set3

BACK TO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SET #3: QUESTIONS ANSWERS ON CATHOLIC FAITH

Aren't statues a form of Idolatry?

DO CATHOLICS WORSHIP SAINTS?

AREN'T STATUES A FORM OF IDOLATRY?

WHAT IS ORIGINAL SIN?

DOES THE CHURCH TEACH EVOLUTION?

Are the opening chapters of Genesis a literal scientific description of the world's creation? Or is their language more figurative, whose essential meaning points to fundamental truths about God and the world? Christians have debated the matter since ancient times?
Perhaps the sharpest controversy over these passages has to do with human origins, usually focusing on scientific theory of evolution. Some believe Genesis, rightly understood denies any possiblity that human beings have descended in some sense from other species. Others, however, claim that such evolution is a proven scientific fact.
Catholic tradition provides a different perspective. Following the insights of St Augustine and others, it allows that Genesis employs figurative language so it cannot be sited as a scientific text that rules out human evolution altogether. At the same time, however, the "proven facts of science" accepted by one generation warns scientists against presumption in their conclusions. She specifically rejects any scientific theories (such as that of Charles Darwin) which insist that evolution was the result of random forces rather than the intelligent design of a personal Creator. Such pretentions claims move beyond the limited realm of inquiry that is possible to science.
Given doctrine revelation as a whole, the Church teaches that a few fundamental truths about human origins cannot be contradicted by scientific speculation:
* The entire universe, including the human race, is not the result of chance, but of God's purposeful, loving design.
    (See Gen 1:1 31)
* Human beings are not simply more advanced animals, they bear the image of God in a unique way( see Gn 2:7)
* Even if God may have created the bodies of the first humans through evolution, their souls, like all human souls, were
    immediatly created by him at their conception (see Gn 2:7)
* All human beings share a simple, historical ancestor, so they all have the same nature and origin, and belong to one
    human family.(See Acts 17:26)
* The primordial fall from original holiness to our first human parents was a real event within time. It left them and their
    descendants with origianl sin (see Rom5:12-14 , 18-19)

WHAT IS ORIGINAL SIN?

Much of the language of Genesis opening chapters is figurative. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church affirms that we find there a reference to a real event in time that took place at the very beginning of the human race - a tragedy unequaled in history, known as the FALL (see Gen3 -1-24) We know few details, but the basic realities surrounding that fateful development are clear from the teaching of Scripture (here and elsewhere) and Tradition.
* God created our first human parents in a state of holiness, an original justice (righteousness) without sin, and thus without shame
   (Gen 2:25). They enjoyed a right and harmounious relationship with God, themselves, each other, and the world around them (see        Gen1:26-31 , 2:8-9, 15, 21-25)
*Through their own free choice, however, they disobeyed God, breaking fellowship with him (Gen 2:15-17, 3:1-13, Sir 15:14)
* Their disobedience -a turning away from the Source of all life and order- necessarily brought death and disorder into the world, and
   above all within themselves. So they "Fell" from their previous condition to a state of sinfulness, misery, and ignorance (see Gen 3:
    14-24) Their human nature was deeply wounded, though not corrupted.
* Our First parents, having lost thier original wholeness, could not pas on to their descendents what they themselves no longer
   possessed. This deprivation is consequently inherited by all human beings and is called "original sin"
* The sacrament of Baptism cleanes us from "orginal sin". It restores us to original righteousness and fellowship with God (see Acts
   2:38, 22:16) But after Baptism we are still left with a certain moral and spiritual weakness so that eveb though our wills are free,
   we are inclined to sin- an inclination we must continually overcome by God's grace (see Rom 6:19, 7 15-24)
* The only two human beings to be conceived without "original sin" after our first parents are Our Lord Jesus Christ (see 2 Cor 5:21)
   and his Blessed Mother, whose immaculate conception was possible through the merits of her sinless Son (see Lk 1:28)

The 1st of the 10 Commandments makes it clear that worship is due to God alone. "You shall not have other God's before me..You shall not bow down before them or worship them."
Catholics affirm this truth, Only the all-mighty Creator of the universe, the one in whom "we live and move and have our being" is worthy of our worship- of the adoration that involves giving ourselves completely to him. No saint or even angel should ever be adored in that sense.
At the same time, however, we obey the biblical instruction to "pay to all their dues..honor to whom honor is due" Though we don't worship the saints and angels in heaven, we do in fact honor (or venerate) them, because they are worthy of great honor. This is a biblical distinction.
Why do they deserve such honor? Because they now stand before him in heaven face to face, and they have become like him. They have become, by God's grace, his glorious image, partakers in his divine nature, his knowledge, and his authority to judge and rule.
Are we somehow denying God the honor due him when we honor his saints? By no means! They are his perfected handiwork-and when we praise the craftmanship, all the accolades go to the Craftsman. If even "the heavens declare the glory of GOd/ the sky proclaims its builder's craft, how much more so do human beings who have been perfected in wisdom and justice, who "shall shine brightly/ like the splendor of the firmament, and ...shall be like the stars forever."

God has forbiden only the making of such images with the intention of worshipping them, as the pagans did? He has by no means banned the creation of all religious-images.
On the contrary, the Lord actually instructed the Isrealites to store those very commandements, carved in stone within a sacred container(Ark) to be decorated with the golden images of angelic beings called cheribum. He also commanded the people to decorate the places where they worshipped with gold, bronze, and wooden images of animals and plants.
Why do Cathoic churches, schools, and homes display religious statues and otherimages? Such images are an aid to remembering and honoring our Lord, his mother, the saints, adn the angels.
No Catholic who knows anyting about the Catholic faith has ever worshipped a religious image. Even when Catholics' kneel to pray before a statue, or burn candles or place flowers before it, they aren't worshipping the image. They are simply expressing love and honor for the person represented by the statue.
Think how most people display photos of thier loved ones in thier homes, and workplaces or carry them on thier person. They may occasionally even kiss a picture. When they do, are they worshipping these images? Of course not! The affection they show to the photos is actually directed toward those the photos protray.