Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-12-20
THE ATHEISM OTTO DAY.

Scientific atheism is cad; practic-
al atheism Is alive. Scieatific atheism
was bad; practical ath.ism Is worse.
Bad IL is for man to re- ect the indis-
putable evidence Of tie being and
personality of n God. Bad 1t Is for
man to find In the land that rule
the seasons and tn. heavens no
guiding hand for hin. But worse
il is for man 10 belieTe there is n
God, aud live as IL there were no
God. The man whe lives as IL God
we're not, when he i-lieves there Il
a God, Is surely n ,,s worthy type
Of a man than he via, failing TO be-
lieve, lives in ACCORDANCE with the
moral verities.
Many men and wmen Of this age
are atheists without knowing It.
They live rs II the. were no God.
Many Of the infiueaces Of the time
promote practical aheism. The alb
sorptions OF the tine tend to affect
this laDientable rsult. Merchants
are absorbed in their business.
Women are ahsorb-d in their homes.
Men work rs IL this life were all.
Women live and snIggle rs II a few
years measured al existence. Some
scholars labor as il there would be
no opportunity II any other world
of the omniscieit God, outside Of
this world, for tls study Of divine
plans. Many Of he American peo-
pie are in as nue. danger Of being
practical atheist, as the French
people Of n hundisi years ago were
in danger OF being theoretical
atheist.
The methods f'r the removal Of
practical atheism are within the
reach Of all. Tn, first means is the
recognition Of tbs intellectual evil
iences Of the beng of n God and of
his experimenting care. This evil
dence abounds; modern investiga-
tons have not disproved Paley's
positions. Men naturally believe In
the existence OF God. 1t il much
harder not to believe than TO believe.
To these evideres, so abundant,
men should dirset their attention.
II men would llt think, they could
not be atheists.
AIen should rot be so absorbed by
their work tina they have no time
ID think. Some men break the
fourth commandment every day in
the week. hey labor 80 hard
throughout th.six days, that they
are too tired Il worship on Sunday.
Such overwok they should stop.
They know tiey should put an end
to it. They ae selling their bodies
for this life, and their souls for all
life. The renoval of the strain of
intense appliCstion would tend to
remove practical atheism. IL mer-.
chants were less commercial they
would be moe spiritual.
Practical atheism, moreover,
would die ina generation, by the
formation OF right spiritual habits
in youth. he law Of habit has ap-
plication TO piritual growth. The
law holds tire In the duty Of daily
devotion, asin the daty OF mercar-
tile service. Such habits, begun in
the first ye,fs and growing with the
growth, wolld anchor the soul TO n
firm and rtverent faith.
Practical atheism would cease,
further, byfxing minds and hearts
Of linen mone securely on the life of
Christ. Christ was the Son Of God,
and also tie son Of man. AS the
true Son Of God, he shows u
the glory 4 the Father full OF grace
and truth. AS the son of man, he
gives US tie power to become sons of
God. Heis the answer to intellect
ual skepicism; the inspiration in
moral Indifference; the ideal of all
achievement; the motive power in
all serviH. He is the way, the
truth ant the life of man unto God.
Not very. few may read these
pIragrapis, who would shudder n.
b ing caled atheists. They would
Affirm their belief in \ personal God.
BIT possibly they Will, through re-
Election, discover that they are
Gring asatheists; they are living rs
If this Ifesent life were all Of life.
and as II there were no personal
power byond tho present sphere of
existence. Such must confess that
the nane Of atheist is as we'll fitted
~ IL is sad epithet for their state.
But such a state Of life may be
changed, and one may enter into
truthful obedielce and live 10 a
loving God.-7he Adrdnce.