Creation

Creation         

Submitted by Thomas Stidl

         In this month of February for those who follow daily Mass, the First Reading displayed the beginning of the book of Genesis.  It is the story of how the earth was created by God in six days.  God then took his rest on the Seventh day.  The readings also contained how Adam and Eve were created, how Eve was tempted by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Eve then gave the fruit to Adam who ate it also.

         When I was in high school in religion, biology, or chemistry class, we had a discussion about this form of Creation and the Theory of Evolution as proposed by Charles Darwin.  Many pros and cons were discussed about each form of Creation.  At the end of the class, our homework assignment was to watch a movie called, “Inherit the Wind”.  This movie details the Scopes Monkey Trial, where a teacher was put on trial for teaching the theory of Evolution versus the biblical story of Creation.  Also this trial was held in the south with very strict biblical beliefs.

         The next day we had a further discussion about the movie.  We were taught that each individual might believe in either Creation or Evolution.  However, if you believe in Evolution, you must believe that during the development of the human being, God found a man on which He imparted his spirit.  God breathed the breath of spiritual life into his body, and that man became a living soul endowed with the God-like attributes of intellect and free choice.  From there a woman was created from the bone of the man.  Quite possibly, God gave these first humans a garden to tend and grow their own food and keep them safe from all harm.  Also, believing in Evolution does not lessen the necessity for our redemption by Jesus Christ.  Our first parents did commit sin and then were made to join the other developing human beings on earth.  

         I had one other encounter with Creation versus Evolution.  This happened in my second year of public college.  A professor stated to the class that Evolution was a fact.  One of the students disagreed with him.  They spent a few minutes arguing about the matter.  First, I spoke to the professor telling him that Evolution was a theory and not a fact.  Second, I told that student along with the rest of the class what I was taught in high school.  Both of them calmed themselves and the physics lecture continued.  Even back in public college, I was preaching and teaching the Word of God.

         Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe.  Deo Gratias.  Gloria Tibi Domini.  Praise be to God.  See you in Paradise.