Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-15
THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE.

There Is controversy between the
eminent scientist George Mivart and
the Roman church Of Great Britain,
watch is OF interest as showing the
position OF great religious body to-
wards the alleged conflict between faith
and science
DR.. Mlyart seems to have asserted
that the Views Of the Roman Catho-
lie layman are changing, and that the
tendency IS to exercise severely criti-
cal judgment on the expeditions Of the
clergy. His idea Is to reconcile the
church and the advanced sciences, and
In the furtherance Of this thought. he
seems TO have gone so far that the
church excluded him from the privilege
OF partaking Of the sacrament.
The position Of the Roman church is
thus explained by a Catholic Journal,
copied by the Boston Transcript
"The Catholic church believes that
the power OF guarding the doctrines OF
faith involves the power of anlmadvert-
Ing on the conclusions Of scientific In
vestigators when such conclusions
touch on faiths domain. Though ma
ton does not own the waters Of the
sea or the vessels Of foreign power,
still she exercises control over such
vessels as soon as they come into the
waters that he around her shores. The
government OF the United states does
MOI own an inch Of territory In Vene-
2uela, and yet 1t will not allow any
other nation 10 take section Of that
republic In like manner the church
does not interfere with scientists til
they begin 20 push their conclusions in
to her territory. II Is only when they
menace the inheritance OF faith that
has been placed In her charge that she
bids them withdraw. In the exercise
Of this authority she az times uses her
infalllbiity. At times she does not. She
did not use II In the case Of Calico
nor did she use Il when she put some
Of DR. Mlyart's theological articles on
the Index. We should indeed feel SYM
PATTY for the distinguished scientist n
some Of his scientific writings had been
condemned. But u Is hard 10 feel SYM
patty for a scientist whose theological
investigations have been ceusured by
board Of trained theologians."
This, Of course, is the position the Ro-
man church has always maintained.
How such distinction between theol-
ogy and science can be drawn, except In
matters that depend entirely on direct
revelation, Is not easily comprehended.
Theology ITSELF Is science, closely re-
lated to other sciences and drawing In
formation, In fact from every science.
Theology. like philosophy, aims at
ascertalHng the whole trsth regarding
God, man and the universe, and there
can be no discrepancy between true
theology and true philosophy unless a
truth can sometimes be falsehood,
and faisehood sometimes true. Scien-
fists need the conservative Influence
OF theology not 10 be carried away
with their fancy at every little step
forward on their exceedingly difficult
path, and theologlans certainly need
the light OF science In order TO solve
at times the mysteries Of the Scriptures,
which often remain unlnteliglble, until
some new fact In geology. archaeology,
or history, is discovered. And so far,
true science has but aided true the
ology The two should never be at
variance One OF the strong points Of
"Mormonlsm" is this, that II recognizes
truth. no matter from what source IL
comes This indicates its divine orr
gin