The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-10-06
POPULAR APoLoeETlcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev,
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.
Is. The Inflexible Laws of Nature.


objection: The laws of nature are
infexible; they admit of no exception.
Answer: The So-called inf1exible
laws of nature admit already of many
exceptions at the hand of man; how
much more therefore at the hand scf
the Creator?
In the world-order, besides the me-
chanically working forces, which can
not change themselves, there are num-
berless freely working. forces, name
ly the free acts of man, which inter
fere often very arbitrarily with the
machinery of nature, but in no way
disturb the order of the world.
If for example | raise stone from
the ground and hold it in the air, that
is an interference with the law of
gravitation, which could never have
been effected by the mere mechanical
laws of nature. Not law of nature,
but my will has changed the position
of that stone,
How grand are the free interfer-
ences of man with nature! Just think
of the various industries, mining, navi-
CATION, canals, drainage of lakes, the
clearing of forests, lightning rods, in
reference with the atmosphere, eli
mate and weather.
All this does not disturb the course
of nature; the ''infeXible laws of
nature" can tolerate this arbitrary in
reference of man.
Is it therefore not ridiculous to be-
chn no
/ against these "infeXible laws of ma
ture," or that He should harm them?
{ If men use and direct these laws and
forces of nature SO as to produce eff
fects, which irrational nature could
never produce, the Divine Hand GER
tainly can produce effects, using these
forces in a superhuman way, combin-
ing and exploiting them, nay, even
producing new forces if necessary, and
thus effect things which cannot be eX-
planned by any mere natural laws, and
such effects we call miracles.
who has the right to wedge in all
being into the standard mold of me-
chanical law, as though the mechani-
cal explanation were an explanation
at all? For is the statistical record
of the different relations in nature
real explanation? Is it full repro
duction of the reality? Perhaps OF
the shadows. The protest against
miracles is a protest against the real
ity. This protest demands that the
All be not more comprehensive than
q false conception allows. The
protest against miracles is a protest
against the Power which is the funda-
mental source of all being and action"
CScheI 1906. Religion und Offen9ar-
ung = Religion and Revelation p.
1922
&c. Miracles Against Gods Wisdom.
Objections: By miracles God would
undo His own natural laws and dis
turb the established order of the
world. Miracles are therefore against
the Wisdom of God.
Answer: Purpose1ess miracles from
mere humor and whim would certain
ly be against the wisdom Of God. But
miracles for higher purpose, e. s.,
for the confirmation and verification
of His revelation, are not against but
in favor of Gods wisdom. Moreover,
miracles are a part of the divine
world-plan, as an architect, for eX-
ample, plans a projection in straight
wall.
Miracles are not belated addition
to the world plan. World-plan and
natural order are not identical. To
the world-plan belong not only the
graduations and arrangements of Gre
ated things Claws of nature), but also
the immediate relations which God
wished to establish with His crea-
lures (revelation), as well as the pow
er-effeets (miracles) by which God
shows His immediate presence
sCSchelg Religion und Offefbarung-
Religion and Revelation-p. 304.)
81. Conservation of Force and Matter.
objection: In the economy of ma
ture not an atom of matter and not
the least force or motion is lost. This
grand law of the conservation of
energy and matter makes miracles and
the explanation of miracles impos
sible.
Answer: What is the meaning of
= this wonderful law to which you re-
fer? Nothing else but that natural
Z causes can not annihilate substance,
not even the smallest atom, nor force
without changing it into another.
This law is empirical, that is, it is
derived from experience. But it says
nothing nor. can it say anything about
the mower of a supernatural cause
1t would certainly be daring conclu
sion to say: No man and no force of
nature can create or annihilate a sim
gle atom, therefore God can not do it
either. Who does not see this lack of
logic any more, is a hopeless case.
-1,raor hN,1 rnI-IJ 49,