The Washington times., 1929-02-09
NO CRIME IN
NATURE
BY Garrett P. Serviss-

"Do you believe there is any
intelligence behind nature? If
so, then 4Uky collisions among
suns and planets and dt0fuL ca
tdstrophes IN the heGUens?-C.
L. Wilco1, Benton HarbOr, Mich.
Collisions and catastrophes are
not inconsistent with intelligence.
All depends upon the point OF
view and the purpose. We are
mere spectators OF what goes on
in the universe, and as such are
insufficiently Informed concerning
the raison d'etre of catastrophes.
A catastrophe means, radically,
a turning down" /. e., the end of
a particular state or condition. 1t
is accompanied by the destruction
of something as a consequence of
which something else, another
state or condition, comes on. In
nature it is convulsive change,
and may be just as legitimate a
part OF the development Of an in
telligent plan as any less violent
step toward a goal of progress
The history of geology is full of
catastrophe events. If sometimes
what we call a calamity, i. e.,
an occurrence distressing to hu-
man beings, results from such an
event, as for instance an earth
quake or an avalanche, stiIl it
would be an immense assumption
on our part to accuse the presid-
ing intelligence of the universe
of violating a law Of its own be.
ing.
We cannot define or limit such
a law. We cannot call an earth
quake murder committed by
divine intelligence, for we are
preliminarily aware that nature
is so made and so ordered that we
must keep out OF her way when
a catastrophe impends.
We have a higher intelligence
than any other inhabitants OF the
earth. and as far as that takes us
We are able to void being caught
in the maze of cosmical wheels.
But, like every other created
thing. we are subject to the fun
damental action of the universe,
which admits no exemption from
the consequences. Nature is abso-
lutely ifnpersonal.
AS far as our knowledge goes,
nothing that occurs in nature,
whether on the earth or among
the stars, is indictable in the
sense of crime. Calamities that
we bring upon ourselves, knowing
the danger of risk, are excluded
by our contributory negligence,
Disasters, like volcanic erupcions,
or floods, or invasions of disease
are not due to moral faults of
the universal intelligence, but they
resemble accidental killings, in
which no crime can be alleged.
We fight stoutly for freedom of
thought and of will This freedom
is given to us; then can we turn
about and load upon divine intel
ligence the faults of our own per-
sonal disposition? Can we accuse
it, for example, OF causing the
World War and it's horrors, when
we were free to keep peace and
cultivate brotherly kindness If we
would? Men chose advantage
rather than justice, and so turned
the world as red as Mars with its
own blood.
No, no, we can not inculpate an
intelligence which infinitely ex-
ceeds ours, which has many uni.
verses to govern, by charging 1t
with faults visible only to our lin.
tied power Of comprehension, De.
istic anthrolomorphism. that is
imagining God as made on the plan
of man, is bad enough then it only
concerns the question of our inn
mediate relations to Him. but it
becomes absolutely imbecility when
it undertakes to contract and run
the universe or universes, accord.
ing to human notions.