---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes people ask me how I can be both…"
description: "\"“Sometimes people ask me how I can be both a Catholic and a scientist, particularly a scientist who, at least for some research, studies evolution. I t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes people ask me how I can be both a Catholic and a…

![“Sometimes people ask me how I can be both a Catholic and a scientist, particularly a scientist who, at least for some research, studies evolution. I tell them that they are confusing us with Evangelicals. Catholics don't have anything against evolution. A literal interpretation of the Bible, the…” quote by Gina DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg)

> ““Sometimes people ask me how I can be both a Catholic and a scientist, particularly a scientist who, at least for some research, studies evolution. I tell them that they are confusing us with Evangelicals. Catholics don't have anything against evolution. A literal interpretation of the Bible, the kind that says that the earth is six thousand years old, has never been a part of our religion, at least not since the Saint Augustine warned against preaching idiocy to Pagans in 415 AD. He said that if you tell people that they have to believe in things that they know are not true and that do not matter then they will never believe you when you tell them things that are true and that do matter, things about Christ and the resurrection. The Church's friendliness towards science is not to protect science. It is to protect Christianity.””

Gina DeMarco

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Catholics can accept evolution; conflicts arise from literal biblical interpretations, not faith.

**In simple terms:** Faith and science can coexist; literalism causes tension.

Key Takeaway

Separate faith from literal readings.

Themes

faith science interpretation

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

Christianity:1 Science:1 Thousand years:0 Saint Augustine:1 Catholic Scientist:1 Protect Christianity:0 Evangelicals Catholics:0 Confusing Evangelicals:0 Ask Catholic:0

When to use this quote

- education
- religious dialogue
- personal belief systems

Key Concepts

theology evolution historical context

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you reconcile faith with scientific evidence?
- What role should religious leaders play in this dialogue?

A Different Perspective

Some may view this as oversimplifying doctrine.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/)

## Related quotes

> [Is the Church inimical to science? Growing up as a Catholic and a scientist - I don't see it. One truth is revealed truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murray/is-the-church-inimical-to-science-growing-up-as-a-catholic-and-a/)

[Joseph Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murray/)

> [We're going to protect Christianity. We don't have to be politically correct about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-going-to-protect-christianity-we-don-t-have-to-be-politically/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Saint Augustine defined idolatry as worshiping what should be used or using what should be worshiped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-s-smith/saint-augustine-defined-idolatry-as-worshiping-what-should-be-used-or/)

[Colin S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-s-smith/)

> [Saint Augustine! well hast thou said, That of our vices we can frame A ladder, if we will but tread Beneath our feet each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/saint-augustine-well-hast-thou-said-that-of-our-vices-we-can-frame-a/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [“talking about clear minds writing in clear language—the predictions of Saint Augustine, Sir Francis Bacon, Newton, Einstein, the list goes on and on, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/talking-about-clear-minds-writing-in-clear-language-the-predictions/)

[Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/)

> [“The tension between religion and science is an old problem. In the fourth century, Christians and scientists were deadlocked over the matter of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-w-dworkin/the-tension-between-religion-and-science-is-an-old-problem-in-the/)

Ronald W. Dworkin

> [“Sixteen hundred years ago Saint Augustine instructed, basically, Don’t be stupid. “Shall we say, then,” he wrote about Genesis, “there was such a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/sixteen-hundred-years-ago-saint-augustine-instructed-basically-don-t/)

[Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/)

> [“The most glorious triumphs of the Church have been won in times of persecution. The early church was persecuted for about three hundred years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-l-moody/the-most-glorious-triumphs-of-the-church-have-been-won-in-times-of/)

[D.L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-moody/)

> [“And I read something else," Jacob goes on. "There was this discussion of the story of Cain and Abel, from the Bible. After Cain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gidwitz/and-i-read-something-else-jacob-goes-on-there-was-this-discussion-of/)

[Adam Gidwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gidwitz/)

> [“I was angry at myself for my inclination to vice. I longed for the day when a state of frenzy would lead my mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/i-was-angry-at-myself-for-my-inclination-to-vice-i-longed-for-the-day/)

[Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/)

> [“Where the African church failed was in not carrying Christianity beyond the Romanized inhabitants of the cities and the great estates, and not sinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/where-the-african-church-failed-was-in-not-carrying-christianity/)

[Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/)

> [“I have become an enigma to myself. So said Saint Augustine. And herein lies my sickness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-have-become-an-enigma-to-myself-so-said-saint-augustine-and-herein/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [Patience is the companion of wisdom. --Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/patience-is-the-companion-of-wisdom-saint-augustine/)

[Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/)

> [There's a huge amount of work on Adam and Eve, from the ancient world to the present. Saint Augustine was obsessed with them.I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/there-s-a-huge-amount-of-work-on-adam-and-eve-from-the-ancient-world/)

[Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/)

> [“Then he withdrew in silence, but shaking his head as though inwardly exclaiming, “An Unbeliever.” No! low as I have fallen, I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/then-he-withdrew-in-silence-but-shaking-his-head-as-though-inwardly/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

## More Christianity quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/)

[David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/)

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

[Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Sometimes people ask me how I can be both a Catholic and a scientist, particularly a scientist who, at least for some research, studies evolution. I tell them that they are confusing us with Evangelicals. Catholics don't have anything against evolution. A literal interpretation of the Bible, the kind that says that the earth is six thousand years old, has never been a part of our religion, at least not since the Saint Augustine warned against preaching idiocy to Pagans in 415 AD. He said that if you tell people that they have to believe in things that they know are not true and that do not matter then they will never believe you when you tell them things that are true and that do matter, things about Christ and the resurrection. The Church's friendliness towards science is not to protect science. It is to protect Christianity.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gina DeMarco"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-demarco/sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-both-a-catholic-and-a-scientist/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christianity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-demarco/sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-both-a-catholic-and-a-scientist/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/gina-demarco-240040_christianity_sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-bot_2953690.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes people ask me how I can be both a Catholic and a scientist, particularly a scientist who, at least…” — Gina DeMarco",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Gina DeMarco",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-demarco/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Sometimes people ask me how I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-demarco/sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-both-a-catholic-and-a-scientist/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-demarco/sometimes-people-ask-me-how-i-can-be-both-a-catholic-and-a-scientist/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
