The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-05-26
POPULAR APoLoGETlCs.
Adapted from the German of Rev
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev. James
Watcher.
Concluding Remarks.

of infidelity 1--WE have made only a Sc
lection out of many toss themselves
against the first pillar of apologetics
Chat branch of theology which de-
tends the Christian reigion), the eX
istence of God and the Immortality of
the soul, because there is question of
the most vital interests of humanity,
the infinitely important question
whether man is his own master or the
servant of a higher Lord, whether he
is God or a mere creature, independ-
ent or owing allegiance, day-fy of
not much Importance or an immortal
being, which has to choose between
eternal happiness or eternal misery.
IF there is a Cod says socialist,
I'VE are entrapped.' This is true of
all infdels.
Hence we have the constant gigan-
tic storming against God and religion;
they pile sophistry upon foolishness
and stupidity upon cunning. To get
rid of God they sacrifice everything:
their spiritual soul in materialism,
their independence in pantheism,
their liberty in determinism, truth
and its knowability is skepticism, the
whole world and ones own existence
in false idealism. Only, no God!
But Roscher CISCO, the famous pro-
fessor of political economy, rightly
says: AS soon as man begins to
quarrel with God, even the smartest
becomes foolish"
ucl- bo roocon y,bu
many do not wish to hear and learn
the solution of the difficulties against
religion, we find the source of unWill-
ingness partly in the understanding,
and chiefly in the WILL AS in all sci
enceS, SO also in apolOgetics, it is
easier to understand certain difficult
ties than their solution. Just the half
educated, like frogs, puff themselves
up, if they are able to repeat a diff
Guilty (OftCn only half understood and
the other half misunderstood) they
once heard or read. To discuss such
a difficulty they lack the necessary
education; and the worst is, they have
not an inkling of their own stupidity
and foolishness. They thus enjoy the
doubtful happiness of being irrefut-
able. But for all that they are not
eXcusable, because sound human
reason shows them plainly these
truths, against which they seek diff
culties in order to avoid the light of
truth.
Others have understanding enough,
but they lack the good will to acknowl-
edge the solution of the difficulties;
they lack the honesty. in striving
after truth. Instead of attending to
the proofs and weighing them impair
TALLY, they merely attach themselves
to difficulties and seek new ones; in
disputes they avoid the proofs and do
no homage to truth, but rather try to
escape from it.
A young student, who was stepped
in vice, spent the time of grace of a
spiritual retreat in criticising and in
hunting up all kinds of objections,
even the most foolish. He paid no at
tention to the truths presented. Was
that honest?
In regard to such difficulties, that
can not be solved directly in this life
but only indirectly, we must mark we'll
that thereby the solidly proven truths
are by no means disproved. Indirect
proofs are valid proofs, as mathema-
tics teaches; only they do not give us
an insight into the inside of a thing
If the sunlight shines on the market
place there will always be some dark
places in the alleys. To hunt up such
dark places and then claim that the
sun does not shine is dishonest 1t is
unreasonable and shows bad faith to
deny truth, clearly proven, just be-
cause of a few difficulties connected
with it.
Christ says: Men loved darkness
rather than the light: for their works
were evil. For anyone that doth evil
hateth the light, and cometh not to
the light, that his works may not be
reproved. But he that doth truth,
cOmeth to the light, that his works
may be made manifest because they
are done in God" (John 3:19-2D.
The famous Dominican preacher, Fa-
Their Lacordaire (f1S6D, did not hest
tate to say from the pulpit of Notre
Dame of Paris that he had learned to
know many young people, but that he
never yet knew an atheist who was
chaste. Every pastor of souls will be
able to testify to that These APP
parently earnest objections are only
the threadbare cloak Of immortality.
Once a young man came to Father Til
mann Pesch, S. j., the famous philoso-
pher and theologian, with great num-
Der of doubts about faith. After listen
ing to him for a time, Father Pesch
pointed to a kneeling bench and said:
my friend, just kneel down there and
confess your sins, and afterwards |
will solve your difficulties" After some
reluctance he consented, the Father
helping him and praying with him,
gave him absolution. When the priest
4 then asked him about his difficulties,
he answered smilingly: 81 have no
more"
Our system of thought is often
nothing else but the history of our
heart" says Fichte (f1S1D, and "the
heart has reasons of which the under
standing knows nothing (Paschal
f1G62).
That there is a God is certain; that