone would have ripped down the decorations, and my own (feeble?) about-face, walk out, and never return.

Then there’s the story about so-called “gay jesuits.” Yeah, yeah, I know: “jesuits” really ought to be capitalized because it is a proper name. I fell in love with history at a very early age, so I ran into the stories of the Jesuit Missionaries who went to Canada; one Jean de Brebeuf stands out. The chasm that exists between him and “gay jesuits” is insurmountable to me. Altho not quite as old as Jean (he died in 1649), I am still old-fashioned enough to think of priests as being asexual. Yes, I grew up going to Mass every Sunday and every holy day. I became an altar boy when only boys served and only those who could master Latin served. I was very active in the Church all thru high school. Simply, “priest” and “sex” do not belong in the same sentence. I found out that there could be variations on the theme when it came to women religious and what they wore. But priests all wore the same outfit and all behaved above reproach. In the Marines, I learned what “conduct unbecoming” meant; that phrase applied to every priest I have ever known. Praise GOD that I don’t know any “gay jesuits.”

Yeah, Fr Longenecker, the rock still stands.

PS: I received an email yesterday from my good friend, Fr Patrick, in Cameroon. Cameroon, you know: next door to Nigeria, way too close to Boko Haram. And I am supposed to care about what again?

http://kolbecenter.org/creation-doctrine-2/
voxcantor.blogspot.com
ChurchMilitant.tv
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/