Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-10-31
RELIGION AND SCIENCE.


"lcs, it is well enough to enable pro-
pie to take delight in THIS life But il is
related to Samuel Johnson that he once
exclaimed on being shown over mag
niticcnt estate: Aye, sir, these are The
things that make death bitter 1t is vain
to bid men exclude the Thought Of i'm
mortality from their minds, and think
only Of making the best of this life and
that is what We understand Socialists
mean them to do. We understand that
Socialists mean to drive religion entirely
out Of the world"
You misunderstood lis, friend We
do not propose to drive religion out Of
human life. But what is religion"
1t is with "religiun as with "dcmOrra~
cy;' to revert to the foreign words from
which they are derived helps rs very
little to gct at the essence Of what we
mean when we use thenctern Accord
ing to its derivation "rcIgion" means
the restoration Of a broken bond, ii is
understood. between earth and heaven.
store, was Il fact to our f0refathprs; at
present il is to all but simpIe-mindcd
people thenIogjc fiction, If, however,
by 'rcllgOn' You mean this dOymatic
theology, Socialists do propose to help
drive it out. Socialism is the inVeteratc
foe Of theoogy-a fact Of which the pope
is we'll aware, wherefore he is perfectly
right in damninG it-hpraUSc Socialism
is abreast with the highest intelligence Of
the time, and the highest intelligence Of
the time, and the highest intelligence Of
all progressive countries is at issue with
what, only by II stretch Of courtesy. may
b" called the popular religion. This, we
hold, is a most miscellaneous stat" of
affairs, fatal to sincerity. and creating,
ON the one hand in the masses of the
r,oplr a chilling, eoncetrd sceptirism in
regard to everything that cannot be
touched or handled, or giving rise, Oh
the other hand to sicky spiritual halu-
cinations, All that in the future will
be needed to drive this theology entirely
out of human life is to continue that
"fitanc laughter--that terrible, side
Shaking, thron"-;ml- Understanding laugh
tcr"--Whrh Raheais started.
That which is now meant by ere
ligion is the view we hold of our rrla-
ton TO the great mystery which is all
around MS, in time a. we'll as IN space,
and the awe W" naturally feel when we
think of it, We do not propose to drive
religion in that sense ont of the world
because it cannot be done, even if we
wanted to. Comte tried it and Only sue
ceeded in doing what children do who
are afraid Of the darkness: they pull the
bedclothes over their heads and pretend
there is no darkness beyond. Nor are
Socialists, like tn" men OF the French |
Revolution, going to commit such pucriIc |
fOlIies, as either to decree a deity out Of |
existence or decree him back again.
But there is not the least doubt that |
Just rs the new economic system will |
greatly modify the faniIy-relation, edu-
cation and morals, 50 it will nightly !
affect religion as we have now defined |
it. For, please mark thsimpOrtant fact. !
that as morals and education are the
fruits of our economic relations, 50 re-
iigon is the fruit Of our morals and cdu-
cation. The idtt"r0rc jTiHtaty: our gods
are but the reflections Of our moral and .
intellectual state. The religion Of ma
tinn Is the outcome OF Us highest mtplii-
gpncr in its most solemn moments.
1t cannot he denied that the idea of
Immortality has hitherto been an integral
element Of everything that deserves the
name of religion, that our whole race
has and has had deep and secret long
ing for life beyond the grave. This
longing may he due to the fact that this
world was to the masses a Neritable "vne
of tears; it has at all events been fns-
tered ny catholicism and other so-caIled
"rcligions." whose whole strength con
sisted in offering consolation Ia people
who felt miserable here. Ii is just pos
sible that when men all live to a good old
age and get out of this life all the delights
which nature permits. that this longing
itself will disappear. But this longing
does exist in the breast of mankind At
present. and is nowhere stronger than in
the Anglo-SaXon race.