Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-30
MAN AND NATURE

Eprron HkRAID--Th THIS may seem 70
be strange question, yet little con-
sldsrAtion viii show that II u not only
= proper question but one that deeply
concerns US all. A thing or action 10
declared 10 b. immoral when 1t 10 con-
trary to the moral or divine law. Ma
ture surely is nos contrary TO the di-
vine Law. Tor nature u the divine Law
manifesting itself. Nature may be
said 70 be machine which must obey
its motive power. Outside OF man no
one ever predicated moral quality 70
any process OF nature or to any act OF
. creature in the animal kingdom. Yet
we are confronted BY the startling TACT
that the forces OF nature are doing
tnings which il done BY man would be
declared immoral. The animals also
are continually committing acts which
would be strongly denounced - ex-
ceedlngly wicked II committed BY man.
To illustrate--Floods, earthquakes,
famines, plaques, tornadoes, fires
and other forces of nature de-
stroy life by the Wholesale. There 10
no respect Of persons or country. In
conceivable suffering, loss and depriv-
alton result from these varied agencies.
Awful, hear;rendtng tragedies have
been enacted by these powers OF nature
since the world began, and these TRACE
dies will doubtless continue as long as
the world lasts. Passing into the AMI
NAL Kingdom we find 1t one vast
slaughter-house. The strong prey upon
the weak. From the mite 10 the lion
each creature subsists by living upon
or destroying some other creature.
Murder, robbery, theft, deceit, revenge.
envy, malice, polygamy, rape, and .
host of other deeds are continually be-
ing committed. Indeed, close OBJ
server OF the animals must conclude
that there is scarcely an action OF any
kind committed by man which 10 not
also committed by the various ANIMALS
below man. In the one caee we at
tach no blame. We say 1t 10 their ma
ture TO do such things. The Creator
must have designed that animals
should act just as they do act. They
follow the laws OF their being. The
stars ia tneir courses are no moro un-
der law than the beasts Of the field. 1t
is clear. then, that outside OF man
there 10 no such thing "a immortality.
1t 10 true that among the more inteili.
gent animals, such as the dog and the
horse, there are some indications OF the
existence of what we term moral
sense. They do seem to have sense
OF shame and even guilt. and We pun.
ish them just ~ If We regarded them
- moral agents. yet We would be
hardly willing TO admit that they
stood on the same plane as ourselves.
This questionyaI to the moral status
of tho animals becomes the more IN
teresting and perpIexing a. We begin 70
study man in the lower stages Of his
development. When men preach they
seem TO regard al men as being on .
common level. They argue as il there
was q broad line of demarkation be.
tween the animals and man, but inves-
tgation shows us that the highest sni-
mails seem to be superior in many
respects. The Botecudoes of Brazil,
| for instance, are said to live in the
trees, to 60 entirely naked, to mate
promiscuOusly, and to have scarcely
any language. They are filthy IN the
extreme, and subsist on mice, snails
| and raw flesh. 1t may be that their
original ancestors were high order of
men, and that these, their descend
] ents, have continued to degenerate
until they have reached this low estate;
il may be these poor creatures arc in
some degree responsible for their
| present awful degradation, but we can.
not prove Il and mast take them ~ We
! find them.
The question arises, are not these un.
fortunate human beings following M.
ture in their actions fully ~ much "a
any OF the animals? What reason
have we for ordering that certain con.
duct in them 10 immoral, sinful,
wicked, and the same conduct IN an
animal is perfectly natural and there.
fore has no moral quality? There is no
broad distinction discoverable between
the lowest races OF inen and the higher
order OF animals, and consequently We
have no way Of determining the point
where certain action ceases 70 be nat.
urxl and becomes moral. do not sec,
then, how We can cay that nature u
immoral, or how any being acting &C.
cording 10 its nature 10 immoral. An
idiot or an insane man cannot b. pro-
nounced immoral, even though he
commits some most heinous acts. IN
Law they are held TO be morally IRE,
sponsible, and in philosophy and relig.
ion we must hold the Same conclusion.
Now, ~ We begin to ascend the scale
from the Botecudo, the Borneo. and
such races, where IL the man who ID
prepared to TX the point where im,nor.
tally comes Ia? We cannot Judge by
the n o. itself, - We have clearly seen
for an animal. al idiot and u highly
civiliscd man may commit precisely
the same act, yet the latter alone car
properly DO declared guilty Of immor
tally. What. then, constitutes an mi.
moral act? In IL correct 10 say all men
Ars sinnersy Who are SINNERS? II
seems 70 mo that men must roach 4
certain stage Of development before
they can properly DO considered mora
beings. Gle dude = moral creature?
To cay that man has soul aud th,
animals have none, and that II 10 tns
soul which slas, the possession OF sou
thus making man . moral creature
d0es not seem 10 help us In the case oil
the races referred to, or in the case OF
the idiot, or the maniac. II seems u
me man must have attained 10 IN.
possession of certain amount OF rec
son, must have reached certain stat,
OF moral and spiritual develo .,smen
before he comes under the moral Law
He must know good and evIl--vlx., b,
able 70 understand and 90 really ap
preciate the distinction between On.
two, and then deliberately make hi
choice. II seems to me, also, that il
order to be immoral an act must be un
natural. IL must then be unnaturA
and, therefore, immoral for = man
knowing good and evil, TO choose IN.
evil. II must be unreasonable also FOL
man to do this. A man must violai,
his highest convictions and desecrai,
bic most sacred possessions when d,
commits an immoral act Ny expef
renee ahoNa me that when | an has,