The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-11-07
The Agnostic and the Christian.

1t is hardly possible to doubt the state
ment that great ideas have tendency TO
broaden and deepen the man who pom
ders them, while small ideas have an OPP
poste influence. Large thinking makes
large living. If it be true that man is
known by the companions he keeps, the
rule may be applied to his thoughts as
well as to his friends.
What is needed to make men complete,
to develop human nature until it assumes
grand proportions is seri OF lofty mo-
tives. If you feel that something is very
desi able, and that it is possible for you
to attain it, you are ahame with enthusi-
asm, and the hardest work you can do is
constant delight provided it brings you
nearer to the accomplishment Of your
purpose.
And the reverse is equally true; for if
you are convinced that it does not pay to
do the hard work, that the chances are
against your reaching the end you seek,
your conviction dissipates all zeal and
saps the courage which is required to
overcome difficulties
Now there are two widely divergent
theories of lite, advocated by equally
honest, cultured and well equipped schol-
airs, and an examination of their practi-
cal results, or, in other words, fair and
impartial comparison of two lives which
represent them, will be both suggestive
and instructive.
The agnostic is one who would like to
believe, but cannot. lie has reached
pretty definite conclusion that man is
an exquisite piece OF machinery, COM
posed OF certain chemical elements which
ultimately return to the earth and air.
The man ends his career at death. The
dramma is one act, and when the cur
tain drops there are nothing more TO look
forward to. OF mortality and heaven, of
a soul which will continue to exist, of
God who is something more than eter-
nal Energy of Providence which over
looks and guides our destiny, tempering
the wind to the shorn lamb, he simply
says, Not Proven"
The Christian-but let us lnger a mo-
ment in order to define terms. We do
not refer to the ecclesiastical Christian
who has formulated an iron creed and
who sends you to the pit unless you ac-
cept every proposition in it, for no man
on earth so crudely misinterprets the
Scripture as he does, or so poorly repre-
sents his Master. We have in our mind
that other kind Of man who is peryaded
by the generous, the plying, the loving
spirit of the Nazarene.
This man, who is no more willing to
be unscientific or unphilosophical than
his brother the agnostic, believes that
God reigns supreme everywhere that
we are all His children, and that the
children can communicate with the ia
ther by means of prayer; that life may
be a rough journey, filed with hardships
and sorrows, but every one of them may
be turned to good account if we meet
them bravely that above us are unseen
beings, a cloud of witness, invisible but
potent, who are always ready to extend
helping hand that beyond us is a
Home where those who have departed
are awaiting our arrival.
Be it understood that for our present
purpose we do not engage in any contro-
versy as to the truth or falsity of either
theory. Neither do we in the slightest
degree question the honesty of either
contestant. The agnostic is just as loyal
a lover OF truth as the Christian, and the
Christian is as unwilling to be led men,
tally astray as the agnostic. They are
both in search OF facts which can be
trusted and both desire to be entirely
Just and fair. We can admire these
doughty knights who fight under differ
ent banners, for they are without fear
and without reproach. 1t would be
folly to denounce the agnostic and pure
bigotry to declare that he will not go
to heaven for the reason that he has
never believed that there is one, be-
cause we may be sure that no brave
and noble soul will be excluded. When
Christ sits as judge He will condemn no
man who has done what he could and
all he could.
But this we do say, without any hest
tation whatever, that the motives which
flow from these two theories are wholly
unequal for the production OF the Writ
ues which make life beautiful and hui
man character symmetrical. The evil
dence OF the worlds experience is decid-
eddy in favor of the Christian and pitiiul-
ly opposed to the agnostic. In the Ian
guage OF Huxley, "No man who has
studied history or even attended TO the
occurrences OF every day life can doubt
the enormous practical value oftrust and
faith"
II one has no faith and no trust he
goes into ''the good fight" as a forlorn
hope. He can look only to himself. can
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