Doubt in the Old Testament as a Catholic (By Jack McGuane)

I have always had a complex relationship with the Bible. It is the book of Catholicism, the book I try to turn to, and the book in which the Gospel, hymns, and readings that constitute weekly Mass reside. However, I do not believe in everything written in the Bible. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, born to the Virgin Mary and Joseph. I also believe in the stories of his life, his miracles, his leadership, his crucifixion, and his resurrection – in short, I am a believer in the New Testament. However, I find it difficult to fully accept the Old Testament, which also constitutes the Torah in Judaism. This statement is not intended to be anti-Semitic; rather, it reflects my personal struggle to find as much truth in the Old Testament as I do in the New Testament.

I trust that Jesus fed an enormous crowd with just a few baskets of fish and bread. I trust that Jesus turned vats of water into sweet wine. I trust that, as the Catholic Nicene Creed reads:

"Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end."

These are facts of life for me. From my Catholic perspective, all of this is true.

However, I do not believe that all of humanity descended from two people, Adam and Eve. I do not see that as scientifically possible. Although I am Catholic, I still believe in science, but not as the only answer to the mysteries of the universe; I think that God created the system in which science operates. Is that anti-Catholic? Is it anti-Catholic of me to believe more in the New Testament than in the Torah? I think that not believing in a few stories of the Bible is anti-Catholic, but I do not think that it makes one non-Catholic. Can you believe that a sports team will win if you do not think one of their players is talented? Absolutely. Therefore, I think that I can be a Catholic who does not fully agree with everything stated in the Bible. I am still trying to believe in the entirety of the Bible, but for now, as long as I maintain my faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity, my doubts in faith are far less important than my beliefs in faith.