Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-10-06

Bismarck, N. D., Oct. 6, 1916.
Editor Bismarck Tribune,
Bismarck, N. D.
Dear Sir
l wish to make few remarks to
your article war and Religion" Oct.
5. In this editorial you speak of the
conflict between science and religion.
You make the statements: IN the
beginning of the conflict the church
men attacked science valiantly as the
worst of all possible threats to every
religious creed" When man marvel.
ously increased the use of science,
there began a noticeable falling off of
general interest in things spiritual
and ecclesiastical. you speak also
of religion as sciences old and orig.
inal foe Finally you draw from the
present war the conclusion that "One
result of the present war will be-
a new respect for and interest in re.
ligion." .,.. .......... ...,.,,......,...
There are few subjects which can
mislead superficial men as easily as
sentences like these mentioned above.
If science were really in opposition
to religion and II religion were real.
~ the foe of science, men would have
to reject either the one or the other.
But science can never be in opposi.
ton to religion. '''
It never has been and never will be.
l. God is the source of all truths,
be they natural or supernatural
truths. f.
God cannot contradict Himself;
therefore it is absolutely impossible
that there be any real contradiction
between natural truths and superna-
tural truths, between science and the
true religion, established by God
through His Son Jesus Christ and
found in that Church which Jesus
Christ has founded as "the pillar and
ground of TRUTH that is the Catholic
church.
There may be contradiction between
science and some so-called religions
which are established by men; for
men can err. e. r.
2. Science in it's true meaning
does not mean opinions or theories;
science means real correct knowledge
so that the knowledge of thing or
fact is truly in harmony with such
thing or fact
Opinions and theories are not
science because they are not real
knowledge; they may be used and
often are used as the beginning of
scientific researches; but when ever
they come in conflict with real facts
abandoned; otherwise they lead to
voluntary errors.
3. There are plenty of so-called
scientists whose assertions and theo-
ries are in conflict with religion. But
the reason of such conflict is by no
means caused by religion or the Cath
Ole church; it is caused by the hat
red of religion in these men who have
a strong determination to use their
scientific researches as weapon
against religion and, therefore, take
hold of every theory which seems to
be hostile to religion.
1t is not a true love of truth, but
a predetermined mind that leads them
in their researches; they decry the
dogmas of the Catholic church, but
demand that people accept at once
their theories; they ignore as non.
scientific every scientific research
which is in harmony with Catholic
dogmas, that means with revealed
truths.
But the history of scientific re-
searches and scientific results within
the whole Christian era teaches plain.
ly that these theories have their time
and then are abandoned even by
scientists who are hostile to the
church of God. For example, only
scientific back-numbers are at the
present upholding the theories of
Darwin: in a like way the theories of
evolution and of Naturalism, Mater
ialism, Rationalism, etc., will be swept
away before hundred years from now.
4. You say: "One result of the
present war will be new respect for
and interest in religion" This is
very true: but it cannot and will not
in any way be detrimental to real
science. The present war does hum
hle the whole civi1ized world. II do,