Some Catholic views on evolution can be found in the New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia e.g. here and here , the second being a longer essay on the limits of Evolution as a scientific theory with a summary (“General Conclusions”) of Catholic views at the end.

The first article appears to suggest support for localised evolution, but not the wider evolution suggested by Darwin – a view comparable to the “macro- vs. micro-evolution” divide today – and tries to suggest that Darwin’s views were compatible with this:

Upon comparing the scientific proofs for the probability of the theory of evolution, we find that they grow the more numerous and weighty, the smaller the circle of forms under consideration, but become weaker and weaker, if we include a greater number of forms, such as are comprised in a class or in a sub-kingdom. There is, in fact, no evidence whatever for the common genetic descent of all plants and animals from a single primitive organism.

The second article must be by a different author, one who is aware of what Darwin was suggesting in The Descent of Man. Both appear to be quite old (though undated), and contain no references to DNA at all, never mind the evidence it presents for our common ancestry. In both, as you might expect, there is “human exceptionalism”, the assertion that “people are different” and that evolution doesn’t really apply to us, does it?

Posted: December 21st 2010

See all questions answered by brian thomson

They’re out there all right. Rather than looking specifically for condemnations, look for religious views on evolution and you’ll find the full range.

From a council of German Catholic bishops in 1860:

Our first parents were formed immediately by God. Therefore we declare that the opinion of those who do not fear to assert that this human being, man as regards his body, emerged finally from the spontaneous continuous change of imperfect nature to the more perfect, is clearly opposed to Sacred Scripture and to the Faith.

The Vatican didn’t respond to this, thus agreeing implicitly. It’s been working its way towards accommodationism ever since. This is therefore the strongest Catholic denouncement of evolution there may ever be.

Here’s one more. The Mormon church made the following pronouncement in 1909, while Joseph Smith was still alive:

All [men] who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner. It is held by some that Adam was not the first man upon this earth, and that the original human being was a development from lower orders of the animal creation. These, however, are the theories of men. The word of the Lord declares that Adam was 'the first man of all men’ (Moses 1:34), and we are therefore in duty bound to regard him as the primal parent of the race…all men were created in the beginning after the image of God; and whether we take this to mean the spirit or the body, or both, it commits us to the same conclusion: Man began life as a human being, in the likeness of our heavenly Father. True it is that the body of man enters upon its career as a tiny germ or embryo, which becomes an infant, quickened at a certain stage by the spirit whose tabernacle it is, and the child, after being born, develops into a man. There is nothing in this, however, to indicate that the original man the first of our race, began life as anything less than a man, or less than the human germ or embryo that becomes a man.

It’s not a condemnation, exactly, but it does say man didn’t evolve from something else. The general pattern is that the religious object to evolution most strongly as it applies to humans.

Posted: December 21st 2010

See all questions answered by SmartLX

When Darwin published his work there was heated debate about the veracity of evolution by both scientists and religious leaders. Eventually, evolution came to be accepted to be true by most scientists and many religious believers.

Refer here for an historical overview of objections to evolution.

As for pinpointing/locating the exact words of specific objecting religious leaders/churches when the scientific theory of evolution was first published, ask the reference librarian at your public library or call/ email/text the reference desk at the NYC public library.

Posted: December 16th 2010

See all questions answered by logicel