Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-25
CRUSHING OUT FAITH.

Last night we had occasion to speak OF
an article that appeared in the Ners OF
Saturday evening, and we recur to it to-
day. The position of the Ne,rs may be
termed general on the question of faith,
but the circumstances here in Utah to-
day which call for its exercise are special. |
The Ngcs says that when people wish !
to crush ont belief in special mani
festations of God they are as Gin
tolerant as religious fanatics who dis
play Jealous desire to crowd their |
religion down other peoples throats."
We fully concur with these sentiments, |
but has any one wished to crush out this |
faith? So far as we are concerned we |
care not what faith man holds nor how |
absurd it may be; but when it comes to
doing, then it becomes an entirely dif-
ferent question. There is such question
in Utah to-day, which is, as everyone
knows, the question of the vindication of
the law and the punishment OF those who
violate it, Let us admit that those who
are violating the law against polygamy
and unlawful cohabitation are doing so
under divine authority, still does that
give them any more right than another
who does the same thing without the
sanction OF such an authority? People
respect authority where it is coupled with
power; in fact authority is nothing but
power. Is it not reasonable to expect
that when a thing is done under the
sanction OF authority, power will be man
ifest when that authority is questioned?
Certainly it is, and it is for this reason
that the people of Utah are expecting
such a manifestation of the power of the
authority under which they claim to act.
But we find that many millions of peo-
pie in the United States do not believe
that the people of Utah have the divine
sanction for their acts that they claim;
and, what is more important still, these
same millions of people believe that they
are doing the will of the very God from
whom the people of Utah claim sanction
and authority in endeayoring to put down
the Practices OF the people OF Utah.
Surely, then, here is dilemma, and how
shall one escope from it? But two
suppositions are left-either that God
has nothing whatever to do with
the question; or else, being just God,
He will desire the triumph OF the just side
of the question. SO far, then, the de-
cision of the question has been against
the people of Utah. But is it not far
more reasonable to look upon the Ques-
ton as a simple one without any super
human elements in it? 1t is an utter
impossibility for human beings to know
whether God is on one side or on the
other, as the ordinary methods OF attain
ing knowledge can never make it known.
The conflicting claims of various faiths
must be decided according to each mans
sympathies. The various religions are
but the various hopes and aspirations
of different individuals; the relief
that the gods of these religions
give to their followers from the sorrows
and sufferings of this world is peace of
soul and hope for happier time. This
is much, but from such state OF mind
by no process OF reasoning can it be in
ferred that God will manifest His power
to shield those who are sorrowing and
suffering.
"Faith and belief do not assume
to rest on reason, they are things which
belong to world of illogical expecta
ton" Such was our statement week
ago. In SO speaking We had in mind the
! faith and belief which are of that other
world into which man hopes to enter after
death. Has any one had experience of
that world? Is is not the great "undis-
covered country, from whose bourne
no traveller returns?'' Man can only
conjecture such world by means of his
senses, and they can only work in and
through the medium of his body. When
death ensues by the disorganization and
decomposition of the medium through
which the consensus of all the faculties,
which may be termed the soul or con-
sciousness, acts, is not absolute annihila-
ton OF the individual attained? Look at
the mummies of Egypt. They were
once living, sentiment beings, but what
has become of that which We call life
Was that life any thing more than the
perfect organization of these bodies? The
Buddhist religion gives the most salts
factory account of what becomes OF the
departed life or spirit; it returns to the
universal, all pervading life or spirit
Nirvana. Yet this is but a faith, hope,
not an established fact
But the Ne,cs says: "By the situation
that exists now, ahead of their anticipat-
ed escape from it, their faith is enlarged,
because the circumstances that now pre-
vail have been foretold to them with
minute fidelity of description" If such
is the case, are not those who are
opposed to the practices of the peo-
pie of this Territory doing Gods will?
If both prosecuted and prosecutors, touse
the NelrS' phrase, are engaged in carry
ing on special work forordained by
God, would it not be thwarting His
will to cease that work? Surely,
those who are engaged in the work are