The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-04
THE RELIGION IoF THE sTARs-


MTarau
PEOPLE as Chlckeripg Hall Would ioIa. n I
Professor Richard A. Proctot oosr,ad
last evening at ChiCkering Hal as ~
Religion OF Astronomy" Almost ateFv
chair in the hall was occupied aS1f n tk
spectators sold many Of the clDlao eatS
alta premium. Professor Pr0cto M not
appear in full evening dress AZ 1oeB
on secular evenings, but wore 6lack
Prince Albert coat and blacH on
course the electric lantern W Nh N AI N ada
use of, but the large white seH WAS
covered with pictures represe1 tisq the
stars and planets, few comets aSd fixed
stars, sun spots and moon spots that
looked like oysters on the half shell.
There we're also several Colored diagrams
showing the appearance of the edge OF
the sun in total eclipse, withigreat red
masses ofmolten fluid spouting up TO q
distance Of $4,000 or 10000 miles.
In, beginning his lecture Professor
Proctor said that in ancient times the
people of the most advanced nations
made the astronomers their priests and
the heavenly bodies their gods. 1t was
interesting to reflect what stronghold
upon mankind the astronomers might
have retained if they had keps their
science secret. Astronomy was the
only science of prediction, and if the as
tronomers had maintained secrecy they
undoubtedly could have established re-
ligion that would have taken much
stronger hold upon the people of the
world than any other religion has yet
taken. In fact, this religion OF astrono.
my was not yet extinct, and it's effects
could be seen every day. To be sure, it
now amounted to little more that su-
perstition, and notable and familiar
example of it was the idea that Friday
was an unlucky day. Even now it was
almost impossible to get sailors to go to
sea on Friday, and great many peo-
die thought that it was unlucky to begin
any kind ofan undertaking on that day.
Professor Proctor then went on to
show how this idea originated. Said he:
"To.day is Sunday. The word Sunday
comes from the sun, which for many
thousands of years was regarded as the
principal God Of the universe. Thiq rs
not strange. Men appreciated Ihe !aUs .sN
that thu earth received iVs nIe lroh tno
sun, that the sun was always at WoTK
shedding light and heat upon. tne eStSH, tS;.
and that without the sun lie on thlS
earth would be impossible. e.. =
The Jewish Sabbath, as every gus
knew, fell upon what we call saturday,
But the idea that the sun was the prln-
Gipal ruler of the universe at length
caused most nations to set apart sunday
as day of rest after six days OF LABOR
Speaking of rest reminded the lecturer
of what appeared to most minds to be an
inconsistency in the account of the Gre
alton as given in the Bible. Many peo.
pie naturally asked how it was that
being with infinite power needed rest
after six days of labor. Doubtless the
theologians could explain this. Recur
ring to "the religion of astronomy, "Prof.
Proctor pointed out the fact that the
seven days of the week were named al
ter the seven different heavenly bodies
which were worshipped by the anCients
as gods or goddesses. In the English
language the names did not show the
connection so clearly, but it was we'll
shown by the names adopted by the
French. Thus LCndi, or Monday, came
from Luna, the moon; Mardi, or Tuesday,
from Mars; Mercredi, or Wednesday,
from Mercury, the messenger of the gods,
Jeudi, or Thursday. from Jupiter, or
Jove; Vendredi or Friday, was from
Venue, and Samedi, which was better
expressed in the English word Saturday,
was from Saturn, which planet was for
a long time regarded as first among the
gods. Jupiter stood next, then the sum
then Mars, Venus, Mercury and lastly
the moon, making seven in all.
To show the strong hold which the
religion of astronomy had taken upon
the minds of men Professor Proctor re.
lated that during the war of England
against the King of Dahomey, a ship had
been fitted out in England with supplies
to relieve the British army, which stood
in great need. The ship was all ready
to sail early on a Friday morning, but
the seamen refused to start on that day.
Consequently a whole day was lost and
the sufferings of the British army in
creased accordingly. But during the late
Zulu war it happened that ship which
WAS loading with supplies for the Brit
ish troops was almost ready to sail on a
Saturday night, and it was left to the,
seamen to decide whether they would
work on the following Sunday in order
that no time might be lost. With very
little hesitation they consented to work
and the ship sailed MondAy morning.
Professor Proctor then turned to the
pictures on the screen, and after point
ing out how insignifCantly small the
earth is as compared with many other
bodies in the solar system, such as the
sun and the great planets Jupiter and
Saturn, spoke of the latter planet in par
ticuiar. Some Of the theological writer's
in their efforts to prove that the solar
system was designed for definite pur-
pose, had said that the object of rings
around Saturn, was to reflect additional
light and heat upon the planet, Saturn
being very distant from the sun. Such
writer's as Drs. Dick and Chalmers had
also said that the moons of Jupiter were
for the same purpose. Their conclusions
we're entirely incorrect, but yet he did
not mean to say that the solar system
and all the stellar systems were not
made for definite purpose. The fact
was that the rings Of Saturn shaded
during half its journey round the sun,
the very part of the planet where heat
was most needed, supposing life to eX'
lat on that planet But all the heat and
light reflected could not amount to one
sixteenth as much as the earth receives
from the moon. The fact was that the
planetSSsturn was not in condition to
be habitable, and would not be for many
millions of years. Her rings would nc
doubt break up some time and form
globes, and these globes would in turr
arrive at state suitable for supporting
animal life as it exists on the earth anC
as it may now exist on some of thu
moons of Jupiter. AS for Jupiter him
SELF it would also be many millions o
wears before he would be sufficient,