THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, NOVEMBER 15, E. M. 300 (1900.)
Universality
of Religion, the same class, things that have no
the United States, France, or Ger-' the living and non-living is merely
W h a t is it W orth?
relation to each other. Conse-
o u e u tlv
a ll th a t t h i. „ t
and ,hey are le88 advanced a convenient one, and that between
quently,
all
that
th.s
universality
I
in
the
arts
of civilisation. It is in the two great classes of facts there
BY C. COHEN.
--------
o reeigious teliets means is that, the most advanced countries that is no real break We do not know
H hat is called by one prominent
7j*,?vmiUd, . eVI; r y " 'hcre we tind scepticism strongest; fo r the exact relation between molecu-
wnter the universal testimony of ' “^ ™ a l l y
alike the same scepticism is, as Buckle said, not lar movements in the brain and
the human consciousness to the 8eneral conclusions have always the result of progress, but its essen- nervous structure and thought al-
certitudes of religious truth” is a been drawn from the same general tial condition.
though here again there can be lit
favorite plea among all orders of conditions. Were it otherwise the
So that, in place of the formula tle doubt that the relation between
religious advocacy.
From the uu*f°r,nRy of mental operations that the truth of religion is demon
the two is that of organ and func
street-corner evangelist, whose wou^ be non-existent, and a Sci- strated by its universality, we may,
tion. Still, so long as our knowl
mental condition is far more path ence of mind impossible.
with the historic process in our edge is not exact on these point*, it
One might be inclined to place mind’s eye, lay down the counter
ological than normal, to the highly-
will always give a chance for the
placed and highly-paid professor, more reliance upon the argument proposition, that the whole devel religionist to use the ignorance of
who veils his general disbelief in fi'om the universality of religious opment of the race is a march Science as the warranty for his
religious doctrines by emphasizing beliefs, if these were always, or even from 1 hei.sm in the direction of own beliefs—a chance that he is
his special disbelief in a too com generally, adopted by people when practical Atheism. If man is re never slow to avail himself of. To
plete trust in human reason, there they had reached years of mental ligious in the earlier stages of his the thoroughly religious mind, a
is the same triumphant appeal to maturity. But this is far from be history, he becomes less so in his word is usually as good as an ex
the universality of religious beliefs ing the case. Among a civilized latter phases. Such religion as he planation; and the word “God”
among mankind. So far as it goes people religious beliefs are never posses now is not a product of pres —that asylum of ignorance, to use
this universality is a fact. That adopted as the result of knowledge ent-day knowledge, but a legacy Spinoza’s phrase—may continue to
the majority of people, past and or reflection. They find them from a less civilized phase of ex do duty in these departments until
present, have indulged in some selves in possession of these beliefs, istence. As man carries in his a more complete development
sort of religious belief is a state and reason on them afterwards. physical structures rudimentary drives it from these, as it has been
ment that none will be inclined to Under all the specious excuses put organs that are to the scientist un driven from others.
deny, however differently they may forward by men and women why mistakable evidences of his animal
Apart, thereiore, from the ques
interpret the phenomena.
The they retain their religion lies the origin, so he carries in his emotion tion of whether the decline of relig
mere existence of religious beliefs basal fact that it was impressed al and intellectual nature traces of ion is to be hailed with acclama
is indisputable; their influence on upon them before they were .old irrational and savage beliefs. Aud tion or faced with fear, its exis
human affairs is unmistakable; but enough to intelligently question its just as these physical structures tence is a demonstrable fact. The
whether these beliefs are solidly on teaching.
have dwindled owiug to disuse, so gods grow fewer in number, poorer
the essential facts of human na
But whatever satisfaction any re religious beliefs have been, and in quality, and more limited in
ture, whether influence has been ligionist may derive from the fact are, steadily losing their force in their jurisdiction. If they are not,
universally for good, with the rela that the majority hold some kind the face of developing knowledge. like Alexandria, sighing for more
tive streugth of these beliefs in un of religion—and to the average in A brief glance at any, or all of worlds to conquer, they are at least
civilized and civilized times, are dividual there is a sheep-like feel these sciences will demonstrate dying for want of a dominion to
questions to which the religious ad ing of satisfaction in the feeling this. There is no science that has rule over.
A king without a
vocate seldom addresses himself, that he is one of a crowd—this feel been so closely er.tertwined with | 1 *irone is uonenity. A God that
and beside which their mere uni ing might be weakened by another religious beliefs as has been astron- j 38 no ^iand >n the regulating of
an “Surdity; and
versality is of trifling importance. consideration that is equally patent omy. Not merely in the purely "i? ? * ? ° rld
although
we
may
not perceive the
For, to the Scientific student, — that is, that the more civilized savage state, where the stars and i ridiculous nature of
such a deity at
this universality of religious beliefs a people pecome, the less hold has planets are frequently regarded as ! once, it forces itself on public at-
is not only not surprising, but, if religion upon them. Among sav actually living beings, but among tendon sooner or later. To the ar-
it were otherwise, much of our pres ages the belief in supernaturalism comparatively advanced people, a 8ument then, that the vast majori-
ent reading of primitive human is pretty general. The few excep close relationship existed. Today I
always have believed
y I m religion, we need only point to
history would be altogether at tions that were thought to exist he e is no science that is so , free
i the conditions that gave religion
fault. We have long outgrown the have been shown to be not such, from supernaturalism. The bril- birth. To those who plead that a
belief that religions are manufact theconfusiou arising from investi liant generalizations of Kepler, J larg« number still believe in it, we
ured articles designed with an eye gators either not enquiring deeply Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, L a-!Ca"
l^at they do so in a de
to promoting the interests of priests enough or else restricting the mean place, have forever reduced all
The Sr(Jwlh of
,
,
,
la®
race
is
from
supernaturalism
to
and kings—although such a view ing of religion to its higher and lat astronomical phenomena to prob- I naturalism.
The Theist, there-
of the matter was far more fre er manifestations. Savage life pre lems of physics.. Geology, because (fore, is not merely combating an
quently attributed by religious ad sents us with the picture of trilies a much younger science than as-< . rguwent> he is fighting and seek
vocates to their critics, than it was of people whose lives are absolutely tronomy, was never so completely ing to reverse the whole process of
Free
held by the critics themselves. To governed by superstitions of some theologized; but the reduction of mental evolution.—[The
thinker.
us religious beliefs are natural and form or other. And every step of the causes of all geologic phenome
inevitable expressions of mental their subsequent development in na to purely unconscious forces
W as it C hristian?
culture at one stage of human de- volves a repudiation of some por has wiped out the modern text
velopraent. They are as natural tion of their religious beliefs. The books the many references to the!
^*88 f)u°w, a Chinese mission-
to the childhood of the race as are planting of crops, the breeding of power and majesty of Deity that ar^’ *nstead of having been massa-
measles or scarlet fever to the in- cattle, the building of boats, the made earlier ones ridiculous. Re- jcre^ hy the Boxers, lately arrived
fancy of the individual. The hu- first faltering steps that man takes ligious beliefs never linger long *n San F rancisco on the way to her
man mind, whether it be civilized in any and all of the arts and sci- where knowledge is in any degree home in Albany, N. Y. Imbued
or uncivilized, expresses the same ences, involve a closer study of the exact; always and everywhere the w’^h the spirit of revenge, she is
general laws in its phenomena; and natural properties of things, and extent to which man has invoked r,'Porte(I have said in an inter-
exactly the same mental processes consequent diminution of the area God to account for what he saw ! v,ew:
that lead a modern scientist to as- over which supernaturalism rules, was in exact proportion to his ig-! * There is no use talking settle-
sociate the movement of the plan- In the history of any single nation, uorance concerning it.
WH have the heads of
1
rince
1
uan
aud of the empress
ets with the same force that gov- as in the history of the race at
In the Sciences that deal speci dowager. It is foolish to think of
erns the fall of a stone, led our large, to become civilized is to be- fically with living beings theology honest peace while they are living.
primitive ancestors to read their come dereligionized; and the more has lingered longer, because here In my judgement they should be
own will and intelligence into na- complete the process of civilization the phenomena are much more beheaded before negotiations for
peace are
into. the That ¡sail
ture at large, and afterwards to becomes, the greater amount of un- complex the causes are more o b -|Ihave
t0 entered
aay ab(),u
tremble before and worship the belief existing. The most advanc- scure, and exact knowledge is not troubles in Pekin.”
creations
«r j of t their own j imagination,
w
,
| ed nations
. of , the world
.. today * are ?° ea8’*y reached.
We do not
Othersareprobablybetterquali-
We do not reason differently to not, as is often said, the most j know the exact manner in which fied than we to determine whether
unc.vil.zed people; we have only Christian; they are the least so. life originated, although there ex- the missionary
exhibited genuine
learned to group our experiences Russia and Spain are far more re-1 ists no doubt, to a really Scientific; Christianity in her desire I
more accurately, and not place in ligious than either Gr.at Britian,1 mind, that the distinction between I blood —[Ex