04-11-2026, 05:29 AM
Mgr. Louis de Ségur: Short Answers to Common Objections Against Religion
SECOND OBJECTION. THERE IS NO GOD.
Answer. Are you quite sure of that? Who then has made the heavens and the earth, the sun, the stars, man, the world?
Did all these things create themselves? What would you say if some one were to show you a house, and tell you that it made itself? What would you say even if he pretended that it was possible? That he was laughing at you — would you not? or that he was mad; and you would be quite right.
If a house cannot make itself, how much less the wonderful creatures which fill the universe, beginning with our own bodies, which are the most perfect of all! There is no God! — Who told you so? Some thoughtless fellow, no doubt, who had not seen God, and thence concluded that he did not exist. Is there nothing real but that which we can see, hear, touch, or feel? Does not your thought, that is to say, your soul that thinks, exist? It exists so really, and you know it so evidently, that no reasoning in the world could convince you to the contrary. Yet, have you ever seen, or heard, or touched your thought? See, then, how absurd it is to say: There is no God, because I do not see Him.
God is a pure spirit, that is, a being which cannot be brought under the material senses of our body, and which is perceived only by the faculties of the soul. — Our soul is also a pure spirit: God has made it in his own image. Some years ago, when irreligion seemed fashionable, a gentleman of talent was taking supper at the same table with some pretended philosophers who sneered at religion and denied the existence of God. The stranger kept silent. The clock was just striking when his opinion was asked. The stranger pointed to the clock, and said: "Gentlemen, do you hear the sound of that beautiful clock?" "Yes," they replied. "Well," said the stranger, "the various parts that compose that clock fell together of their own accord and produced that wonderful piece of mechanism." "Why, that's absurd," said the would-be infidels. "And not only that," continued the stranger, "but the big town clock which regulates this one, also fell into a happy combination and made itself."
"Still more absurd," replied the infidels, growing somewhat impatient; "we did not expect the amusement of being entertained this evening by an inmate of some lunatic asylum." "But that's not all," said the stranger; " there is a bigger clock than any of these ; it is a town clock for all towns; one, in fact, which regulates all other timekeepers; they call it the clock of the universe. Its great dial, the Sun, appearing regularly morning after morning, awakens, quickens into activity, and regulates the whole world. And yet some lunatics in our asylum claim that this great clock of the universe made itself." The infidels then became quite friendly with the stranger, who explained to them that, just as it is unreasonable and absurd to believe that a clock could exist and keep time without a clockmaker, so it is equally absurd and unthinkable that the earth, moon and stars could exist and move with such clocklike precision around the sun without the work of a Maker's hand. The infidels, seeing at once the force of the argument, admitted that they had never before stopped to consider the matter in that common
sense light.
The belief of our Nation on this point is emblazoned in the dome of the National Library at Washington, in these words of the Holy Ghost: "The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands." (Psalm xviii. 2.)
St. Paul thus points out the existence of God: "The invisible things of Him (His existence, etc.) are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also and divinity; so that they (unbelievers) are inexcusable." (Rom. i. 20.)
Another anecdote is related of the reply of a lady to a celebrated unbeliever of the Voltairian school. He had endeavored ineffectually to convert her to his atheism. Mortified by her resistance, "I could not have believed," said he, "that in a reunion of people of talent I should be the only one not to believe in God." "But you are not alone," replied the mistress of the house; "my horses, my spaniel, and my cat also have that honor; only those poor beasts have the wit not to boast of it."
FATHER KIRCHER AND A YOUNG INFIDEL.
Father Athanasius Kircher, who lived in the seventeenth century, is recognized as one of the greatest scientists of his day. He was in turn a professor of philosophy, oriental languages, mathematics, Egyptology. He was a voluminous writer on mathematics and physical sciences, and his famous work "Mundus Subterranous" was a real cyclopedia, comprising all the geological knowledge of the day. At Rome he collected an enormous museum of scientific instruments, natural objects, models and antiquities, and he himself constructed many wonderful instruments. Father Kircher was the possessor of a magnificent globe representing our planetary system. By means of a secret spring the whole could be set in motion, reproducing in miniature the movement of the earth and the other planets around the sun.
A young friend of the great scientist called one day just as the priest was about to attend a dying woman. Kindly the priest invited the young man to his study, there to await his return. Quite naturally the young man's attention was soon drawn to the splendid globe, and as he was passing his hand over the instrument he accidentally touched the secret spring, starting the whole mechanism in motion. Lost in admiration of this wonderful imitation of the universe, the priest found him on his return. The first question the young man, who by the way was an avowed infidel, asked was: "Father, who is the genius that has made this wonderful instrument?" "Why,"
answered the priest, "nobody made it, it made itself." "Father," said the young man, "you are but trifling with me; it is against reason; it is an utter impossibility that this splendid and wonderful miniature of our universe should have made itself or be the work of chance." "What," answered the priest, "you admit that a genius was necessary to make this poor, insignificant miniature of the vast universe, and yet affirm that the great universe of which a single blade of living grass contains more wonders than this paltry globe, had no maker?" For a moment the young man reflected, then dropping on his knees he uttered his first profession of faith: "My God, I believe."
In plain English, do you know what that boasting phrase: "There is no God," means? Here is a faithful translation of it: "I am a bad man, who am very much afraid that there is some one above who will punish me."
SECOND OBJECTION. THERE IS NO GOD.
Answer. Are you quite sure of that? Who then has made the heavens and the earth, the sun, the stars, man, the world?
Did all these things create themselves? What would you say if some one were to show you a house, and tell you that it made itself? What would you say even if he pretended that it was possible? That he was laughing at you — would you not? or that he was mad; and you would be quite right.
If a house cannot make itself, how much less the wonderful creatures which fill the universe, beginning with our own bodies, which are the most perfect of all! There is no God! — Who told you so? Some thoughtless fellow, no doubt, who had not seen God, and thence concluded that he did not exist. Is there nothing real but that which we can see, hear, touch, or feel? Does not your thought, that is to say, your soul that thinks, exist? It exists so really, and you know it so evidently, that no reasoning in the world could convince you to the contrary. Yet, have you ever seen, or heard, or touched your thought? See, then, how absurd it is to say: There is no God, because I do not see Him.
God is a pure spirit, that is, a being which cannot be brought under the material senses of our body, and which is perceived only by the faculties of the soul. — Our soul is also a pure spirit: God has made it in his own image. Some years ago, when irreligion seemed fashionable, a gentleman of talent was taking supper at the same table with some pretended philosophers who sneered at religion and denied the existence of God. The stranger kept silent. The clock was just striking when his opinion was asked. The stranger pointed to the clock, and said: "Gentlemen, do you hear the sound of that beautiful clock?" "Yes," they replied. "Well," said the stranger, "the various parts that compose that clock fell together of their own accord and produced that wonderful piece of mechanism." "Why, that's absurd," said the would-be infidels. "And not only that," continued the stranger, "but the big town clock which regulates this one, also fell into a happy combination and made itself."
"Still more absurd," replied the infidels, growing somewhat impatient; "we did not expect the amusement of being entertained this evening by an inmate of some lunatic asylum." "But that's not all," said the stranger; " there is a bigger clock than any of these ; it is a town clock for all towns; one, in fact, which regulates all other timekeepers; they call it the clock of the universe. Its great dial, the Sun, appearing regularly morning after morning, awakens, quickens into activity, and regulates the whole world. And yet some lunatics in our asylum claim that this great clock of the universe made itself." The infidels then became quite friendly with the stranger, who explained to them that, just as it is unreasonable and absurd to believe that a clock could exist and keep time without a clockmaker, so it is equally absurd and unthinkable that the earth, moon and stars could exist and move with such clocklike precision around the sun without the work of a Maker's hand. The infidels, seeing at once the force of the argument, admitted that they had never before stopped to consider the matter in that common
sense light.
The belief of our Nation on this point is emblazoned in the dome of the National Library at Washington, in these words of the Holy Ghost: "The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands." (Psalm xviii. 2.)
St. Paul thus points out the existence of God: "The invisible things of Him (His existence, etc.) are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also and divinity; so that they (unbelievers) are inexcusable." (Rom. i. 20.)
Another anecdote is related of the reply of a lady to a celebrated unbeliever of the Voltairian school. He had endeavored ineffectually to convert her to his atheism. Mortified by her resistance, "I could not have believed," said he, "that in a reunion of people of talent I should be the only one not to believe in God." "But you are not alone," replied the mistress of the house; "my horses, my spaniel, and my cat also have that honor; only those poor beasts have the wit not to boast of it."
FATHER KIRCHER AND A YOUNG INFIDEL.
Father Athanasius Kircher, who lived in the seventeenth century, is recognized as one of the greatest scientists of his day. He was in turn a professor of philosophy, oriental languages, mathematics, Egyptology. He was a voluminous writer on mathematics and physical sciences, and his famous work "Mundus Subterranous" was a real cyclopedia, comprising all the geological knowledge of the day. At Rome he collected an enormous museum of scientific instruments, natural objects, models and antiquities, and he himself constructed many wonderful instruments. Father Kircher was the possessor of a magnificent globe representing our planetary system. By means of a secret spring the whole could be set in motion, reproducing in miniature the movement of the earth and the other planets around the sun.
A young friend of the great scientist called one day just as the priest was about to attend a dying woman. Kindly the priest invited the young man to his study, there to await his return. Quite naturally the young man's attention was soon drawn to the splendid globe, and as he was passing his hand over the instrument he accidentally touched the secret spring, starting the whole mechanism in motion. Lost in admiration of this wonderful imitation of the universe, the priest found him on his return. The first question the young man, who by the way was an avowed infidel, asked was: "Father, who is the genius that has made this wonderful instrument?" "Why,"
answered the priest, "nobody made it, it made itself." "Father," said the young man, "you are but trifling with me; it is against reason; it is an utter impossibility that this splendid and wonderful miniature of our universe should have made itself or be the work of chance." "What," answered the priest, "you admit that a genius was necessary to make this poor, insignificant miniature of the vast universe, and yet affirm that the great universe of which a single blade of living grass contains more wonders than this paltry globe, had no maker?" For a moment the young man reflected, then dropping on his knees he uttered his first profession of faith: "My God, I believe."
In plain English, do you know what that boasting phrase: "There is no God," means? Here is a faithful translation of it: "I am a bad man, who am very much afraid that there is some one above who will punish me."
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre