The New York herald., 1922-11-06
Steinmetz Finds No Science in Religion
Says They Are Antagonistic but Not Necessarily nco-
patible-Question of Immortality Is Open One

conceptions of God. immortality, infinity,
&c. But are the conceptions of science
really final and all embracing, or are
they limited also, holding within cer-
tain range only and not beyond this
Science derives its conclusions by the
laws of logic from our sense perceptions,
Thus it does not deal with the real
world. of which we know nothing, but
with the world as 1t appears TO our
senses. But are there no limitations to
our sense perceptions. which limit the
validity of the conclusions we derive
from them?
"All our sense perceptions are limited
by and attached to the conceptions of
time and space. Kant. the greatest and
most critical of all philosophers. denies
that time and space are the product of
experience. but shows them to be cate
gories; conceptions in which our mind
clothes the sense perceptions. Modern
physics has come to the same conclusion
in the relativity theory. that absolute
space and absolute time have no exist
ence, but time and space exist only as
far as things or events fill them, that is
are forms of sense perception.
Still greater and more pertinent %
another limitation of our sense percep-
tions; our senses can perceive only finite
things, but cannot perceive the infinite.
No reasoning from any foundation can
put anything into the conclusions which
is not contained in the foundations, and
thus. with our ser q perceptions finite,
all conclusions from them. that is, the
entire structure of science is limited to
the finite. Hence any attempt of science
to deal with an infinite conception as the
infinite in time and in space, immortal
ity. the conception of God, &c. must fail
L.. - III ltzxAs-
Thus the proof Of the nonexistence
in science, of the conception of God, inn
mortality, &c, really means nothing ex-
cept that we cannot get by reasoning a
conclusion which is not contained in the
premises on which we started our
reasoning.
furthermore science derives it's con-
clusons from the sense perceptions by
the laws of logic. But what proof is
there of the correctness of the laws of
logic except experience. which. no mat
ter how comprehensive, always must re-
main limited
Thus the negative answer of scienc /,
on the question whether there are con-
ceptive entities Of infinite character, as
infinity In time and space. immortality
Of the ego, God &C., is not conclusive.
and the question Is still as open as It
ever was.
How can We approach its solution.
and can we ever get an answer on the
question of the existence Of the infin-
lite? The best we can expect to do
is to search INTO the foundations and
limitations of our mental processes to
determine how far conceptions are really
illogical and contradictory. and how far
they appear so merely because they in
volve conceptions beyond the limits OF
our mind.
But there can be no scientific foun-
dation of religion but belief must a.
ways remain the foundation of religion.
while that of science is logical reason
ing from facts. that is. sense percep-
tions, and all that we can say is that
the two. science and religion, are not
necessarily incompatible. but are differ
ent and unrelated activities of the
human mind