The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-03-15
POPULAR APOLOGETICS
ADAPTED FROM THE GERMAN OF
REV. PETER MIKES, S. j., BY
REV. JAMES WATCHER.
rs. Modern Indian Miracles.

20. Modern Indian Miracles
Objection: The Hindus in India
have to this day their miracles just
as we'll as the Christians. If the mir
acles of the Apostles and missionaries
prove the truth of the Christian re-
liGioF., then the miracles of the fakirs
prove the truth of the Hindu religion.
Answer: I do not like to buy a pig
in poke; so l would also like to eX-
anime these fakir miracles before
accept them.
Charles Bertram, who had thorough
ly studied the magic of the Hindus in
India, published in the Strand Maya
zine" an article on Hindu magic. He
carefully observed 176 fakirs who
were renowned for their sanctity and
deXterity; he attended special ses-
Slons at the courts Of the raiahs in
the Indus and Gauges regions, in Dek-
han and Ceylon; he had himself mi
tiated into all the fine points of the
art of conjuring, invocation and &C.
stasy His Judgment on the mira
cles'' of the fakirs is that there is not
single trick which European Jug
gler could not do just as we'll or even
better than the best fakirs.
The following three miracles" are
most common
l. A rope to feet long (no long
er, as some have claimed) is thrown
out with considerable force and it re-
mains straight and the fakir plays
with it; or he turns it like a drum
major turns his baton. There is a
wire on the inside of the rope to keep
it stiff. All this is camoufage and
dexterity but no miracle.
2. A boy seems to be squeezed into
a tub. The fakir covers the tub with
Il cloth and runs sword into the tub
but of course, does not strike the boy
who crOuches around the outside like
u serpent. The fakir then declares
the tub empty, but by some magic
brings the boy back into the tub and
lets him out. Again no miracle.
3. The most striking trick is the
one with the mango Ca luscious fruit
The mango seed is planted, it sprouts,
grows, and bears fruit during the time
the COMPUTATIONS go on But a little
tent looks suspicious, especially since
it is closed in the direction of the
spectators that the direct breath Of
the unbelieving may not hinder the
growth Of the plant!" Every now and
then the fakir looks after the seed,
and 1O' If hoe cnrOl,tndi II hoe IN no
Watered, of course, and presently it
has become plant; after a short
time it is a good-siZed plant, and after
another inspection it bears fruit All
these different stages Of the plant the
fakir hides in the folds OF his wide
clothes and quickly plants one after
the other.
Some fakirs use a basket in place of
the tent, on the inside of which the
plants are hidden.
In the face of. all this who would
dare to compare these miracles" with
the Christian miracles?
76. Christianity Without Dosmas.
Objections: Practical Christianity &c
sufficient; why all this quarrelina
about dogmas (articles of faith)? Let
us practice Christian morality and do
away with doemas. Therefore away
with this dogmatic rubbish and let us
have united Christianity!
Answer: That sounds as sensible
as when one says: Away with the
apple tree. l only want the apples.
Why all the rubbish of roots, stem,
branches and leaves?
Just as little as apples grow in the
air, just so little can the fruits of
Christianity (true morality thrive
without the stem and branches of dog
mas. The dogma of the Blessed
Trinity is, SO to speak, the root, the
dogma of the divinity of Christ and
His redeeming death the stem, and the
other dogmas the branches.
1t is asked: Why dosmas? But I
ask: Is the doctrine of the Com
mandments no dogma? Is the doc
trine of the reward in heaven and the
punishment in hell no dogma?
II you deny these dogmas, you take
away the motive and power to prac-
ticc the virtues resting on them: hui
mility, chastity, meekness, love of
ones neighbor and even enemies, etc.
Therefore without faith or dogmas
there can be no true morality, hence
no true Christianity.