The record-union., 1892-06-13


new trains of thought, and thus mankind
is elevated. Christianity-I beg 60 difler
with you-does not teach perfect good-
ness: that is something the mind OF man
cannot formulate or comprehend. 1t
/ teaches some moral doctrine; 1t lncuIcates
| mythical and ambiguous notions which
! leaves It's consistent follower bigoted, mar
row and not in a condition OF mind to
! appreciate many o. the truths and much
Of the wisdom of to-day.
II this supposed Father, whom you BE-
! lleVe IS TO pass judgment upon us; VINO IS
to decide our place in the hereafter by
| How did you treat your tellow-mortals
on eerth," heaven will be populated with
quite as many of the skeptical class as
with the believers. / cannot say whether
we live again or not, but all evidence on
! that subject, TO noe, is that we do not, but
! the effect OF our influence lives on after
death, blessing or cursing mankind.
The ancient stoics of Greece said
wisely: ave should remember that Ma
| ture in her operations aims at the uni
versal, and never spares individuals, but
uses them as means for the accomplish
| ment of her ends. 1t is, therefore, for us
! 20 submit 10 destiny, cultivating, as the
| things necessary TO virtue, knowledge,
| temperance, fortitude, justice. We must
remember that everything around us is
| III mutation; decay follows reproduction,
and reproduction decay, and that it is
useless 10 repine at death, in world
where everything is dying"
| That our pOsterity may live we must
die. To the generous being it is no un-
willing sacrifice. To the true philosopher
death Is robbed of it's horrors.
Religion, until quite recent periods,
has been maintained principally by force,
| fear and prejudice. In ancient times it was
| the power supreme over all others, and
| there still remains desire to have it so
| continue.
All encroachments of learning and sci
ence which coniiicted with religious dog
mas were repulsed with severe punish
ment. One of the many examples of
which was tho persecution and imprisOn-
| ment OF Calico, who was brought before
! the Inquisition and condemned for teach
| ing that the earth revOlved around the
sun, which fact was contrary TO Scrip
| tural teachings.
| Men were burned at the stake for sim
! ply slight variation of belief. Along
| the course OF this religion, prosecutions
| and cruel tortureS have been inflicted,
and only in comparatively recent times
has man dared TO utter his honest conVic-
| tions.
In our own America witches have been
hung by order of the church. and men
| compelled by force to attend their Serv-
/ Ices and bend their knee in submission.
Is 1t consistent to believe that religion
emanating from a divine source would
enact such barbarities? Does not its long
| course OF error and imposition establish
| beyond doubt its barbaric origin?
Religion is too continually being re-
vised and illuminated to have any place
at all In modern enlightenment. Preach
/ ers no longer contine themselves to doc
trinal sermons. The only kind securing
any following at all are those in which
| the religion is all left out and simply
| GOOD of aI
these morals have naturally evolved from
mans gradual development.
AT the present time the most attractive
clement pertaining to religious worship
| Is the social feature. Christians would
| not admit it, but others can see it.
| Many religions have existed in the past
| and have been proven after time en-
| nrely false, and been supplanted by new
! ones, but the principles OF Euclid, dis
| covered over twenty centuries ago, re-
main unchanged, as exact, as in the long
! ago. There is no opportunity for argu-
ment and speculation upon a fact of
| science once discovered. 1t pertains to
| phenomena which can be comprehended
| without the aid of unnatural and forced
| emotions. Reason, the highest source of
| human action, and the source whence all
good has been transmitted to man, is the
| source we must appeal to for all future
| benefit.
! Of ancient superstitions and my theoiogi-
| cal traditions, but it seems we are not yet
| far enough advanced to lay aside those
ancient foibles and grasp the coming
| philosophy.
| We don't say that we know the exact
truth. No one can positively define that,
| but we know that we come nearer its ap-
Proclamation. The morals of man
are continually undergoing change.
| There is no fixed moral code applicable
| to all conditions of men. There are some
! few liked principles upon which ali civil
lied nations are united, but the finer
points of morality must be determined
! by the individual.
Professor Draper of the New York Uni
versity sums up his great work on the
Conflict Between Religion and Science"
with the following: "As to the issue of
| the coming conflict. can anyone doubt?
| Whatever is resting on friction and fraud
will be overthrown. Institutions that
organize impostures and spread delu-
sions must show what right they have to
exist. Faith must render an account of
herself to Reason. Mysteries must give
place to facts. Religion must relinqUish
! that imperious, that domineerng position
which she has SO long maintained against
! science. There must be absolute freedom
! for thought. The ecclesiastic must learn
to keep himself within the domain he has
| chosen and cease to tyranniZe over the
philosopher, who, conscious of his own
strength and the purity of his motives,
| Will bear such interference no longer.
What was written by Esdras near the
willow fringed rivers of Babylon, more
than twenty-three centuries ago, still
holds good: AS for truth, it endureth
and is strong; it liyeth and conquereth
| for eyernIore.'"
Miss ANNA MCCONNELL.
Elk Grove, June 9, 1892.