The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-09
THE SCHOOL Of
SOCIAL STUDIES.

Very Rev. Or. Moynihan's Counsel
The course on the defense OF reli-
gion given by Very Rev. DIR. Moynihan,
rector of the St. Paul Seminary, was
begun on Wednesday at the PROF. Cattle
.dral School, Minneapolis, and on FRI
day at the Assumption Hall. Ninth
and Exchange streets, st. Paul.
Abiding to the unsettling OF minds
with regard to truths commonly &C
cepted in bygone days DR.. Moynihan
the present period as
one of uncertainty rather than OF I'M
belief. Doubt is the nlalady of the
day. The existence Of Supreme
Being, the reality Of the human soul
and it's immortality must be rein
forced and restated in view of the new
situation created not SO much by true
science, which always recognizes the
boundaries Of its province and re-
|spects ancient landmarks. as by
which mistakes itself
for omniscience, claiming that the
universe is made of atoms and ether
and has no place for Spirit. The
anarchy of the thought of the day he
referred to is the rejection Of the
supernatural. Signs Of returning faith
the speaker found in the growing dis
gust and discomfort with materialism
and agnosticism, which never long
appeal to truly reflective minds, and
which plant in the life of nation
seeds Of degenelacy and decay.
Emphasizing the profoundly inter
esting character of the study of re-
|ligion, and the necessity of pursuing
it in scholarly spirit, the speaker
passed to the analysis of the notion
of religion. He discussed each of the
three elements comprised in religion
creed, code and cult-assigning to
each its proper place, and criticizing
conceptions of religion which arise
from laying undue stress on any of its
factors. The common sense argument
for the existence of Supreme Being
was next presented. The search for
God in the universe, the speaker said,
is primarily a search for mind. Signs
of mind on an Ainconceivably vast
scale are found in the rational order
of the universe, in the innumerable
adaptations with which nature is re-
plete, and which show that nature is
saturated with mind. The lecturer
carefully brought out the condolences
of properties IN the most common ele-
ments of the universe without which
| life would be impossible. Selecting
now one, now another, of the elements
for special consideration he used it
to show how nature secures the fit
ness of the environment for organisms.
This argument, he added, so far from
being set aside by evolution derives
new force from evolution He closed
the lecture with quotations from some
of the greatest scientists of the
world, drawing attention to the testi-
mony of Lord Kelvin, the most dis
tinguished physicist of England, who
said: Science positively affirms
creative power. 1t is not in dead mat
ter that we live and move and have
our being, but in the creating and di-
recting power which science compels
us to accept as an article of belief
In the succeeding lectures DR..
IMoynihan will continue to present the
evidence for the first article of the
Christian Creed, II believe in God, "
and will analyze the objections COM
monty urged against it.
| III -...
The class in Public Speaking will
be conducted in st. Paul, at the AS
sumption Society Hall, on Wednesday
evenings at o'clock for the advanced
class and at 8:15, for the general
class. This hall is not the present
school hall, but is in the stone struc-
ture Immediately west, just opposite
| st. Joseph's Hospital. All other
classes will be as previously an,
nounced: yiz., Apologetics, Wednesday
at o'clock, Pro-Cathedral School
Hall, Minneapolis. and Friday at 8
O'clock at the Assumption Hall, ST.
Paul. Public Speaking, Minneapolis
same place on Friday evening at the
Irregular hour. Mr.. Frank M. Rarig
head of the public speaking staff at
| the State IT,, will assist DR.. Moynihan
/ in giving technical instruction on ex
preston.
The Rev. C. r. Cremin, professor. al
St. Paul Seminary, will be the speak
er next week. He win take the sub
iject of the. Infallibility of the Pope.
/