Critical Passages

How to Know of God’s Existence

For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby

The Holy Bible, Translated from the Latin Vulgate (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), Wis 13:5.

The Gentiles’ “first error”: mistaking creation for Creator

it acknowledges that people who worshipped the sun, moon, stars, or elements were at least moved by beauty and power.

But their error was this: They stopped at the creature and did not ascend to the Creator. This is the essence of idolatry:

a failure of metaphysical ascent.

Douay-Rheims Bible Chapter 13

7 For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen. 8 But then again they are not to be pardoned. 9 For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof? 10 But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hand of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand. 11 Or if an artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for the common uses of life, 12 And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat: 13 And taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it, and maketh it like the image of a man: