The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-02-19
POPULAR APoLoeETIcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev. James
Watcher.

XXI. Atheism, the Mark of Science.
Note,-With this chapter we begin
Part Ill answering objections from
Atheism, Materialism, and Pantheism.
Objections: The common people and
the clergy do homage to Theism (be-
lief in Cod, but the majority of the
educated are atheists.
Answer: Cd 1t is not true that the
majority of the educated are atheists
or infidels, on the contrary, by far the
greater majority believes i'll God.
(See above No. Is for a list of be-
heving scientists.)
In such questions we must look be-
You'd the limits of country and the
present.
Compared to the grand agreement
of all nations in their belief in God,
the apostacy of q number of our con-
, temporaries looks rather queer. Here
we have the immense tnrong of ma
tions, and the roaring and surging of
this sea of voices resounds: There
is God above us, we bow before
Him. There we have, opposed to
this sea of humanity a number of con-
.ceited scientists and surfeited or inn
poverished men of pleasure, besides
throng of Withholding figures, defiance
staring from their eyes, and these
unite in the cry: NO God besides us,
we ourselves are gods!' Is this not as
if broollet tossed itself from the cliff
against the sea, and the foaming,
splashing little thing, wanted to drown
the laundering surge of the heavinG
ocean and drive it from it's bed?" Ca.
David, S. j., Zu Nutz und frost. Field
kirch, 1904, p. 1861
CD The actual number of atheists,
alas only too many, proves nothing in
favor of their opinion. There is a rea-
son for the growth of infldelity, which
has nothing to do directly with the
proofs for the existence of God.
(a) In the first place there is want
of true philosophy. Since Protestant
countries left the old, solid Aristotel-
ian-Scholastic philosophy, they went
astray after Kant (f1804) and his fol
lowers, who put all philosophy topsy-
turvy and thus got with their false
idealism into the bOttomless sWamps
of universal doubt.
If it is to be considered science to
doubt everything: the existence of the
world, the reliability of the laws OF
thinking, the possibility of knowing
things, nay, even their own existence.
it is no wonder then that they doubt
the existence of God.
: rItsiS a. great abpseat tn call that SEX
ence which sound reason must consid
er as folly Prof Du Bots Raymond
complained in 1880 in his Berlin ad
dress of the decrease of philosophical
training of the German nation since
the days of Kant. Cor a few samples
of these philosophical vagaries see
above No. 29.)
Others of our so-called scientists be-
came materialists and tried with great
zeal to prove that man was related to
the ape and other animals and to deny
the existence of their own spiritual
soul. That they then in turn do not
acknowledge the highest Spirit does
not rest on their learning. Material
ism is scientifically bankrupt.
There remains Pantheism, glitter
ing system of phantasms and contra
dictions, which rests on Il most unset
entifiC fundamental error 1--WE shall
consider this later on.)
Truly, the denial OF God is no mark
of learning and science
(b) The other reason for the growth
of atheism is the will of man, which
does not want to submit to God Metz
schc (f1900) says: God died, now
we want that the super-man liveS,-We
want the overcoming of morality
Proud man wants to be his own lord
and master; he does not want to sub
init. Sensual man does not want tC
deny himself any qualification and
pleasure; he wants no restraint, etc.
Nietzsche's proof is as follows:
IF there were gods, l could not bear
it, not to be god! Therefore there
is no God!" Certainly, there are no
gods, but there is God. The logic OF
that super1nan is Just as reasonable
as the following: IF there were mil
lionaires, could not bear it, not to be
millionaire. Therefore, there are nc
lnillionaireS.'
"A curious pride rises in man
against the demand to acknowledge
besides himself not only an equal but
a superior intelligence. Therefore he
bows his intelligence rather before the
accidental sway of blindly working
forces" g. Reinke, Die Welt ais Tat
9TH cd, p. 31G)
OF the iniidels the Psalmist says:
They are corrupt, and are become
abominable in their ways: there is
none that doeth good, no. not one
FPS. 1922. After the corruption oil
the heart CONES the darkening of the
intellect as a consequences; first the
Commandments are thrown overheard
then follows the Creed