Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-12-27

ATHEISM AND IDOLATRY.

An atheist, i'll the commonly re-
cciyed meaning Of the term, is II
who professcGly denies the existence
of any Divine Creator, Prcscrver and
Ruler Of the Universe, and Who openly
declares that there is no being who can
claim from man the duty OF reverence
and worship. An idOlator. OH the
| other hand. makes 10 such denial, and
acknowledges the duty of worship, but
bcstows upon unworthy and inferior OBJ
icctS that outward alteration and hon.
are which is due 10 an Infinite God.
lii our land. however, there are few
persons who would answer tC either Of
these descriptions. a. nearly all unite
in an expressed belief in a Divine
| EcinG. mNl in mans consequent duty
Of allegiance and worship. If the ut
tcrancc of tie lips aid The workings Of
| the heart always were il unison, atllc-
ism and iGclatry might be said TO be
banisilcd from OR community. Ent if
we Judge by the heart as expressed lii
the life, rlt5cr than by the avowci
| opiJioi,s and beliefs Of man, we shall
| nlrl both sill among us. Real or
practical atheism may be said to be the
a'.seiice from the mind a any object
| of worship. He Who lives wholly TO
himself, with ITO abiding sense of rev
| crcncc oraSpiration 70 anything higher,
is truly and practically a. atheist.
tion%h he may lcvCtc hours to the pro-
fcS ion Of correct opinions and to out
warl acts Of nbsc4rious homage.
Where the chief aim of life is to %aia
personal case or wealth. or dignity;
where the engagements That give tie
most delight, and The cnioymcmts that
arc most kcenly rclisheJ, are such rs
centre and terminate i'll self alone ;
where the aim is TO have rather tIIaiito
be. to acquire rather than 10 beGtow;
where justice is performed only for the
sake OF reputation, and mercy shown
Only inr applause; where, in short, the
faculties are all brought to bear upon
The service Of sell-thcrc is practical
atheism, dcbasing 10 the individual and
destructive TO society, Even the SEEM
ing respect which is 81 often shown to
those who have superior outward adj
vant2geS, JAS i'll it nothing Of true rev.
c~rence-iG Is but the sign Of the value
SCI upon possessions rather than attTi-
bates, and is only another form Of self
worship.
II. Judged by this standard, practical
atheism is still rife in our land, still
more prevalent shall we find practical
idolatry. Idolatry Is q step in advance
CT atheism. The dcvcut Himdoo. who
p~ro.tratcS himself before 4 scnselcss
imaGc Of wood or stone, has at least
the ~yclrning Tor something out Of and
above himself. and in this, is higher in
tic scale Of humanity than one III any
such there be) who knows no such
~ycarnings. So. whenever VIC look be-
You'd ourselves for objects Of love and
reverence, though We may not rcccg-
nize them in their true rank Of excel
le.Ice, or though we may fail In dis
corning the highest and worthieSt, yet
we are so far in advance Of those whose
aim and hopes center IN themselves.
All conceptions of the Infinite Being
VINO claims our highest reverence must
necessarily fall short of the reality.
orr minds being finite and limited, but
when we place IS our chief objects Of
reverence anything lower than the
highest to'wlIicli our minds can attain,
and worship what is incomplete, nc-
sided and partial. we then fall into what
may be called practical idolatry.
I'm or own personal characters, 1t Is
in the combination of the elements of
goodness. In the gradual and s.ymmet-
.rical unfolding of every part OF our
nature. in the constant watchliilness
against ~ncglecting or despisins any
atom of goodness, or eXalting M vir-
tue to the depression of another. in the
union of private and public duties. in
guarding and aiding the weak, respect,
ing the aged, and honoring truth and
virtue. whatever the dress they wear,
that we learn both to realize in idea,
and to approach in character, to the
purity and perfection oftlle One worthy
Of our devotion and worship.