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OutofthepastwhatManhasevolvedinmanythings.Godmeanthimtodoso.Buthedidnotevolveoutofnothing.Evolutionsupposessomethingevolving.WeareforcedtoadmitaCreator.Ifyouwillnotadmitthat,youwillhavenothingturningitsnon-existentselfintosomething.
Creativeevolutionisacontradictioninterms.Evolutionsupposesanexistentsomethingprogressivelyimprovingitself.Creationsupposestheproductionofbeingwherepreviouslytherewasnobeing.NoCatholic,therefore,canbelieveincreativeevolutionasiftherewerenoneedofaCreator.ManyCatholicsbelieveinacreatedevolutionasapossiblehypothesisinalimiteddegree.
Anthropologydoesnotshowthat.Thatispartoftheevolutionaryguess.Thereisnoscientificevidencewhateverastowhatdegreeofculturethefirstmanpossessed.MeantimeitiscertainthatAdamhadalltheknowledgenecessaryandfittingforhiscircumstances.Genesisshowsusthatheknewthenatureanddiversityofanimals,whilstEcclesiasticusXVII.,5-6,tellsusthatGodfilledhimwithknowledgeandunderstanding,andcreatedinourfirstparentsscienceandwisdom.Thefactoftheirknowledgemustbeadmitted.Itsdegreeisopentospeculation,butinnowaycanweadmitthatourfirstparentsweredemi-witted,norcansciencepossiblydemonstratesuchadeficiency.
WeareboundtobelievethatEvewasformedfromAdam.Itisrevealeddoctrinethat"Godhathmadeofoneallmankind."ActsXVII.,26."Forthemanisnotofthewoman,butthewomanoftheman."I.Cor.XL,8.Norhasreasonanythingtosaytothecontrary.ItisaseasyforGodtomakeawomanthatwayastomakeAdamfromtheearthortheearthfromnothing.
Sciencehasnothingverydefinitetosayonthesubject,andinanycase,theageofthehumanracecannotbecalculatedfromtheBible.IcertainlybelievetheBibleaccountinitsownpropersense.Asfarasthataccountisconcerned,mancouldhavebeenontheearthahundredthousandyears.Noonecansaywithcertaintyexactlyhowlong.
TheimmortalityofthesoulwaswellknowntotheJews.TheSadduceeswereasmallminoritywhowereremarkableamongtheJewspreciselybecausetheydeniedit.ThemajorityoftheJews,therefore,heldit.TheywerewellawareoftheapparitionofthesoulofSamueltoSaulinI.Sam.(Kgs.),XXVIIL,15.OurLordquotedthePentateuchagainsttheSadducees,provingimmortalityfromExod.III.,6."IamtheGodofAbraham,andtheGodofIsaac,andtheGodofJacob."AndHesaid,"HeisnottheGodofthedead,butoftheliving."Inotherwords,Heis,notwas,theirGod.
Theversemeansthatnomancanavoiddeathandfreehissoulfromthenecessityofbeingseparatedfromthebody.
Thoselastwordsobviouslyshowthatitisuselesstodependuponarewardasfarasrecognitionbyfellowmenisconcerned.Thewriterisspeakingfromthepointofviewofpeoplestilllivinginthisworld.Toallpracticalpurposesasfarasthisworldisconcernedthedeadareremovedfromthisworldandknownotanythingasfarastheevidenceofourownsensesgoes.Butthatthesoulhaspassedbeyondtheconditionsoflifeasweknowthemdoesnotprovethatthesoulsofthedepartedarenotquiteconsciousinotherconditions.InI.Pet.III.,19,wearetoldthatChristpreachedtothesoulsofthedeparted.SuchaproceedingimpliesthattheywereconsciousofHisdoctrine.
HemeansthatthroughChristalonecanmanattaintoeverlastinghappiness.Thatheintends,notimmortalityassuch,butahappyimmortalityisclearfromhisimmediateadditionofthewords,"dwellinginthelight,"asopposedtotheunendingdarknessofeternalmisery.
Itdoesnot.Itreferstotheresurrectionofthebody.Iftheindividualsoulceasestoexist,therecouldbenoresurrectionofthesamepersonality.Thematerialbodycouldberecalled,butanothersoulwouldhavetobecreated.Thiswouldmeantwosuccessivepersonalities,ofwhichthesecondwouldnotbethefirst.Denytheimmortalityofthesoul,andyoudenyanypossibilitythatyouyourselfwillriseagain.
Itwouldbestillmorecomfortingtothinkthattheydidnotpersistinsin.Howevercomfortordiscomforthaslittletodowithit.Thereareathousandthingswewouldliketobetrue,butthatdoesnotmakethemtrue.