The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-11-20
POPULAR APoLoeETIcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
80, James Watcher.
XxIH. Spontaneous Generation Not
To BE Denied BY Religion.

XxlH. Spontaneous Generation Not
: To BE Denied BY Religion.
obiection: Du Bois-Raymond
thinks that the constant interference
with the mechanism of the world on
the part of God would put Him on the
, level with "a clumsy artist who has
constantly to improve his work. He
! says that it becomes creating Omnipo-
tehce at most once to interfere
supernaturally by creating the germs
of life, but so constituted that with
out further help they could develop
into the present organic creation.
(Of this we will treat more fully later
on.) What touching zeal for the
honor of God! of this is conceded,
then the further question is allowed,
whether it would not be more becom-
ing the creating Omnipotence to alb
stain also from this one interference
with constituted (by whom?) laws
and to endow matter right from the
start with such forces that under
proper circumstances on earth or
other heavenly bodies, the germs of
life would have to arise without
further assistance. There is no rea-
son to deny this; but with this is also
conceded that life can arise purely
mechanically" (Ueber die Grenzen
des Naturerlennens. Die sieben
.Weltraetsel. p. SO, TOD
Answer: Slowly, slowly, my dear
professors! Is there really mo reason
to deny this?" | think the reason
is very plain: God, though almighty,
can not create anything contradic-
tory; but lifeless matter which pro-
duces life is contradiction. Hence
to produce life it is not more becom-
ing creating Omnipotence to abstain
from this one interference" on the
contrary, this interference is neces.
sary. Lifeless matter can not be sc
constituted that of itself it can pro
duce life, just as little as corpse
can be so constituted that it could OF
itself become living. Such things are
contradictions, and God can not con
tradict Himself.
Therefore it is certain: Life car
not arise purely mechanically" bu
only through living, eXtramundant
God.
Clumsy" is only he who make!
something not answering its purpose
and has to improve it, but not he who
adds a new and more beautiful mas
terpiece. The latter God did wher
to the beautiful lifeless creation He
added the. more beautiful living one
Was it clumsiness on the part o.
Michelangelo to add paintings ant
statuary to his masterpieces Of archi
lecture?
Neither was it clumsiness, but higl
wisdom, that God by the destruction
Of primeval forests provided coal an
petroleum for man of the nineteenth
and twentieth century.
XIV. More Favorable Conditions 70
Spontaneous Generation in
Remote Antiquity.
objection: Certainly, now it is in
possible that lifeless matter coul
produce life spontaneously (of itself
but formerly conditions were NOR
favorable Where and in what forI
life appeared on earth, whether a
little Jumps of protoplasm in the ses
whether in the air.. then more in
pregnated with carbonic acid ga
with the cooperation of the sun, senC
ing forth more ultraviolet ray!
whether life germs came to us froI
other heavenly bodies, who can eve
tell? ** If we restore the col
ditions under which living being
arose, s. they would ais
arise today" (Du Bois-Raymont
Ueber die Grenzen des Naturerkennei
p. 25.
Answer: Yes, If there were col
ditions in which living beings aros
spontaneously, and if we could n
store these conditions! But this
reminds one of the couplet of the poe
Buerger:
Der Mann, der das Wenn und da
Aber erdacht,
Haett' sieher aus haeckerling Col
schon gemacht."
Which can be rendered:
The man who eff and "but" di
mold,
Would sure from chaff make pure!
gold.
1t is ridiculous to speak of MOI
favorable conditions in remote anti
uity; in the laboratory they can in
pregnate the air with carbonic aei
gas to any desired degree; also til
ultraviolet rays can there be produ
ed artificially. Modern science ha
reproduced all these conditions
every imaginable variety in grand g
periments, but without the least r
suit. If all these many combination
of matter, combined by the creates
scientists under the most favorab
conditions, could not produce tn
most imperfect living being, then no
can it be that mere chance coJl
effect that? Then mere chanC
should have produced living ger
so perfect that out off have develo
ed all plants, animals and man! Eve
with all the millions of years tn
probability equals zero. (See Hi
torisch-politische Blaetter, vol. s
p $40. ....) He who believes sue
Incredible things, would find it easit
to believe what the Catholic ChurC
teaches on this question. But SON
would rather commit intellectual 81