The Catholic bulletin., 1915-11-06
POPULAR APoLoeETlcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.
Xxx. The Existence of God Can Not
Be Proved.


but to prove it scientifically, that is,
with convincing arguments founded
on reason, is impossible.
Answer: 1t is not impossible to
prove scientifically the existence OF
God if one wants to use sound reason.
A good number of thoroughly devel-
oped proofs for the existence of God
is found in the works of Catholic apol-
ogists, list of which see above No.
XIV; see also the article God in
the Catholic Encyclopedia. | will
sketch only one of these proofs.
D The world exists and hence
there must be reason (cause) for
it's existence. But this reason can
not be in the world itself, in its es-
sence (the essence of a thing is
that which makes it to be what it is,
therefore the very being OF thing),
for the world is changeable, and there
fore it's existence is not an intrinsic
necessity; existence does not belong
TO its very nature. Hence the reason
for the existence of the world must be
i'm another being, and finally in such a
one that exists by intrinsic necessity.
This Being we call God. This is the
so-called genealogical proof for the
existence of God.
This proof may be put into another
form Not all possible things exist:
not all roses, birds, horses, men, stars;
there are still more different things
(that have never existed and never
will EXIST, possible in this world,
more and different atoms and mole
cules, than really exist. Who deter
mined just this definite number and
kind of things when an indefinite num-
Der of other things was still possible?
There must be reason for this But
this reason can not possibly be in the
things themselves as a part OF their
very essence. For example, the es-
sence of roses is the same in all pos
sible roses; the essence of birds,
horses is the same in all possible
birds and horses. But if the reason
of existence would be the essence OF
the existing roses, birds and horses,
then evidently all possible roses, birds
and horses would have to exist, be-
cause the essence is the same in all.
But this is evidently false. Hence the
reason for the existence of this def
mite number of things can not be a
part of their very. essence 4. n.
Now since the reason for the exist
ence of things is not in them, it must
be outside of them. There must,
therefore be outside the things of this
world an effective cause which deter
mines from the infinite number of pos
sible things which are to exist and
which not.
This extramundane (existing out
side and hence independently of the
world) cause. choosing freely, must be
intelligent; for a free choice without
intelligence is impossible; this cause,
furthermore, possesses the power of
creation, for it determines between
the existence and noH-eXistence of
things. This extramundane, intelli-
gent, creating cause, we call God.
(2). We can use the same proof
for part of the world, for example,
for the living beings. We first verify
the fact and then draw from it a logi-
cal conclusion.
(a). The Fact. In the living world
we see number of descents: the ap-
pie tree descends from the apple seed,
that in turn from another apple tree,
etc; the bird comes from the egg,
the egg again from another bird, etc.;
man descends from his parents, these
again from their parents, etc.
But this series of living beings must
have had beginning; for if there
never would have been a first, there
never would have been a second, thigd,
etc. Furthermore, it is the teaching
of modern science, that life in any
and all forms could not have existed
in the very high temperature in which
all matter was in former ages. Life,
therefore, did not always exist (even
if we could grant the eternal existence
of matter); it had beginning. That
is the Fact
(b). Now reason asks: Whence is
life? There must be a reason for its
fools. This reason (cause) could be
either in the living beings themselves
or outside of them. But the reason
for their existence can not be in the
living beings, that is, they can not
have produced themselves; for a thing
that does not exist, evidently cannot
produce itself Hence, the reason
for the existence of living beings must
be outside of them. This is an abso
lutte demand of sound logic.
But what is this reason (cause)
outside the living beings? 1t is either
the world existing before living be
: ings existed, that is the lifeless world
or it is being outside the world
There is no other alternative. But II
is against reason that a lifeless being
should produce living being-for one
can not give what he does not pos
sess, and it is against the expert
ence of modern science, of which ques
tion we will treat in the near future
Hence, it follows with logical neces
sity that there must be cause out
side this world to which living beings
owe their existence. This extramun
dane being, creating life, and hence
possessing life, creating (out of moth
ing) spiritual beings, like our soul
and which is also a spirit and has
creative powers-this Being we cal