The Creation of God, Jacob Hartmann [e manga reader TXT] 📗

We know that the composition of the planets that belong to the family of the solar system are the same as that of our own, this earth. All those worlds seem to be constructed of the same chemical elementary substances as this globe of ours, and working on the same general universal plan. That all the planets of the solar system, and the sun itself, possess the same common characteristics as this earth, is evident. The planets all move in the same direction round the sun. They all revolve upon their own axes, and round the sun. They have day and night, seasons and periods of revolution. They have their atmospheres, snows, rings, and all the necessary equipments of a planet proper. They seem to have seas, mountains, valleys, poles, equators, etc.

Some of the planets seem to be in a much higher state of organization than our own.

Take Saturn, for example, with its series of rings and satellites, its immense distance from the sun, 886,000,000 miles, moving at the rate of 22,000 miles per hour, and having a year equal to about 30 years of our globe. He flourishes at a distance from us of about 300,000,000 miles. He has a diameter of 73,000 miles. His volume is 700 times that of the earth, and he receives his light from the sun, just the same as we do. It is admitted by astronomers that the Saturnal scenery is most magnificent, and surpasses anything we are familiar with. The rings form immense arches, which span the sky and shed a soft radiance around; while in the strange beauty of the night eight moons in all their different phases, full, new crescent, or gibbous, light up the starry vault.

We know that the planets are composed of the same elementary substances as this world whereon we live, that they are also surrounded with an atmosphere, have water upon them, receive the sun’s heat, exhibit all the peculiar characteristics of this globe of ours, and all the planets seem to be obeying the same general universal laws.

Can anyone give us a plausible reason why there is no organized vital matter on our neighboring planets—plants, living creatures, similar to those found on this terrestrial globe?

If the elementary substances are the same as those that are found on this earth, and they have a similar sunshine, heat, moisture, and temperature, all the forces may be presumed to be the same or similar. There is no reason that the elements should not enter into organic life of a similar, perhaps either inferior or superior, organization to that existing on this world? What is to hinder them? It is certainly possible, therefore probable. May we not assume that it is both possible and probable? Those on earth who believe that this globe of ours was especially fitted up for us, made for man only, are very presumptuous. There was no special forethought for the adaptation or convenience of creatures like ourselves.

As to the forethought, adaptation, or convenience, the hog, the elephant, the ass, and the fly enjoy their life just as much as men do. It is very convenient for them. But not more so than it is for man, and it is no more convenient for man than it is for the animals. We are certainly nearer the truth to say that the other planets are inhabited by beings, races, that may exhibit as much intelligence as, if not more than, we do on this globe. The conditions of light and heat may not be the same. The other planets may vary in form and structure, and have shapes not at all familiar to us. That, however, does not in any way interfere with the reasonable probability, nay, certainty, that they are inhabited.

Whether they are inhabited or not, matters little. Yet we may safely make the inference that these planets are not simply placed in space for our convenience. May not the inhabitants of Venus, Mercury, Mars, Flora, Mnemosene, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, etc., think that this earth has been created by their respective gods for their convenience? Have they not as much right to have each of them a god as this earth is supposed to have? Has not the god of Jupiter as much right to be proclaimed by a portion of its inhabitants to be the creator of all the planets, sun, moon, and stars, as this sectarian, terrestrial God has?

The right to this power, to this prerogative, is as much vested in the god of Neptune or Saturn, as in this earthly God. Imagine the god of Saturn complacently smiling at the arrogance of this pigmy of a terrestrial god. May not the god of Venus have a preëmptory claim to the godship of this planetary system? Or the god of Uranus, or of any other of the planets? Or possibly every planet has its god that acts as superintendent over his own territory, the laws of gravitation preventing his divinity from leaving his place of abode. Or, perhaps there are no planetary gods—every solar system may have, perhaps, only one god, residing on the great sun himself, communicating directly with all his subject planets by the rays he sends forth. It is not at all unlikely that perhaps every solar system has its god. And over these many solar system gods, somewhere in the immensity of space, a god of immense magnitude may preside. So you may go on multiplying gods, sub-gods and superior gods, without end.

Where do we find that a man, or a set of men, have a right to arrogate to themselves the power or privilege to assume that this terrestrial God has anything at all to say or to dictate on any other planet? This earthly God has no more right to interfere with the business of Mars or Mercury than the god of Saturn has a right to interfere with our earthly affairs.

Should it, however, transpire that any planetary god, whether he comes from Uranus, or Neptune, or any other planet, should interfere, we who were made in his image will assemble in the houses we have built for his sake, for the terrestrial God’s sake, and pass resolutions advising our terrestrial God to say to the other planetary gods: “Hands off, ye gods, if you please! For the sake of peace and harmony among the gods of this planetary system, we, representing this terrestrial God by proxy—since it really makes no great difference in the end of the great gathering-in of the elementary substances all organic beings are composed of—we, the organized elements of this earth, men, animals, plants, etc., more especially the highest organized beings, men, having a more perfected nervous system, being the elect of all terrestrial productions, claim the right to speak for our God, and proclaim to all planetary gods, potentates, majesties, holies of holies, or their representatives, that they have no right whatsoever to interfere with our terrestrial management. We can have our little local pet God or Gods if we desire, so long as our methods do not in any way inconvenience them.”

Let it be taken for granted that the same, elementary substances are found (of which we have evidence) in the sun and all the planets, and probably in the stars we see; that their gaseous fluids and solid substances are of similar nature to the elements known to us; and that they also receive the same sun’s heat (or the distant stars may receive light and heat from some other suns), is it not more than likely that the conditions produced by the contact of these elements with the sun’s heat, may resemble those we are familiar with? If there is heat there must be motion, there must be friction, there must be consumption and expenditure of heat, also expansion and contraction. If these forces exist, other forces necessarily must also exist, as cold from absence of heat, dynamic force, electric and magnetic forces. We may readily suppose that there are currents of air. Water may be agitated by the wind. If atmospheres surround these planets there is only one source of heat that can keep them in a gaseous state, and that is the sun. Heat from the same source keeps the Oxygen and the Hydrogen fluid. If evaporation and consolidation exist why should there not be aqueous vapor, rain, etc.? We must concede that the elements known as Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Carbon are found in these distant planets. We cannot be far wrong in supposing that there are carbonic acid, ammonia, and maybe other combinations. Atoms certainly must exist, and molecules (a drop of water is a molecule). There may also be conductions of heat, of molecular motion. What then is to hinder the evolution of phenomena on these distant planets being regulated by laws very similar to the laws of this earth—radiation and absorption of heat, combustion and explosion, tension and velocity of the various elements, under peculiar circumstances favoring all these conditions? That elements wherever found possess the same physical properties when brought under the same influence of heat and moisture, there can be no doubt, whether they are farther removed, or nearer to the contact of the sun’s rays. It is a fact, a well-established fact, that different substances require varying degrees of temperature to reduce them to a liquid, gaseous, or solid condition, and no matter where the temperature is produced the result will be the same. If, for example, a temperature can be procured on the surface of Uranus, or Saturn, sufficient to melt iron, lead, or silver, these metallic substances will melt at Uranus or Saturn as quickly as on the earth’s surface. The laws regulating radiation, absorption, dispersion, or contraction, or any other phase the elementary substances may assume, under heat or pressure, etc.—these laws will hold good on any of the planets just as well as on this terrestrial planet.

It is therefore far from unreasonable to presume that the organizable elements may have assumed a vitality on the distant planets, evolved and developed creatures in accordance with known laws, or laws that are still unknown to us. Because it is perfectly natural for these substances to organize themselves into life, under a certain degree of temperature, moisture, and electricity, when these necessary elements are present—as natural as that oxygen and hydrogen make water, or that the sun’s heat sets all the elementary substances into a state of activity.

We have no reason to doubt that these planets, or even the sun, have not their own vital products just as well as this earth. These vital products may be of low grade, or of a very highly organized nature. We may assume, without fear of any great error, that wherever there are air and water there is life. Because if there is heat it is a sun’s heat, otherwise there could not be air and water. If there is a sun’s heat, atmosphere, and water, there is certainly life, lowly or highly developed.

The degree of organic development depends on the age of the planet—whether it has been in existence a few millions of years more or a few millions of years loss. These organic forms may have advanced to any degree of perfection and possess qualities like or unlike our own, or they may still exist in a very primitive state of evolution.

Let it be distinctly understood that on the degree of organic development depends whether they have reached our height of perfection of nervous development, or the development of a substance capable of performing functions similar to the brain substance animals are endowed with on this earth, with physiological action the same or similar—whether undergoing gradual changes, and