San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-27
+ Jr the LIGHT.
CHARACTER AND RELIGION.
BY GEO. G. KNOLL.


sense IL is applied to man and his
moral propensities and possibilities.
like it q great deal better than do
the word religion, because it is free
from the dOgmatism which, by virtue
of mere theological authority, has
been infused into, and it is counter
part of religion. like character be-
cause it is something we can all be-
come proud possessors of, if we but
will. Character is not the phantom
of delusive dream, but a conscious
reality whose genial and cbpvivial
presence pervades and Influences our
entire being.
Character is the sunshine of the
soul. 1t is the bubbling brooklet of
sentiment, whose ripping waters feed
the human affection. Character may
also be defined, in figurative speech
as on architectural achievement OF
which man is the moral architect.
Character" says the religionist,
unless associated with religion, Is 8
vague and cheerless fantasy of Il Q
mind" II there were no intrinsic
meaning attached to the word, it
might be admitted that character"
unless associated with religion, is q
mind. do not see it in that light
"specs.n To me the word character
conveys meaning for more sublime
than does the word religion.
contend, therefore, that charactr.
is the most enrolling and redeem ,ha
feature lhas ::celigion possessso. Ct
She possesses il at all. Do not
;,,a II sar., I'm
religion, or that [ am trying at half
molish something which I opposite
build up. The good in religioaeod. Inn
no championship bad in ,er suites,
capable of being improysat and be-
the sanguinary efforts oiand 81 Com.
gist. am diverging, p 4SO If
the course 1 bad in mil Arthur Som,
10 return then, wherlHouston st. fit
me- a t,,o Sa,thG da laces and gar
which has b se ID din drives this wsion
haps never had s0enecamp, Rev !, per =
ritual farce-.a W
"Religion, .ndred acre pastqe re.
l'gionist, zig at West End offic hope
and banishfl place on sale Moing to
this assertliine of trimmed J out of
place TO p5ats. The New Y myself.
we snou Millinery Co., 24S 1onstrate
our assetreet. ,eligion in
Are the drives at 5l5 f ! h besides sid ar re:
/! ligion, telephone SO for with hone?
pq.9mo Iron Works. orks of nature
insg Well casing be? Are not the
sIrlSrks. cience has TAX.
On Water piper to illustrate Ma
.SISrks. sequences Of come
mIILPipe and bired man with hope?
H .gGnrks sctation of seeing cone
n Fancy vent fulfilled.
tIadies' deskpon 5anishing fear, l
4 cases, sidek!ay: Fear, among other
cost. r. 11lons, was inherent III
street. are:even EN-. IN ms ms savage state.
an labther ordained so or not, be-
Canopy tn's legacy for life. We can
not alitaate fear from the vocabulary
of human emotions. /, therefore, con-
tend that religion does not Danish
tear and opine that nothing can or
ever will.
Out of these two extremes-hor Q
and fear-have evolved all the re-
ligions of the world. 1t is the hope
for something-reward = and the
fear of something-punishment-I
that distinguishes them still. All, no
doubt, have read the story of the good |
Samaritan found in the scriptures.
The bible does not speak of his re-
ligion lit is supposed that he had
none) but his goodness-character
and human sympathy, and those are
the characteristics L like about the
man. His motto was not "cred",
but "amo' The religion of the
future will be the religion
OF love. II you would hasten the
happy day you should give character
IN religion front seat, and assign
theology to one in the resr. 1 say
with one who has said thus before,
character is the end, and should ba
the aim, of religion.