The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-18
THE RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT and NJ.
MIN CONDUCT

| kblhN on WiNDNl tiliHIuhl ODuoStion III cllifI
| country Tho prevailing tendency Of phio
sophical speculation toward tho denial Of u
personal God Of n future life, and OF the reality
| II divine revelation. meets with no ohock from
| any philosopher OF cmincncc; whilc the effort
| now making in 80 m9ny quarters 10 persuade
| tho masses that religion and it, teachings
| are human Inventions, tho product Of an inn
| perfectly developed era. and destined ~ disap-
| pear with the progress Of enlightenment, IL not
| checked from the quarter whore we havo right
! to look Tor IT, permanent suppression. Tho
! clergy. the official defenders OF religion. socm
! TO be- either unable TO do anything in its behalf.
or unwilingto exert Themselves. and thoughtful
minds Hro anNiou-ly induiring what is 20
become oi society If religion should finally
! Weld to tho attacks 81 science. Tho pre-
/ Vtiiing opinion is that the destruction Of
/ religion would be- followed by the de-
strucuon of practical morality and tho
disruption Of all social ties. or NJ least by
the substitution of cold principle of self
interest for thr beautiful spirit ~ charity. Nero
reason, IL is .tid cannot be- relied on a. -ubduo
! The passions. much loss Ia implant tho pentl,r
| virtues and whenever the restraints which re-
| llion imposes shall be- removed. mankind will
| fall hask into barbariem This IL The burden Of
TIL donun.iations from the pulpit of scicn'in'
/ rAtiOnaiism, and about the only argument the
clergy hud to usc against il.
! Considering the Immense interests involved.
and the awful nature Of tho threatened calam-
/ iiy. 1t may not be altOgetter prohtlo-s ID
examine into the matter. and 10 inquire
earnestly whether II religion should ever
Ill" oui ON earth civilized slri'ty would die
with H. l. the assertion truo that tho religious
| sentiment is tho only suro basis Of right con-
duct. and that ii it bo destroyed there is
nothing which can nm Us place ~ an incentive
] In la a. .I..t T..
the cnfcobcm'nt and possible overthrow OF
the prevailing faith. 1t will not bee unrcas,n-
| able to ask whether that faith be- So indi-ponsa-
/ bic that In case men uuder the influence OF
scientific teaching. should at some future time
. discard il altos Their. the consequences would
/ hc ~ disastrous A. We think.
1t is undoubtedly true that something moro
than an abstract knowledge Of the rules - right
| conduct Is necessary To- insure obedience TO
thom. We may see the better course and ap-
prove it, and set a. the poet says. we may FOL
| low The worse. oar convictions Il what we
ought TO 10. both ior our own welfare and that
of our follow mon. may h' oyer so clear and yet
we may lack tho necessary impulse To- conform
/ our actions 10 them. especially when such con-
formity Is opposed by our basor app'tit"s
This NODDED Impulse religion az present Affords.
Tho fear and the love 81 "a personal God who
has forbidden the wrong and commanded the
/ right AMI who Possesses the will AMI the power
- punish IT'S. both ia this world and in n world
to come. for our d.-ob,dcnce. steps in To- spur
our tagging conscience and to check the pas.
-ious which would hinder it, FREQ activity
/ beginning NJ the tender and impress bio stage
81 childhood. it, little by ltle. forms our
minds into tho habit 81 regarding certain
things rs unpermlited AMI certain other things
~ obligatory and IN attaching % the comMis-
/ sion OF tho ono class and the omission of tho
/ other IN 'omtortlb" mental sonsations In this
/ way II rreat-s within rs n constantly operating
/ force. melting Us t. ID good AMI % avoid evil.
Besides this. Il incu, 'aies practice u kinln
AMI oensy1leu'' toward 9TH RS. which aids
/ beauty and Sweetness "a life and doeoritcs the
/ rugged shape ~ mere duty with tho cliuging
/ tonlril- q ails tlon. Take AL this away. and
/ put nothing ia its pla 80. and IL must hr conceded
that much evil would result. Non might not
/ plumber. main. anl Kill one another. but they
/ would be like herd of wild animals. each ONO
/ looking ont solely for his own interests AMI
/ maintaining toward the rcst an attitude # d.
/ fan 81 nnl self-deiencc. Tho world would he a
/ far less pleasant pa'e % dw'll IN than II is
! now AMI existence would be far less desirable.
Does s'ieniIi' inn ielity onl IN this As tho only
outfl mo 81 rs lah)rs or ara thnre other forces
| capable Of performing the functions now per-
/ formed by religion AMI. by "a different pro .rs-
| oi q 'rompl'-hing the same purpose:
An analysis Of the operation, ot the rciie Gus
sentiment shows that they consist in appeals
| primarily FOB mans dislike - pain. AMI second
arily To- his desire of pleasure. Prof Max Mul-
| Ter in his recent lectures on tho subject at
tributes the origin Of religion 20 mans son-' -
| the Infinite. but his reasoning is far-ie,'hcd
and unronvlneng. II seems mu n more mt
ural 90 suppose that religion took It's rs3 in our
conviction 81 our own helplcssnc,s and depend
ence and IN our craving for tho help Of u
higher power In our struggle for existence
against untoward crcumstan 'es. our PRINT
| tive ancestors. gaining a preearious living by
! hunting and fishing. or. at q later epoch. by
! ulling the Garth. must nave welcomed the idea
of a superior being. who could insure thcm
success In the chase and send them plentiful
haryests who could euro them OF their Diseases
and maintain them in hoalth aud strength who
| could make them victorious over their human
AS well n over their brute enemies and who.
when this life was ended. could give them
! happy and endless existence in another sphere
| This T. all there l. in the religion
of tho savage Of to-day, AMI it forms
The core of the religion II tho most en-
lghtaned Christian. The idea Of II God
who can punish and reward whose favor pro-
duceS happiness anil whose displcasurc implies
misery lies It the bottom of the min Is ot both.
WpuEh eh'N ~uprflnlpl- upon II a dln3rnnt
fabric. Tho happinea- which the savage covots
may be- a. coarse a. that which the Christian
desires T. refined AMI the OWLS which one strives
To- avoid may he purely physical while those
| dreaded hy the Other are spiritual. but the man
| ner in which these motives act Is similar. The
| question We are discussing. therefore. really
resolves itself into this: Can man fears and
desires be- worked upon by anything else AZ Ell
caciou-y rs by religion. FOR the restraint of his
evil impulses AMI for the development OF his
gentler affections!
That there ara influences othcr than those IT
religion capable Of affecting human conduct
and which do aflcN it to good purpose. daily
experience affords sufficient proof R'spo't
for the usagcs Of polite society which some
times amounts tn superstitious terror. has
often moro control OYER people than any belief
in the supernatural. Tho child. "a soon ~ he
IL old enough to comprehend anything is
taught that ho must do this and must not do
that under penalty oi being pronounced ill
bred, and ms natural impulses are modified II
not altogether suppressed. in obedience t, u
most stringent and Nrannioal social code. II is