Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Then, the rest of the chapter outlines exactly how He created it.
Some Christians use this passage as strong evidence against evolution. They say the Bible clearly states that God created everything Himself; it didn’t get magically come into existence.
Yet, other Christians see no problem with the theory of evolution at all.
Recently, on a popular social platform, someone asked the Catholics to weigh in: “Do you believe in evolution?”
And thankfully, these Christians weren’t nearly as anti-science as you might think.
1. No: God Created Adam and Eve
A few Catholics are strongly against the theory of evolution, claiming that it goes against the belief that God created Adam and Eve Himself.
One person responded, “How is it possible to believe in evolution and Adam & Eve?”
Another person commented, “I believe God created man, Adam, the first one of our race.”
This isn’t what most Catholics believe, however.
2. Yes: It Makes Sense
Since the Bible does not give us detailed instructions for how God created the universe (and the information we are given could easily be interpreted a number of ways), some simply go by their common sense.
Yes, God could have used evolution as He created the world. His methods don’t subtract from the fact that He was still the creator.
One person responded, “Yes. God made those rules, after all. Makes sense that things would unfold as they did.”
3. Yes: It Shows the Power of God
Some believe that evolution doesn’t take away from God’s power — it actually shows just how majestic God is.
The world didn’t magically come to be on its own. Even if God used evolution to create everything, He was the one who set everything into motion exactly the way it needed to be for the beautiful diversity we have today.
Someone said,
“Yes, and further, I agree with Cardinal Newman who remarked, when it was a new idea, that as a man who sends all the billiard balls to their pockets with the breaking strike vs one who shoots each one individually, evolution more magnificently shows forth the power and wisdom of God than several direct acts of special creation for each species of creature. (And likewise with his remark that it is not at all clear what is less dignified about being created from a monkey than being created from the slime of the earth as in a very literal reading of Genesis.)”
4. Yes: The Science is Sound
Others base their belief in evolution on the science.
Not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally (although many things are).
It’s possible that the original writer only gave us a simplified, summarized version rather than sharing all of the many details they wouldn’t have known or understood at this point.
A person commented, “Yup. The science is sound on the matter and the conclusion makes sense based on available information. Should new information challenge this, then it would be necessary to reassess. I’m not inclined to interpret Genesis literally, it’s poetry.”
Another person said, “Yes, the scientific consensus says so. Personally, I find it very compatible with Aquinas First, Fifth, and Second Way (to various degrees).”
5. Yes: It is Taught in the Catholic Schools
Another person shared how they are not alone in their belief on evolution.
While not all Christians believe the Earth came to be in this way, many Christians do.
Apparently, it is even taught in many religious elementary schools.
One person shared, “Yes, and it’s taught in Catholic schools.”
6. Maybe: Belief Needs to be that Life Was Designed by God
Others are fine with the scientific theory of evolution, but only if it isn’t used to remove God from the picture.
They believe that God used evolution as a tool, but He was still the creator — not that everything magically happened to come into existence all on its own.
A person said, “For the most part, yes. As long as you believe life was guided and designed by God, I think it’s fine.”
7. Yes: It Complements Science
Others shared how cool it is when faith and science come together to help each other explain how the universe came to be (and still functions today). The two aren’t mutually exclusive. They complement each other!
Someone said, “Totally! I love how science and religion complement each other.”
Someone else said, “Yes, and I believe that science and religion don’t exclude each other, but rather work together.”
8. Yes: We See Evidence of It
Others point out how we can actually see small-scale evolution happening today, right in front of our eyes.
One person commented,
“We are seeing evolution happen in person. Though maybe not on a large scale like in animals, but certainly in bacteria and viruses. The influenza and COVID viruses evolves every year, it’s why we need new vaccines. Same for the reason why we need to develop new antibiotics, as bacteria have evolved antibiotic resistance.”
9. Unsure: We See How Both Sides Could Be Right
While some Christians have strong opinions for or against evolution, others aren’t sure what to believe either way.
One person said,
“I guess this is a minority opinion but I’ve read scientific studies and books from both sides that I think make sense. I really can’t come to a conclusion on which I think is right. I don’t think we can fully know because we weren’t around at that time. Honestly it doesn’t matter though. Scripture is consistent either way.”
Another person agreed, saying,
“I think that you could go either way, and that neither is contradictory to Scripture. Personally, I don’t believe in macroevolution, and I haven’t seen convincing arguments to support it. We can observe microevolution, but even if the claim that macro takes a long time to observe, every day is a million years from point in the past and there should be more evidence.”
10. No: It Has Massive Flaws
On the other hand, some Christians are still incredibly skeptical, as evolution (as a whole) is a very difficult theory to prove.
Someone shared,
“The problem is that evolution is such a vague term in itself. I absolutely doubt that apes and humans have same distant relatives. There is no definite proof for it, and ‘classical’ Darwinian Evolutionary theory has massive flaws.”
11. No: We Do Not Have a Universal Common Ancestor
Others shared how they believe in some parts of evolution but not others.
While most people believe that some evolution (adaptation) does certainly happen on a small scale, many Christians refuse to believe that we all have one common ancestor or even that one species can morph into another.
One person said,
“So many say yes, let me break the mold and say no. I believe in adaptation of course, but not this idea that one species can change into another, either gradually or instantaneously, and I reject the idea we all have a universal common ancestor. This is science fiction not science.”
12. Yes: It Brought Me Back to Faith
A few commenters shared how the theory of evolution actually helped them embrace the Catholic faith.
Faith and science are not at odds with each other. They are two different approaches that seek to explain how the world works and how it came to be.
One person shared, “Not only do I believe in evolution, but evolution helped me come back to the faith.”
Another person agreed, saying, “It helped me come into the Catholic Church after a lifetime of young earth evangelicalism. I think evolution is like exploring the creative hand of God.”
15 Important Issues Catholics and Protestants Can’t Seem to Agree On
Have you ever wondered what Catholics or Protestants really believe?
Maybe you were taught that the “other side” is completely wrong, misguided, and sinful, but you’re not sure why (or if that’s even accurate).
As someone who grew up in a very Protestant home and culture (my grandpa was a pastor) before marrying into a very Catholic family (we attend mass every week), I’ve had a front row seat to see how these two major branches of Christianity compare.
In many ways, Catholics and Protestants really aren’t that different.
And, interestingly enough, some of the biggest differences between Catholic and Protestant Churches aren’t limited only to differences in belief. There are some pretty big cultural differences as well.
So, at the risk of oversimplifying (obviously, every individual church is different), here are the biggest differences between Catholic vs. Protestant worship and belief.
15 Important Issues Catholics and Protestants Can’t Seem to Agree On
14 “Biblical” Details You Won’t Find Anywhere in the Bible
The Bible may be the bestselling book of all time and translated into almost every language known to man, but that doesn’t stop many misconceptions from springing up.
Biblical myths can take hold in our understanding of what the Bible says and misinform how we view Scripture.
From the Trinity to Jonah and the whale to Eve and the apple, here are 14 commonly accepted and widely repeated biblical “facts” you won’t find anywhere in the Bible.
14 “Biblical” Details You Won’t Find Anywhere in the Bible
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
