Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-05
RArIoxALIsM AND MArER1ALxsM

RATION4LISM AND MATERF4LISM
Now i beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offenses contrary to
the doctrine which We have learned; and avoid
them.-RoMANs XvI:l7.
The growth of materialism in this as we'll
as in the old country has caused many sim
ceye Christians to fear for the permanence OF
the church and of religion. No observer OF
passing events and prevailing public senti-
ment on the subject of religion can deny
that during the past decade the church has
lost much of its influence among the mass
of the people, and that there is no longer
that implicit confidence in the words uttered
from the pulpit or even that faith in the
inspiration of the scriptures that was once
characteristic of the regular attendants upon
the ministrations of the gospel. Men doub!
now where they formerly believed; they dis
pute where they formerly accepted on faith
This is not wholly to bs wondered at foI
many reasons, and the fact is not wholly to
be deplored.
Men in this day and generation are fal
more intellgent.than they.were even gener.
alton ago, and read, think and argue TO,
themselves. They do not accept all the doc
trires and isms that have been taught by
the pulpit for ages as the correct interpreta-
ton Of the will of the deity, but, taking the
scriptures they formulate creed for them
selves based on what their reason teaches
them are the fundamental principles OF
Christianity. They cherish the precepts
taught by the master that tend to make
of all mankind brotherhood, and reject
almost unanimously as repugnant to their
sense of justice and benevolence the doctrine
that the creator is god of hate, visiting
the iniquities of the father upon the chill
dren to the third and fourth generation.
They know. for Jesus has told them, that
the whole duty of man to his fellow
men is comprised in the commandment to
love the LORD with all their soul, mind and
strength, and their neighbcr as themselves,
and that all else is but the invention of men
who gagged their conceptions of deity by
their own marrow minds.
The clergy are doing great deal to pro-
mote the growth Of rationalism. In the
frs. place their lack of sincerity-of earnest
belief in the doctrines they preach, inspires
a distrust not only of their honesty but of
the truths of religion which they profess to
teach. Then they are not content to preach
the gospel Of Christ, but run off after strange
gods. They preach politics, science, domes-
tic, political and social economy, discuss
the latest novel or poem, measure swords
with the notod controversiaIists on this, that
or the other point, and seem to be endeayor-
ing to render truthful Mrs. Partington's def
milton Of church as "a place where the
gospel is dispensed with Intellectual cul-
ture is not inconsistent with Christianity,
but great aid to it, but the instruction of
the mind should not be allowed to entirely
supersede the good Of the soul.
Materialism is no doubt making great
progress. A little of it infused into the
churches might prove of benefit to it. Ger
tainly rationalism is not to be wholly con-
demned. There is SO much that is
Irrational in the teachings of many pulpits
s-"s AZ Al q ACiACA W SS outo1lC anu uodI tI6
same subjects discussed from the standpoint
of reason, and to witness the breaking I'D of
the many craven images that have been set
up to represent some Of the attributes of
deity. It is impossible for intelligent hu
man beings to worship god such as the
creator is pictured sometimes-a spirit pos
sessing all the faults that we have been
taught to bestew upon the evil
one. Reason should be applied
to religious precepts as well as to other
things, and when the seets come to recog-
nize its sway and to separate religion from
superstition-to sift the wheat from the
chat and tares, there will be an end to the
complaints of the spread of rationalism,
msterialism and infdelity. The churches
shoald recognize the fact that holds good all
over the world, that one extreme begete
another, and strive to conform thor pre-
cepts to the eminently beautiful doctrines
taught by Christ while on earth, peace on
earth and good will to men.