The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-12-11
Continued from page 10
FAITH SCIENTIFIC AND THEOLOGICAL

supernatural, while The other implies
inscrutable processes or forces in the
natural. That man is of animal origin
is deduction of reason, but the fact
so far transcends our experience that
it puts great strain upon our scien-
tific faith.
"The miracles of our theology do
violence to our understanding, but it
is a part of our faith to accept them.
the Biblical miracles are ex-
ceptional occurrences and are never
repeated.
'"The miracles of religion are to be
discredited, not because we cannot
conceive them, but beci.-se they run
counter to all the rest of our knowl
edge: while the mysteries of science,
such as chemical affinity, the conser-
walton of energy, the individuality of
the atom, the change of the non-living
into the living, and the like, extend
the boundaries of our knowledge,
though the modus operandi of these
changes remains hidden.
I'VE do not know how the food we
eat is transformed into the thoughts
we think; in other words, the cOnnec-
ton of the physical with the mental
battles us; but our familiarity with
the phenomena causes us to look upon
them as a matter of course. In fact
while most of the mysteries and mar
vels of the pre-scientific ages only
served to measure the depth of the
mental darkness of those ages, the
mysteries and marvels of modern sci.
ence serve to measure the depths to
which we have penetrated into the
hidden processes of natural law"
This is another specimen of the
great learning of Burroughs from the
same article, scientific faith. The
mysteries of religion are parts of an
arbitrary system of mans own crea-
ton. There you are. John Burroughs
says so. He is an essayist, naturalist,
and lover Of speculation. Mysteries
are product of free thought! Man
himself created them. They contra
dict our reason and our experience,
while the mysteries of science are re-
vealed by our reason, and transcend
our experience. The mysteries of re-
ligion then contradict reason and eX.
perience! Could you give any proof
of that? Oh well, what do you want
proofs for anyway? People used to
look for proofs in the pre-scientific
ages, which served to show the depth
of the mental darkness of those ages
THAT man is of animal origin is q
\ deduction of reason, but the fact sc
far transcends our experience that il
puts great strain upon our scientific
faith" The missing link is discovered
at last! 1t is deduction of reason
But nobody ever discovered it, because
the fact transcends our experience
But what is the need of discovering
this monkey business, while we have
got scientific faith to support the
strain on this chain of reason, though
the link that binds this chain to the
wall is missing even yet.
"The miracles of our theology dc
violence to our understanding, but it
is part of our faith to accept them.
They contradict our reason of course!
In other words they are impossible
unthinkable contradictions. What's
the difference. 1t is part of our faith
to accept them. That is, part oil
John Burroughs faith. No. That is
not it exactly, but it is part of what
John Burroughs thinks Theological
faith is. Of course Theological faith
is what John Burroughs thinks it is
| Why shouldn't it? So much the worse
for Theological faith if it isn't. "The
| Biblical miracles are never repeated
Of course they are not! Why So
John Burroughs says so. He ought tC
know. Is there any proof? There
you are again looking to modern
scientist for proofs. When a scientist
says a thing about theology he is in
fallible. That's all there is to it. Dc
/ you want to be called medieval? II
YOU do, just ask the reason of some
thing before you accept it as Gospel
truth, even though it be guaranteed
by the name and the learning of Bur
roughs, naturalist, essayist, and lover
of speculation, mostly speculation.
"The miracles of religion are to be
discredited, not because we cannot
conceive of them, but because they
run counter to all the rest Of OuI
knowledge" Just a minute ago they
did violence to our understanding, be
cause they were unthinkable contra
dictions. Now we can conceive them
though they run counter to all the rest
of our knowledge. Perhaps you think
there is something wrong with the
logic of John Burroughs. Not bit Of
it. If truth be an unthinkable con
tradiction and Burroughs says it is
and logic is the science Of reasoning
we may define logic as the science Of
getting at truths, no that is not quite
it, but logic is the science of reaching
unthinkable contradictions. This kline
of stuff measures the depths to which
we have penetrated into the bidder
processes of natural law. eve do MOI
know how the food we eat is trans
: formed into the thoughts we think;
in other words, the connection of the
physical with the mental battles u.s.
J but our familiarity with the pheno
mena causes us to look upon them a:
matter of course" The materia
food is transformed into thought.
We don't know that, but it is fact al
the same! The connection battles u:
but our familiarity with the pheno
H.