The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-07
POPULAR APoLoGETEcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.
G5. The Vision Hypothesis.


Objections: In our days among the
educated the deception hypothesis (Cf.
No. 64) is almost entirely abandoned
They now turn to the vision hypoth-
esis. The Disciples did not want to
deceive. but they were deceived them
selves. The apparitions of Christ were
only their subjective visions, magma
tons, Authorizations, phantasms, men
tai illusions, or whatever you want to
call it.
Answer: y Not the Apostles of
Christ, but the apostles of infidelity
were deceived by illusions. The
vision hypothesis is a pure embarrass-
ment hypothesis to escape from the
miracle Of the Resurrection.
Hallucinations happen only to hys-
terical or half or wholly demented
persons, but not to sturdy and rough
fishermen. The water and the fresh
sea breeze strengthened their nerves.
The Apostles we're no nervous, eX-
cited city folks, no sickly enthusiasts,
but genuine, healthy country folks;
lust think of Simon Peter with his
energy, his clear vision and fresh and
healthy blood.
y The Apostles were not at all in
clned to believe in the resurrection
OF the Lord; they did not trust the
women who brought the first news of
the risen Saviour. Their conviction
was based on the most realistic proofs
(seeing, speaking, touching, eating,
touching the wounds). st. John, one
Of the Apostles, writes: That which
was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we have looked upon,
and our hands have handled, Of the
word Of life: These things we
write 10 you" & John / /, A.. These
proofs they received at different
times. by day and by night; at diff
ferent places, in the upper room and
the sea shore, in Judea and Galilee,
and That for six weeks. no one needs
that long to become convinced OF the
existence Of another.
- Besides the Apostles there are
about five hundred other witnesses, all
OF whom have seen the risen Lord
Il Cor. Is: s.. The Evangelical
theologian Ebrard CI1888D, who was an
opponent Of the nationalist Strauss,
says: Just imagine the following
case. [ dream that certain friend
of mine died. IN the morning another
friend tells me he had dreamed the
same Immediately a second. a third,
fourth. a tenth friend tells OF the
same dream; ard that is the way it
goes on till five hundred have all
dreamed the same. Vino could think
this credible?"
But that five hundred witnesses, not
i'll sleep, but wide awake, all at the
same time, without any external
cause, should have the same subjec-
tive deception and illusion to see, hear
and touch a dead person who is not
there at all, that our inffdels think
credible!
That all these persons had this illu-
sion on the third day after the death
of Christ till the fortieth day, is con-
sidered natural, though in vain do we
look for a similar case in the history
of human ailments, that so many per-
sons had haIlucination for forty
days and then were healed by a uni
Nersal cure.
It is not considered surprising that
in consequence of these apparitions,
considered illusions by our infdels,
these witnesses and on the strength of
their testimony innumerable others
from all walks Of life and in all coun-
tries, confessed their faith in Christ
in spite Of the greatest sacrifices and
even in the face OF death itself. But
such a gigantic phenomenon as the
founding and spread Of the Church
and the heroism of the martyrs wants
to be explained. A few phrases about
Authorizations are no explanation.
St Augustine (T43O) we'll says:
"If Christianity came into existence
without miracles, then it would be it
self the greatest miracle"
None Of all these hypothesis can
bear a reasonable investigation. If
Christ had not really risen, how easily
the Jews could have shown His body.
That with one blow would have put
an end to all illusion and deception of
the people, That would have been
simpler than to command the Apostles
to be silent and to scourge, stone and
imprison them, etc.
But the Jews did not have the body,
for Christ had risen. 1t is simply a
historical fact that Christ has risen
from the dead and was seen alive
again and again. Whoever doubts
this, to be consistent, must also doubt
the existence and deeds of Hannibal,
Alexander the Great, julius Caesar,
etc. For such one there is no his
tory and no science possible.
No one will deny that from the
Resurrection necessarily follows the
divinity of Christ, and hence the
divinity of His doctrine and of His
Church.