The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-04-17
THE CHRIST IDEAL"
Mr.. Homer Says Evolution Accounts
for Christ.
He Claims That Jesus Was Nothing
More Than an Expression of the
Highest That Is in Man.

Homer preached from the subject, 'The
Christ Ideal The Light of Life" de said it
was enormously thought that Unitarians
did not believe in the divinity of Jesus,
which idea he denied, on the ground that
people in general do not distinguish be-
tween things that differ. The Deity OF
Jesus he unhesitatingly denied, but any
thing finite may be called divine that APP
proximates perfection. When we speak
OF "a" deity. said he, we think of one
among many, but when we speak of
the Deity. only one, and that one the
Infinite, is in our minds.
That Jesus of Nazareth was this one
Eternal Being, born miraculously into
this world to fulfill purpose in his own
plan of redemption, is statement that is
unreasonable on the face of it, and not
sufficiently attested by the facts OF history
to warrant its acceptance by any rational
mind.
Further, said the speaker. believe this
doctrine has been detrimental TO the pro-
gress of that pure religion which Jesus
himself taught, and believe it has done
untold moral evil in the past by confirm
ing the doctrine of total depravity. max
ing the natural order of birth unfit for
Nho lodNlOA VI lllCLY lllOACOy ISliIONAHE bAiO
Christ ideal beyond the posi- bility OF hu-
man attainment.
One method of accounting for the Christ
ideal is the evolutionary one, which l
shall illustrate in part to-day, leaving the
examination of the birth stories until
next Sunday.
1t is accepted almost universally now
that there are certain primary beliefs
on first principles OF knowledge which
have become common TO mankind, so
common that he who attempts to form
his ideas contrary to these accepted be-
liefs is said not to have common sense.
Intuition and experience have each i'll
turn had their champions among philoso-
pliers as their source, but with the aid of
the modern theory of gradual develop
ment we find these common beliefs 10
have been the result of a slow growth
perfected by knowledge gained through
centuries of practice, coupled with a
growing capacity upon the part OF the
human mind to receive and accept them,
capacity ever widening so that what is
the experience of our generation becomes
intuition in later.
Conceptions of thought, that are in our
age but the high-water marks of the few,
become in time universal and necessary
10 all. Thus, the first law OF motion, d.
vined by the genius Of Newton, soon
came to be accepted by all because found
to be in harmony with experience, and
the capacity to see this harmony had
boon quickened. So the indestructibility
OF matter and force were ideas almost i'm
medlately accepted by the scientific world
when first expounded because of the
quickened power of comprehending the
relations of these propositions to expert
enue.
The genius is, then, he who combines
che most advanced powers of the race
within himself resulting from hereditary
development in one line for several gem
erauous. The genius is thus prophetic OF
the race. Mozart was a good example.
Anticipating all that his father undertook
to teach him, he advanced the standard of
musical excellence for all that were to
follow. But The capacity to appreciate
Mozart's music soon became widespread.
No genius has ever yet exceeded, in attain
ment, the capacity of the race. We all
have lying latent in us the germ of what
the genius develops.
We are all in some degree what the
genius is in a great degree. We are more
of one thing than another, in proportion
to the degree of development experience
and heredity have given one faculty the
advantage of the others.
Whom both experience and develop
ment are combined for a few generations
genius is the result. This being true.
the genius thus becomes, by natural law.
light to show the way for humanity to
follow.
AS with individuals, so with the ma
tons. But one may ask, why is it
that when some gifted man or nation
reaches high degree OF development
reaction almost Immediately sets in. as
in Greece and Rome for instance. The
answer is contained in that great saving
of Jesus: "All ye are brethren" The
fact that the race is unit forces itself to
the front and resists the monopoly of hui
man powers by any one person or nation,
and compeis the recognition of the rights
of all to share in the attachments of the
few. Natures laws are SO arranged that
genius is the exception and not the rule.
Marriage seldom uniIes the highest de-
Velopment OF the same powers. In all
nature like qualities repel, while unlike
attract each other. AS with the magnet.
go in human society. Unity of develop
ment is natures ideal; so when genius
does result 1t is generally at the expense
of other faculties which recede in propor-
ton. Bacon was called the wisest and
meanest of men," Most great men have
great faults.
Now, said the speaker, let US apply
these thoughts to the development of
civilization and see wherein the Christ
ideal (the product of human thought
dating from jesus has been the greatest
factor in history. The inspiration of a
nations life Is its faith. Its civilization
Is an index of its idea of God. Each has
its peculiar genius.
Egypt, that land of mystery,
Whose temples, palaces and piles stupendous.
OF which the very ruins are tremendous,
Has left in them her admiration for
power ian attribute OF the primitive idea
of God The genius of Greece was wis
dom Second ancient attribute of Deityl.
which blossomed into things of beauty:
but neither power nor wisdom, nor both
rOfrn binp1 pnnld
civilization.
Rome grew up with the idea of Justice
third attribute of Deity, and Rome con-
tinues to give law to the world, but, be-
coming ambitious, conquered Greece, and
wisdom became the slave of Justice: reyel-
ing amid the accumulated wealth of wis
dom, justice became depraved and pro-
Hress was checked and decay began. But
with all the turmoil incident to the fall of
q nation, general leveling up process
was going on; the genius of the con-
Quered entered into the life of the con-
oueror, and new order OF life is worke ed
out, more universal than what went be-
fore. Lastly, morality, founded on the
home and the family, lacking in both
Greece and Rome, was the peculiar genius
ef Israel. 1t eliminated in the personal
character of Jesus fourth idea or attri-
butte OF God is love. Here the last pillar
OF civilization is supplied, making human
society secure. The evolution from
power to love is reached.
In the character of Jesus of Nazareth.
''a man born OF woman" as all men
are. "born under the law" ''in all points
tempted like as we are,'' in him we have
the elimination of a nations life, and
through him revelation OF what love
means when exercised upon the life OF
the world.
If evolution is true, there is no reason
for thinking that Jesus was more than
man; but if he were God then is my ar
gument vain. But believing him to have