Creation Rediscovered by Gerard J. Keane
In a word, empirical science has as its object the study of the natural operations of creatures, not the creative or miraculous operations of God, which these processes either presuppose for their existence and operation or which transcend these operations.
Dispassionately viewed, the current debate shows that neither the origin of the world in general nor of man in particular is primarily a question of empirical science. It is being decided, one way or the other, on theological-historical premises. Hence the prior truth of such premises is crucial to the entire debate. This is because both origins primarily involve creative and/or miraculous actions possible only to the Creator. It is not right - indeed, it is tragically wrong - to conceive of the origin of the world and of man as a scientific experiment and so something to be known per se primo [in the first place] "scientifically." Rather, the origin of the Universe, the origin of Adam and Eve, and the origin of every human person at conception is a wonderful, "miraculous," historic event, carefully planned and stupendously executed by the Creator (and in the case of Adam's children, with the procreator parents).
Now the term "Evolution" is commonly employed to designate certain explanations of the question of Origins on scientific grounds. Such an approach, because it attempts to explain scientifically the theological and miraculous, inevitably leads to conflict with traditional belief, leaving only the options of rejecting Evolution as false or of reinterpreting fundamental points of dogma so as to introduce a radically new system of belief.
More closely examined, the initial impression that Evolution Theory in some form might be supportive of traditional Christian teleology is revealed as misleading. For Evolution as the explanation of Origins prioritizes change as the basis of existence; whereas genuine teleology prioritizes the unchanging. Before any process can be posited, either as the principle or instrumental cause of existence, there stands the necessary being of the Creator, and those unique acts of production known as Creation and as miracle, which do not fall within the scope of science to explain.
This being so, it will be helpful, while pondering Mr. Keane's study, to keep in mind some basic truths of Catholic doctrine about Origins drawn from dogmatic theology and Christian metaphysics, prior to and transcending empirical science of any kind. Far from being an obstacle to "progress," these truths or dogmas will assist immeasurably to appreciate the real contribution of empirical science to understanding the truth about our origins.
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