The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-03-18
and The
SUPERNATURAL
Why APPARENTLY IN CONFLICT?
The Prejudices and Assumptions Of
So-CaIIed Science Discard the Su-
pernatural, Says Rev. +. c.
Cremin of St. Paul Sem
mary.

Few who regard the signs of the
times can deny that between science
and religious belief, there exists
widespread opposition. In consider
ing this opposition it is we'll at the
outset to try to discover the root and
source of this hostility. For reconcile
alton of the contending parties to any
controversy a mutual understanding of
the exact point in dispute is matter
of the first Importance. Well has
somebody said that nine-tenths of the
contentious and enmities that set man
over against his fellowman and sever
the sacred bonds of friendship arise,
not from human perversity or innate
malice, but from misapprehension
We may safely assume, then, the sin
cerity of the unbelieving scientist who
dismisses as unworthy of considera-
ton the cherished creed of the Chris
tian. He rejects it not because of ill
will towards the devout believer, who
must feel exceedingly grieved when
he sees this priceless treasure of
Faith repudiated by one who should
know better, and who because of his
eminence as scientist must serve as
stumbling block and a rock of scan
dal to many less well-informed. Nor
does he reject it because of his hatred
of truth which, to the lover Of
science, is welcome, and to be en-
braced in whatever garb it presents
itself. Why, then, does the scientist
regard as beneath notice the argu-
ments in favor of Divine Revelation
which, to the millions who in all the
ages fof Christianity have, by
force of these arguments been
led into the Faith, are over
whelmingly convincing? The rea-
son is not on the surface. 1t goes
down deep into the scientific nature.
1t is due to prejudice to the growth
of which many causes historical and
environmental have conspired-a pref
udice bred in the bone of a certain
class of scientists to dispel which
would require broader grasp of real
ity and a deeper and more philosophic
view of the universe than fall to the
lot of the usual physical scientist
This scientific prejudice we shall
briefly examine.
The supernatural is favored by his
torical evidence of nature and ex-
tent greater than can be furnished in
proof of any other event in the course
of human existence. These events no
man of sane reason dreams of calling
in question. For example, the exist
ence and careers of such personages as
Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar,
Napoleon Bonaparte, Daniel O'Connen
and George Washington are never
doubted. Why, then, hesitate about
the facts of the life of the most con-
spicuous and remarkable parsonage of
all time-towards whom the eyes of
enlightened humanity have ever
turned, either in longing expectation
or in grateful and loving memory?
Meteor-like those other heroes blazed
across the horizon and suddenly van
1 ished, while Christ, the Light of the
World ever lives to illumine our dark
in the achievement of higher and
holier things. His advent the Pro-
phets of old foresaw and predicted,
His arrival and presence all nature
proclaimed, His glorious ministry, and
miraculous works eye witnesses and
contemporaries have recorded, while
daily ever since His leavening Gospel
Savior has created and lived in the
supernatural life of His Church-the
marvellous witness and standing mira
Gle to His Truth. How in the face Of
such overpowering testimony can any
one deny Christ and the supernatural,
of which He is the embodiment, least
of all those votaries of science who
loudly profess their sole desire is to
discover the truth, and nothing but
the truth?
The explanation is this, and this
alone can give even the semblance of
reason to their attitude They ap-
proach the study of Christ and Chris
tianity blindfolded by an invincible
prejudice in regard to the miraculous
and the supernatural They reason
after this fashion: Miracles are i'm
possible. They cannot happen because
the laws of nature are constant and
limmutable. All experience proclaims
this truth, and to depart therefrom is
to admit that natures course might
have been changed in the past, or may
be changed in the future This is to
overthrow the whole fabric of science,
and to destroy scientific certainty,
which is based on the uniformity of