Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-10-28
ton to bodies moving through it, and
is not subject to the law of gravita.

|
is not subject to the law of gravita.
ton"
Ether is also determined not matter
since it possesses the quality of non
obstructability, completely permeat-
ing everything, everywhere
So we are forced to the conclusion
that, since there is "non-atomic ana
structureless "-therefore non-varia.
BILE or unchangeable-itd does not come
under the domain of scientific evolu-
ton, and moreover, evolution is a nat
ural law in the realm of organic
structure and life.
Ii such be the case it's relation to
Theism will be obvious. If develop
ment, or the need of it, be observed
IN nature, then it is at once reasona-
BILE to infer that nature is not a fin
ished product" and that larger pow,
ers evolve from it's continuous prog
ress.'" Each advance position in this
progress of evolution evinces "a pow
er above and beyond nature" And
yet there is in nature the basic law
OF evolution upon which the scientif-
ic theory is founded.
1t becomes a splendid piece of in
formation to know that scientific evo-
luton authorizes us to interpret the
past history of the universe so as ra-
tionally to explain nature and life
with due respect to the Creator.
While personality is above nature,
yet it, as we'll as nature, may bear
some relation to this new universal
law of race ascension. The focus OF
eternal truth and human veracity up
on the evolution hypothesis is posi-
lively Transforming it into a
scientific fact. So that over against
all opposition, the doctrine of evolu-
ton, by it's progress and reconstruc-
ton, has become "a definite part of
human knowledge" OF course there
can be no doubt that there are "ques.
tons evolution does not answer" But
these have their solution under some
other law, natural or supernatural
or BOTH
In the realm of ethics cannot
agree with Prof. Rishell of Boston
University when he says: Another
difficulty with the evolutionary ethics
whether egoistic or altruistic or mon
istic. is that it degrades morality to a
means instead of setting it up as a
goal" For the vital relation between
a natural law and the supernatural
must be harmony. And ethical evolu-
ton is probably correct in placing
morality as a means rather than set
ting 1T up as a goal or end. Morality
is not an end in itself. 1t may be the
result of various spiritual causes but
it is not the ultimate end because it il,
the means whereby the individual and
the race reach higher spiritual devel-
opment and ethical culture.
Today we have very complex evo-
luton out of few simple forms. In
deed we even now frequently speak
OF Industrial and social evolution, and
recently it has been applied to the in.
creasing individual personality.
Therefore we may conclude this
section by stating that such a law, as
evolution is "a natural law affecting
the general organic life of the uni
verse, including the religious and the
intellectual, but having a supernatu-
raj God behind it.
The Relation of Theism to Evolution
| If God be absolutely everywhere in
the universe. He must be the i'm.
manent God, an intelligent, conscious
absolute Power. Such a Power, us.
ing the limitless ether as the vehiclt
of its expression, is the conscious di
rector of every law, including that OF
evolution. 1t is not all necessary tc
surrender the immediacy and instan-
taniety of the creative acts of God in
order to accept the theory of evoltl-
ton. 1t may modify evolution. But
evolution needs modifying, and modi-
fication may mean clearness and com.
prehension; both necessary to evolu.
tionary utility. Then, it can be recog-
nized "as the act of all-adaptive
mind" This gives us the forceful re.
suit as stated by Prof. Owen, thai
''the succession of species by continu.
ously operating law is not necessar
lily blind operation Such law,
however discerned in the properties
of natural objects, intimates, never
theless. preconceived progress. Or.
ganisms may be evolved in orderly
manner, stage after stage, towards 8
foreseen goal, and the broad feature:
of the conese may still show the un.