Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-02-21

up their real meaning--that is. tell wha
they are, and whether they belong to fac
or fiction, or are to be understood by tn
judgment or the imagination--thi sam
critical sense has taken hold of the dogma
that have come down to us claiming to b
the truths Of religion, and asks SQUARED
and pointcdly. what do they mean and ar
they true? What do you mean, we are ASK
ed, when you say the Bible is inspired
What do you mean when you say it is in
fallible? What do you mean by total dt
pravity. by atoncmcnt. by regeneration
What do you mean by the resurrection an
the Judgment? What do you mean b.
eternal punishment? Is there literal hcl
Of fire and birthstone: Are those who di
in their sins to be punished cternally? /
there no possible hope for their refOrma
ton, or that the love of God may some
how reach them in the long. long ages O
eternity? And not a few to whom thcs
questions are asked. are compelled to s:.
that so far rs mental perception of thei
immense magnitude is concerned, they llat
really never come to look at them. or t
weigh their meaning before. And thus. i
seems to me. are we coming into almost /:
new age-an age OF realization. And th;!
new age is full of wonderful mental activ
ity, and power. and courage. 1t is full OF
qslcstionngs On all subjects. and especially
does it seem intent upon knowing the re;.
truth. and the whole truth about religion
And there is no history or sacred book sc
old as TO escape the witness stand. There
is no dogma. however sheltered by the de-
crees ofpopes. or the decisions of councils
that must not answer 1T the call of this
modern court of truth. And there is nc
power that can stay this spirit OF inquiry.
Once the civil power could interfere: now
that very power guarantees the right o:
private opinion. Once the church could
deter by Il sense of reverence. or sacred
ness. or by the fear of prosecutions. or OF
some future punishment for opinions. how
ever honestly held. But that day is past.
do not think that our age has lost It's rev.
erence for things sacred. nor its reverence
for truth; but it wants TO be very certain
that what is called sacred is sacred, and
what is called truth is truth, before it sets
up an altar of worship.
This state Of the public mind is not re-
ga!aled alike Gy all relig;onis,s even. nor by
all dOubters. There are some in tie churcl.-
es end in the ministry who affect TO ignore
it altogether. and TO go on just rs if no
questions were asked. Others. us the Ro-
manists. attempt to reprcss inquiry. Still
others content themselves with supposing
that what has SO long been held TO be true
must be true. and unite to call all doubt
ers ignorant, or wilfully wicked. Others
least giving away in any one point that it
will be like break in dam. and that the
rising watc-s will sweep everything before
them. Among the skeptics there are those
who foresee the speedy downfall Of all re-
ligion: others think tIat although they
have gone far enough to satisfy themselves
that religion is a delusion, yet it is a neces-
sary dclnsion. and they will say nothing
about it. but let the clergy 60 on and prac-
tice their ignorant but innocent. and upon
the whole. rather useful deceptions. Such
men rs DR.. Hammond regard the whole
scene rs in the simple order of the world s
growth. Its childhood age needed, and
needing it. had its childhood stories. and
fables. and beliefs in the supernatural and
in spirits. and all such things; but with the
coming OF manhood all these must give
place 10 the solid facts of experience and
demonstration. and that TIE world will
soon settle down to cold, positive ma
torial philosopl,y-souliess. Goddess.
Several things seem evident to me. The
first is. that it is useless to ignore the fact
that our age is looking the whole question
of religion sguarcly in the face. and with q
power and fearlessness of thought and
critical realization Of facts never before
known. And this is only the beginning.
Where there is one mind at work now.
there will be ten mt work next year. and Il
hundred more The next. and so on Again
think it is useless 10 shut our eyes to the
fact that there IS very general and wide
spread dOubt and distrust as TO the author
ity and reliability OF religious teachings
There is even most painful misgivings in
TIE minds of many religious teachers
themselves. and every now and then is
made /. public remuneration Of what they
had once accepted us true. And still an
other thing: Professionalism, more than al
other religious agencies. has set this spirits
of individuaIism, this spir:: of personal in
u,,:ry to work and Professionalism. NOR.
than all others, must stand by it and see i
through.
Now. let us look around and see in wha
shape the churches are, and what they arr
doing. and what they ought to do to NEE
these new conditions and these new de
mands.
The most painful thing in the whole out
look is the disadvantage at which truth j.
put. and the disadvantages at which indivl
ial minds are put by reason of sectarlan
ism. In the controversial days of the past
special religious ideas sought shelter il
new organizations. and these new organi
ZJtiOllS NCiC 'ttiuSN liuO lOAtS vi uC1CuSt
The children who were born in these fort
naturally enough took up with their ideas
and their warfare against all others. And
hence you will see that individual mind
are bound by the power Of organization
and by this power set to fighting speci.'
dogmas instead of entering the broad iiel,
OF truth. If one WAS born. or by any 9th
er means got into Calvinistic fort, or
Baptist fort. OR an Episcopal fort, he mus
use the guns of that fort. or get out of it
No matter if the whole community o
open-visioned men and women see tha
those guns are useless, and that their nois!
ring has long aimee ceased to do any COOL
still he must load and shoot, or himself b.
shot as hereto. You say. why don't h'
go to some other fort. Yes, leave the ar
tillery for the navy, or Michigan City fo
Joliet. fssfE,