The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-01-16

Judge Goodwin. in his Weekly, writing OF the
Chicago horror, says it 'reads as though the hane
of Fate was in it, He deduces this conclusion be-
cause "every care was taken in the plan and con-
struction of the theatre" Hence what did happen
was to happen We hardly believe Judge Good
win meant to go so far. His ausion to the hand
of Fate, in all likelihood was written to adorn a
sentence.
Those Tho put faith in the idea, theory, philoso-
ply or whatever head it may come under, that
what is to be, will be, set down as fatallsts
Many times they named such by writers who
do not distinguish between fate and faith. For ex-
ample Mohammedans are often called fatalists,
whereas the reverse is true. The fatalist belief in
what is to be, will be, makes irresponsible
agent. He shifts the credit or blame for his con-
duct upon the Creator. This being it is argued
that fatasm begets recklessness of life, and that
recklessness of life, indifference to bodily harm,
are the factors which go to make courage. There
fore fataists are the bravest, most impetuous and
daring soldiers in battle.
The soundness of this argument, statement,
is not established by such plausible conclusion
Military authorities agree that the Turk is the erc
est fighter in Europe, and in the same breath
plain that this is so because he is Mohammeda,
and a fatalist. The Turk is not fatalist Speak
ing of faith in the abstract, many affirm that this
attribute of man beats stronger in the breast OF
the Turk than it does in the soul of the Christian
the Christian saint and martyr excepted. With the
Turk faith is fanaticism. To kill an enemy, if that
enemy be Christian, is to him a command from
God. If, in the attempt to kill the Christian the
Turk is slain upon the field of battle his spirit
assumes bodily form in the Mohammedan paradise
and he enjoys all the carnal pleasures of the flesh
and delights of the senses. His religion, based upon
the carnal is fulfilled. This is the faith which
makes the Turk such spectacular fighter.
A writer in Everybody's Magazine, discussing
the merits of the japanese and the Russian sol
der Surprises us with the statement that both are
fatalists Inasnueh as fatalism is against all
Christian theology the authors statement is not
easily reconciled to the orthodoxy of the Greek
church, to which the Russian belongs. To sustain
his statement the writer explains that the Russian
soldier 'has no care whatever for himself. By
nature he is a fighting animal and he enjoys the
struggle. If it is his time to lose his life he will
lose it. and there is little use of trying to It,
He might as well go to one place another and
it makes no difference whether he goes into fight
or keeps out of it."
We fail to see where the magazine writer sus
tains his allegation in the above quotation Rather
does he make it clear that the Russian soldiers
duct is entirely in harmony with the instincts and
environments of military life. He fights as
Christian soldier should fight, and falls as Christ
ian soldier falls in the line of duty. This is
not fatasm What the magazine writer says about
the japanese soldier, who is either Buddhist
Confucanist, is more to the point, yet not suff
cent to justify the allegation of fatalism.
AS between the adherents of Christian faith and
those who are called fatalists, history sheds
light upon the prowess of both upon the battlefield
The battle of Lepanto between the Christians and
Turks, the overwhelming victory of John Sobieski
Soliman at Vienna, disprove the pagan idea of
the potency of fatalism in sanguinary encounter.
Not only disprove the pagan idea but establish the
fact that soldier fortified by the sacraments of
the church fears nothing in front of him. The
charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava will be
told in song long as language lasts; the charge
of the Scotch Highlanders against the fanatical
dervishes in the Soudan marks the brightest page of
British history; the battle of Franklin and Antie
tam furnished magnificent examples of American
courage and intrepid bravery. Who is it will say
that these battles were Iougt ana won Dy 1atall5tS
Who is it will say the fatalst surpasses the
Christian soldier in courage.
Really, is it not silly to speak of fate? Do we
mean what we say when we call man fatal
i2t?
At the time of the Fenian INVASION young man
named Sullivan, who lived in Buffalo, crossed the
Niagara river with the little army of Irish. Sui
Ivan intensely patriotic and intensely religious
He had faith which would move mountains. Be
fore crossing the river he received the sacrament
of the Eucharist. While the battle of Ridgeway was
on Sullivan was observed to be away in the front,
loading and firing his rifle as cody as though he
were making barrel in the cooper shop at Buffalo.
When it was all over fellow Fenian asked Sulli-
van if he did not fear death in his exposed posi-
ton at the front. Not bit of it." replied Sulli
van. "Those fellows could not hit me with their
bullets You see, wear the scapular!"
This is an example of Catholic faith running
to extremes, made glorious the field of battle.
But there literary men who would call Sullivan
a fatalist.