The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-11-27
POPULAR APoLoeETIcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.
XIV. Spontaneous Generation-at
Least a Hypothesis.


Least Hypothesis.
Objection: If spontaneous genera
ton is not proved, can at least ac-
cept it as hypothesis (supposition,
theory assumed for the purpose of ar
gument, or to account for unknown
facts); then need no God to explain
the world. BY accident the right par
ticles of matter could have come to-
gether and so in some way life could
have begun and then gradually devel-
oped itself.
Answer: That is impossible. Life
less matter like granite, gravel, oxy-
gen, nitrogen, ETC., has no life, not
even the beginning of it, hence it can
not give life. No one can draw money
out of his pocket if there is none in it;
no one can give what he does not pos
Sess.
Animate Qiving) matter is not only
outwardly and accidentally but in
wardly and essentially different from
lifeless matter, as Father Ludwig
Dressed, S. j., clearly proves in his
work: Der belebte und unbelebte
Stoff" (Animate and Inanimate Mat
teri, Q8S3). (See also the excellent
work of the non-Catholic botanist Jo-
names Reinke, Die Welt ais Tat (The
World as Fact) (4th ed. 1905).
Animate and inanimate matter are
in their innermost Interchangeable ma
ture differently disposed and tend in
contrary directions. The view that
animate matter is development of
the inorganic is contrary to nature
and sound reason. Compare Dres-
sells work for the difference between
the so-calIed growth of crystals and
the growth of plants. Very clearly
also Reinke 1 C. p. 319-346).
In the plant and animal kindoms we
have essentially higher phenomena
than i'll the inorganic world. But the
effect can not be greater than the
cause. Therefore inorganic matter
did not and could not effect these
higher phenomena.
A cab has no motion of itself. If
we put a hundred cabs into pile in
the most favorable circumstances,
that pile of cabs will not get motion
or life. Much less will these cabs
ever produce young cab; if you put
ten thousand of them into the latest
mud of the bottom of the sea and
in the ultraviolet rays of the sun, not
even a bud of a cab will they ever
produce. Now instead of cabs take
molecules or atoms without life and
without motion coming from within,
and you have the same monstrous as
sertion that by their mere combina-
ton life can begin. and sbe pFePagated.
Give me young cab produced by
an old one and shall drive it through
the world and cry: There is no
God!" But till you can do that or
something similar, Creator is neces.
sary to explain the origin of life (Cf
Pesch, Weltraetsel (World-Riddles)
II p. 147).
Natural scienCes-that is the irony
of fate-will force the infdel scien.
lists to confess openly: eve want
no God" The existence of plant and
animal life is a grand proof for the
existence of God. Natural sciences
will, after hard struggle, arrive at
their appointed end and ain-to be
lead rs to God.
1t is just the scientist who at every
turn comes upon the footprints of God
in Nature, and it is his task in his
way to sing the praises of the Creator
as does the botanist Johannes Reinke
when he says: THE knowledge OF
nature leads unavoidably to the idea
of God; according to the laws of caus.
atty (cause and effect, we are, &C,
cording to my opinion, just as certain
of the existence of God as we are OF
the existence of Nature" O.. c. D.
457l. Therefore the answer to the
question: Whence is life? is not spon.
taneous generation but God the Crea.
tor. Hence Reinke concludes: "Spon-
taneouS generation is lost beyond
hope" e.. G. p. 315).
(Real also in the Catholic Encyclo.
pedia the articles "Biogenesis," Biol.
ogy," Life" where you will find addi,
tional literatureO