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SIX-A'
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEPTEMBER 28, 1940
Einsteins Views of God
Discussed by Msgr. Sheen
Famous Scientist Stepped Out of His Field in Discuss
ing Religious Beliefs, Says Dstinguished Churchman
(Special to The Bulletin)
In a paper circulated at the Con
ference on Science, Philosophy and
Religion, just held at New York, Pro
fessor Albert Einstein, the eminent
scientist, advocated abandonment o(
the “doctrine of a personal God”. He
said “the main source of the present-
day conflicts between the spheres of
religion and of science lies in this
concept of a personal God”, and “in
their struggle for the ethical good,
teachers of religion must have the
stature to give up the doctrine of a
personal God, that is, give up that
source of fear and hope which in the
pa*t placed such a vast power in the
bands of priests.”
An answer to Professor Einstein
Was prepared for the National Cath
olic Welfare News Service by the
Kt. Rev-Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen, Pro
fessor of Philosophy of Religion at
the Catholic University of Amerieca,
and a noted writer and orator.
Extracts from the answer by Mon
signor Sheen follow:
“I have been asked to make some
reflections upon the recent statements
of the eminent Professor Einstein.
My own personal feelings are against
making any reply, for just as I would
not expect Professor Einstein to make
B reply to anything I might ’ write
on relativity, so Professor Einstein
would not expect me to make a reply
1o anything he might say about re
ligion. for both of us would be talk
ing about something we knew noth
ing about.
"The view of scientists about
Science is one thing: Their view
about art and literature is quite an
other thing. Because a man is a spe
cialist in one field, he is not neces
sarily a specialist in all fields. The
method and contest of one science is
not applicable to other sciences. The
qualities of an amoeba are not ap
plicable to the Parthenon. Because
relativity is valid in space-time, it
does not follow that everything is rel
ative and that I have six fingers on
one hand counted one way, and four
on the other counted the other way,
or that from an airplane my uncle
looks like an aunt. Physicians are not
summoned to judge the authenticity
of a Rembrandt, nor ' astronomers
asked to be judges of livestock. When
a physicist ventures into the realm
of philosophy, we ought to be prepar
ed for similar stupidities as .when a
philosopher discusses experimental
physics.
IMPORTANT ONLY TO SELF
“For that reason, whether a scien
tist pronounces himself in favor of
God or against God interests me no
more than when Dizzy Dean discous-
es on hypostasis, for it is not as an
experimentalist that a_science knows
God, nor as a pitcher that Dean knows
the meaning of hypotasis. It is only
inasmuch as they both use the reason
that God gave them that they are en
titled to a hearing. But it is not as
a philosopher, but as a phj'sicist and
a mathematician that the newspapers
headline Professor Einstein. As such,
his views on God are of no impor
tance except to himself and the cred
ulous who also believe that pediatric
ians are foot specialists.
Some years ago when Professor Ed
dington and Jeans in an international
broadcast announced that experi
mental science had "discoyered” God,
I was asked to write an article of re
joicing. I refused, because the rea
sons these scientists gave for the ex
istence of God were just as flimsy
»nd false as the reasons Professor
pinstein gave for the denial of a per
sonal God. Just as we would not
jpermit a house to be built without
f! good foundation, so neither must
§ye permit belief to be built without
ft. good reason. When religious be
liefs or unbeliefs are rooted in lyri
cisms of science, they rise and fall
iWith the whims of the barometer of
Science, and in the end we have not
6rod but Mercury, and not atheism
but cynicism.
But the popular mood does not
fba>e this view that a specialist in
One field is not necessarily a special
ist in all fields, or that a good iron
Worker is not necessarily a good tea-
taster. There should be some stand
ards in the field of religion as there
ttrt in other fields. Though we in
sist that barbers know how to cut
hair, and carpenters know how to
build, we permit even the irreligious
to talk about religion There should
be licenses to preach 1 religion at least
as r rgid as licenses for plumbing, and
one minimum condition should be
1ha1 he who talks religion at least
should sav his prayers. The ancient
proverb' that the 'shoemaker should
Stick to his last” was probably be-
gotlen o* a similar situation in early
days when an expert in shoes neg
lected tire feet of his customers to
try to influence their heads. I know
some cobblers who are experts on
leather but who are positively bores
on theology. And if scientists were
as popular as cobblers in days gone
by, the rid proverb would read: 'Let
1 1 he scienr- t stick to his science.”
MUST DOUBT COMPETENCY
“J, for one. cannot take this dis
cussion of Professor Einstein very
sci icusly, and I rm sure that he does
not want it taken seriously, for just
a he must doubt his competency to
five roc a good haircut, so 1 must
.doobi his competency to give me a
Bred .syllogism in philosophy.
"First of all. he said nothing new
in that rapier, but merely dished up
a few phrases which are not his own
but dug up fiorn the forgotten free
thinkers of the eighteenth century.
Secondly, the paper was merely a
rehash of an article he wrote in The
New York Times in 1931 when he
pleaded for a cosmical religion. At
that time, 1 reflected that I could ac
cept his “cosmical” religion, if he
would only leave the letter ‘s’ out of
cosmical. Thirdly, there is not a sin
gle sophomore in any Catholic col
lege who couW not present a better
argument against a personal God and
then with sound arguments smash it
into bits. There is not a single pro
fessor in any Catholic university in
the United States who would permit
a graduate student to continue in
class if he made such undocumented
statements about the history of re-
lion as Professor Einstein made in
his first argument.
“It is indeed curious that scien
tists, who should most of all insist on
factual evidence, should be so scorn
ful of it when they leave their chosen
fields. The marvel is not that Pro
fessor Einstein should have sold God
whom he calls a “solace” but that
he should have sold Him so cheaply.
Divinity is always sold out of all
proportions to its real worth, as it
happened in the beginning when the
price was thirty pieces of silver. If
the thinking processes of »Professor
Einstein were no keener in the field
of science than they are in the field
of philosophy, then he had made me
a skeptic of relativity and induced my
first real doubt about relativity. I
dislike finding scientific idols have
feet of clay.”
NO EVIDENCE OFFERED
Tile first argument of Professor
Einstein against a personal God is
that it is a "sublimation Of the old
conception of the gods.” Not a
spark of evidence is adduced in proof
that (a) a belief in many gods pre
ceded a belief in God, "nor (b) how a
"sublimation” produces a personal
God. If Professor Einstein made
such a sophomoric generalization on
"Information Please,” Mr. Fadiman
would ask him for the text. I trust
that we shall not be considered as
disrespectful for asking a similar
favor. If our idea of a personal God
is a sublimation of primitive gods,
then Professor Einstein’s cosmic rle
ativity must be a sublimation of Pro
tagoras’ individual relativity. Fur
thermore. if most people today never
heard of primitive religions, how
could their belief in a personal God
be a sublimation of that primal my
thology? If "human fantasy” makes
man think of God as man, then I sup
pose bear fantasy must make bears
think of God as a bear, and if they
dislike a personal God as much as
Professor Einstein, they would prob
ably think of Him as a bear-trap.
The Professor leaves unanswered
why "human fantasy” created gods
in the first place. A little reflection
might show it created a belief in God
for exactly the same reason Professor
Einstein gave us relativity, viz., to
explain the order of the universe, ex
cept that the primitives were more
interested in who painted the picture
rather than how the colors were re
lated. To appeal to any other found
ation for belief than reason is make-
believe.
We are also curious to know how
primitive gods “sublimated” into a
personal God. Sublimation means
a process of refining or purifying.
Now if Professor Einstein believes
that we are much more wise and
scientific than the primitives, how ac
count for the fact that the more per
fect concept of God belongs to mod
ern times and not to primitive times?
It would be just as logical to say that
Professor Einstein’s theory of rela
tivity is a sublimation of his Aunt
Sophie's relations.
But just to stick to facts. If Pro
fessor Einstein took the trouble to
read the'most authoritative collect
ion of evidence on primitive cultures
that has ever been gathered by an
expert in that field—and these books
are in German—he would learn that
the five primitive cultures known to
science shared a common cultural
substratum which held a belief in
a personal God. "Everywhere,”
writes Dr. Schmidt, “there is a clear
acknowledgement and worship of a
Supremacy of this Being is so en
ergetically and comprehensively ex
pressed that all other supernormal
beings are far inferior and invariably
subject to Him.” Professor Einstein
appeals to the primitives to find out
about God. I think he would do
better if he went to his synagogue.
“God is All Powerful”, says Aquinas,
"moves the will of man to its uni
versal object—good, and without this
first motion or tendency, man could
not act But it is man himself that
determines or. directs his will to em
brace this or that particular object,
which may be either a real, or an ap
parent good.” The wind is power
ful; it is up to the sailor to bring the
ship to one port or another.
An omnipotent God, Professor Ein
stein says, would make man irres
ponsible. It is just the contrary,
for how can there be responsibility
without personality. The moral or
der assumes law, and law is based on
mind, and Mind is personal. If God
is only impersonal Space-Time, then
there ij no moral order; then Hitler is
not responsible for driving Professor
Einstein out of Germany. It was
only a bad collocation of space-time
conglomerations which made him
act that way.
But here is the prize piece of logic.
Professor Einstein wants man to be
responsible. But he asks: “How can
an Almighty Being giving out pun
ishment and rewards, be combined
with the goodness and righteousness
ascribed to Him?” How can Righte-
ounsess be reconciled with moral
sanctions? How can the goodness
of a judge be reconciled with impos
ing sentences on murderers? How
can the goodness of a mother be rec
onciled with rewards to her obedient
children? In his next foray into
other fields not his own, we shall
be prepared to hear the Professor
say he wants his food salted, but does
not see how salt can be reconciled
with Sodium Chloride.
Responsibility without Personality
is as stupid as Relativity without a
relation. I know only two well known
men in world, besides Pro. Einstein,
who e^er denied that justice or the
giving to everyone his due, had any
thing to do with Righteousness, and
they are, Hitler and Stalin. The only
reason Professor Einstein is enjoy
ing the sanctuary of America is be
cause, against Hitler and Stalin, we
believe that man has "certain inalien
able rights” which were given to him
by his Creator. The Divine Origin
of these rights and liberties is the
foundation of America’s moral sense.
It was therefore not American soil
which gave Professor Einstein safety
from Hitler; it was America's way of
life—her belief in the correlation of
responsibility and personality in man
and in God.
Deaths in Savannah
MRS. MARY E. GRAYSON
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga.— Mrs. Mary Ed-
wina Grayson, whose death took
place August 25, was buried in Bon-
aventure Cemetery following services
at the Sacred Heart Church, at which
the Rev. Peter Trizzino, O. S. B., of
ficiated.
Mrs. Grayson was quite active in
the work’ of the Sacred Heart parish.
She was a member of the Sacred
Heart School Parent-Teachers Asso
ciation, Catholic Home and Foreign
Missions Society and the Eucharistic
League.
Mrs. Grayson, a native of Colum
bia, was the daughter of the late Wil
liam and Sarah Arden LaMotte. She
is survived by three daughters, Mrs.
Alfred deMeurisse, of Brooklyn, Mrs.
H. E. Fulton, Bemardsville, N. J., and
Mrs. L. M. Gilbert, Savannah; three
sons, Edward Grayson, and Marion
Grayson, of Charlotte,
Grayson, of Savannah.
and
SECOND ARGUMENT
The second argument of Professor
Einstein against a personal God is
that j "If God were omnipotent, then
every oceurance, including every hu
man action, every human thought
and every human feeling and aspi
ration is also His work. How is it
possible to think of holding men
responsible for their deeds and
thoughts before such an Almighty
Being.” In other words, God would
not be All-Powerful if He made
man free. It seems much more in
accordance with sound reason to
argue that God would not be all-
powerful unless He could-make man
free. It takes more skill to make
a machine that runs itself than it
does to make a bird house. In like
manner, it takes more power to make
a self-determined human being than
it does to make an automaton. Pro
fessor Einsteinevidentally thinks
power always means destructiveness;
it does not. Most often it means
creativeness, and the peak of creative
power is to make man captain and
master ftf Isis own late and destiny.
FALLACY POINTED OUT
The third argument against a Per
sonal God is that: "The doctrine of
a personal god interfering with natu
ral events could never be refuted in
the real sense by science, for this
doctrine can take refuge in those do
mains in which scientific knowledge
has not yet been able to set foot.”
There are two parts to this argu
ment. _ In the first place, Professor
Einstein thinks that the Providence
of God in ruling His universe is "in
terference with natural events.” In
other words, he thinks of God in re
lation to the universe as he thinks of
Mr. Ford in relation to General
Motors. Certainly, it would be "in
terference” for Mr. Ford to introduce
changes into the 1941 Chevrolet. But
would it be “interference” if Mr.
Ford introduces new patterns into his
1941 Ford? The fallacy of Professor
Einstein is to assume that an author
may not proof-read his own book,
an aviator-inventor may not take the
controls of his own plane, and that a
mother may not feed her own child
ren. God is not interfering with
someone else’s universe. And, inci
dentally, all that Professor Einstein
told .us about the universe, he did
not invent. He discovered it, but
the laws were there before he un
derstood them. If I see a television
set for the first time and grasp its
workings I must not believe that I
dispensed witlt the inventor. I dis
covered a plan because an inventor
Put it there.. Now Professor Einstein
might ask himself if there is no Per
sonal Intelligent God behind (a) the
cosmos, (b) the human mind, how
can he discover a reason can be
trusted? How can irrationality be
the foundation of rationality
The second half of the argument is
that the philosopher who believes in
a personal God takes refuge in a way
of knowing where science cannot set
foot. Most certainly! Only mater
ial things and their manifestations
are open to scientific investigation.
You can experiment only with the
experimentable. I know “Justice”
in another way than I know the
"Gallup poll.” Virtue cannot be
studied like sulphuric acid. We
cannot put a man into a cauldron and
boil him until he gives forth the un
mistakable green fumes of moral de
pravity. The false assumption be
hind the argument is that the only
knowledge is experimental know
ledge. Therefore, there never was
a Fall because no one found the core
of the apple Adam ate. The doctor
can find nothing wrong with my
crankcase, . therefore, Charlie Mc
Carthy still loves Edgar Bergen.
All that we are contending is that
the principle of causality by which
we can reason to the personal God
from the visible world is itself not
an experimental principle, and no
science can overthrow it. In other
words, there is a double kind of
knowledge: the knowledge of the
"how” and the knowledge of the
"why”. The -first limits itself to
the experimental, the second to the
rational, and the "how” does not
nullify the “why”, nor the “why”
the "how”. It might be well to re
call that Professor Einstein himself
made the same distinction we are
making. When discussing the problem
of absolute simultaneity. Professor
Einstein said “such simultaneity was
logically unverifiable and practically
unverifiable.” When philosophers
say the idea of a personal God is
arrived at by logical principles rather
than by experimental methods. It
seems a little thshoaest jot the Pro-
JAMES T. MONAHAN
DIES IN NEW YORK
SAVANNAH, Ga.— News of the
death in New York of James T.
Monahan, Sr., formerly of Savannah,
has been received here.
A native of Ireland, Mr. Monahan
operated a blacksmith shop for many
years and later entered the insurance
business. .
He is survived by two daughters,
Mrs. Carl Moss, of Savannah, and
Mrs. Catherine Altman, and a son, J.
T. Monahan, Jr., both of New York.
CHARLES RAYMOND JOHNSTON
FATALLY INJURED
SAVANNAH, Ga.— Charles Ray
mond Johnston, employe of the Geor
gia Power Company died August 18
from injury received in a fall from
an electric pole, where he was en
gaged in repairing damage done by
the hurricane.
He is survived by his mother, Mrs.
Alice E. Johnston; four sisters. Mrs.
R. E. Stradtman, Mrs. John R. Jarvis.
Miss Gertrude Johnston, and Miss
Helen Johnston: five brothers,
Joseph E., James H.. William F.. Rob
ert D., and Richard M. Johnston; and
other relatives.
Mr. Johnston was a member of the
Cathedral parish.
M. F. Atwood, of Jacksonville; and
two brothers, James J. Tully and
Emmett G. Tully, both of Jackson
ville.
Mr. Tully was a graduate of Bene
dictine school and the University of
Georgia, and had been associated
with the Colorado State Highway
Department.
MARTIN S. DOYLE
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Martin Stephen Doyle, sales
manager of the Georgia Supply Com
pany, who died suddenly September
8. were held from the Sacred Heart
Church.
Mr. Doyle, who was forty - seven
years old, had been associated with
the Georgia Supply Company for
twenty-five years. He was a native
of Savannah, the son of the late (-aw-
rence T. Doyle and Mrs. Anne Mc
Cormick Doyle. His wife, who was
the former Miss Helen Hogan, died
some eight years ago.
Surviving are a daughter. Miss
Helen Martin Doyle, a brother, Jo
seph V. Doyle, of New York, and a
niece and a nephew.
He was a member of the Rotary
Club, the Oglethorpe Club and
Chatham Post, American Legion.
WILLIAM H. STARRS
DEATH IN SAY’ANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral ser-
\ices for William M. Starrs were held
from the Sacred Heart Church, Sep
tember 2.
Mr. Starrs, ,a native of Savannah, is
survived by his wife, Mrs. Annie
Whitty Starrs: four sons, Peter J.,
Joseph A., and John J. Starrs. Sa
vannah, and William A. Starrs. Jack
sonville Beach; four daughters. Miss
Mary Starrs, Jacksonville, Miss Rita
Starrs, Miss Anna Starrs, and Mrs.
Henry J. Moore, all of Savannah:
nine grandchildren and several nieces
and nephews.
Mr. and Mrs. Starrs celebrated their
golden wedding anniversary last
April. He was, a member of the
Holy Name Society of St. Patrick's
Church.
PATRICK J. COFFEE
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Patrick J. Coffee, who died
September 9, after an illness of sev
eral weeks, were held from the Ca
thedral of St. John the'Baptist.
Mr. Coffee, a native of Savannah,
had been connected with the South
Atlantic Steamship Company since
1927.
He held the rank of engineer with
the company. He had formerly been
cennected with the Ocean Steamship
Company. He was a member of the
American Legion and Spanish - Am
erican War Veterans.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Annie
E’ice Coffey: three sons, Malcolm J.
Coffey, of Charleston, Francis J. Cof
fey and Patrick J. Coffey, Jr., both
of Savannah; two daughters. Mrs.
Albert Koehler, of San Pedro. Cal,
Miss Rose Mary Coffey, of Savan
nah; two brothers. William Coffey
of Augusta and Thomas Coffey, of
Savannah; two sisters, Mrs. Rose
Rice and Mrs. Fred Roberts, Augus
ta.
ser-
who
the
DANIEL C. TULLY’
DIES IN COLORADO
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Daniel C. Tully, formerly
of Savannah, who died in Colorado
Springs, September 13, were held in
St. Mary's Church in that city.
Survivors include two sisters. Mrs.
John Paul Jones, Savannah, and Mrs.
stroys the
causation.”
answered:
nonsense,
fessor now to say that this knowledge
keeps one in the dark” while the
other knowledge alone is "clear
light”. I know that Professor Ed
dington and Jeans once said that ’he
"Principle ol Indeteiminancy de-
case for absolutely strict
But Professor Einstein
"This is not merely
but objectionable non
sense.” In other words, there are
some principles of thought which are
beyond the field of experimental
science. Why Professor Einstein
should say now that these same prin
ciples "keep us in the dark” is, to
quote the eminent Professor him
self, “not merely nonsense, but ob
jectionable nonsense.”
OWN WORDS QUOTED
The Professor once wrote: "When
a man is talking about scientific sub
jects, the little word T should play
no part in his exposition.” When
therefore the Professor said in his
recent lecture: “I am persuaded
the behavior of the representative of
religion is unworthy in advocating a
personal God” we may rightfully
conclude that he is not talking scien
tifically. Why should Professor Ein
stein be so scientific and insist on
factual evidence when he writes on
science, and be so confusing in his
popular lectures? He is puzzled
Kimself, for he once wrote: "There
are scientific writers who are illog
ical and romantic in their popular
books, but in their scientific works
they are acute logical reasoners.”
The professor concludes his paper
saying that he thought the future of
mankind depends on "a striving after
rational knowledge.” At last we
agree. The Council of the Vatican
as far back as 1870 said the same
thing. Mgn have gone so mad over
the experimental knowledge they
have forgotten the reaches of -reason.
It is with a note of regret that the
Professor ended his lecture with the
reflection that- he would not win his
hearers to his belief, "even to a slight
degree.” That is true, Professor.
But the reason will not be because
you are not the world’s greatest
scientist You are. It will be be
cause when you stepped out of your
laboratory you failed to use “ration
al knowledge."’
THOMAS P. JOHNSON
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
.SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral
vices for Thomas P. Johnson,
died August 24, were held from
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
Mr. Johnson, a native of Savannah,
is survived by eight sons, John F.
Johnson, Thomas E. Johnson. Herbert
Johnson, Leo A. Johnson, Henry J.
Johnson, William F. Johnson. James
J. Johnson, and Bred P. Johnsonj
four daughters. Mrs. Mary E. Mur
phy, Mrs. Carl Gerken. Mrs. Helen
Harper, and Miss Catherine Johnson;
three sisters, Mrs. Alice Johnston,
Mrs. Maude Lorentzson and Miss
Frieda Johnson, and nine grandchil
dren.
MRS. FRANK GODDARD
DIES IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH. Ga. -— Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. Katherine Schule*
Goddard, widow of Frank Goddard;
whose death took place August 25,
were held from the Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist.
Mrs. Goddard formerly lived in
Charleston and had many relativw
and friends in that city.
MRS. JEROME STERNBERG
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral sear-
vices for Mrs. Annie Sternberg, who
died August 3, were held from the
Sacred Heart Church.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Stem-
berg is survived by one son, Jerome
Steinberg, Jr. one daughter, Eda
Annie Stei nberg; three brothers, Doty
Lamon, both of New York City, and
one sister, Mrs. N. Tucker, of Starke,
Fla.
FRANK L. FOSBERRY
FUNERAL IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Frank L. Fosberry were
held from the Cathedral of St. John.
the Baptist. Mr. Fosberry, formerly
of Charleston, died in -Augusta on
September 2.
He is survived by two sisters. Mr*.
W. S. Davis, of Charleston; Mrs. R.
P. Wells, ef Arlington, Va.; two
brothers, George F. Fosberry, Jr., of
New York; James J. Fosberry, at
Washington, and several nieces and
nephews.
LOUIS J. HOLEC,
THU "RBOLT, DEAD
SAVANNAH, Ga—Funeral service*
for Louis J. Holec, of Thunderbolt,
who died September 12, were held
from the Church of the Blessed Sac
rament-
ANDREW S. APREA
DIES IN VIRGINIA
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Funeral services
for Andrew S. Aprea, formerly of Sa
vannah, who died September 21 in
Hampton, Virginia, were held from
the Sacred Heart Church here.
REV. 3. J. WALLACE, S. J., of
Loyola University of the South, of
fered the prayer at Liberty Monu
ment in New Orleans where exer
cises marked the fifty-sixth anniver
sary of the Battle of September 14,
which broke carpet-bag rule in Lou
isiana. .
Governor Sam Houston was the
principal speaker at the exercise*