Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-08
SCIENCE AND RRLXGEOE-THE
TERT

The Sunday morning in christian lands
presents very different aspect to any other
morning of the week Work and the eager
struggle for money are suspended, and time
Is given to go to churches which. in the ag-
greGate, cost much money to build, and still
cost large sums to support and TO carry on
the object for which they were built. Ia the
commercial sense of the term, the seventh
part of our time, which is given up to the
claims OF the Sunday, is lost, and the large
expenditure, church edfces, church services,
church institutions and church benevoence
''does not pay" Why are such great sacri-
fees of time, labor and money made for which
no return comes in our profit accounts? They
are made in obedience to the claims of re-
igion, and all over the earth, IN some form,
similar sacrifices are made, and have
been in all the ages history tells
of. This unitarian, question-askiDg age is
busily inquiring whether religion is worth the
large appropriation of capital made to it, and
which pays no percentage. Many of the men
OF science, many of the men of the higher
criticism-espeeially in Germany-all the In
gersolis, whoar heterogeneous conglomera-
ton hard to class, say religion is not worth
what it costs, but, on the contrary, that Jail
religion Is an error, mistake, and, often, a
fraud. Now, which is right? To answer
this question, we must consider the bearing
of both on the three great problems of human
existence: whence came I?' "Why am |
hereP" WHITTIER am going2" To these
questions religion responds, and, in so doing
Iicglst nd r-1o
ous-upon human life, and sets definite end
as consequence, a specific object as the aim
of human existence. The classes that DO not
admit the theory that religion is the best
guide of human action, assert that
the various religious systems claim
ing mans reverence are all wrong,
and that the light they throw upon human
existence IS illusory and false. The positive
communications made by religion are denied,
and much learning and eloquence are ex-
pended in demonstrating to believers that
they are the dupes of myths, frauds, legends,
and blunders Of ignorance. When they have
succeeded in persuadmg a neophyte that all
the attirmatons he has received were base
less, he stands before them stripped of ali
knowledge applicable to the elementary prob
lens OF human existence. Whether there
be creator or future life he cannot tell.
Whence ne came-Why he is in the world
whittier the current of years Is conducting
him, are all insolubie problems. The neo.
phyte turns to his instructor and saws: "You
have taught me whatI must not believe; now
want to know something positive-what l
must believe" He then finds his instructor
to be as ignorant as he has become himself.
and is referred to The great discoveries of
science as the best guide and teacher with
which ages and events have endowed hu-
mainly. He enters on the fascinating and
instructive study. He fathoms the depths
Of space with the astronomer; he dives
below the surface of the earth
with the geologist; he investigates
the facts of natural history, he searches into
the mystery OF his own being with the anat-
omlst, the Psychologist, and the Psychologist.
Having done this, can he tell the whence, the
why, snd the whittier of human life? No
more than he could when first his preceptors
stripped him bare of the vesture of religion.