The herald., 1895-04-22
How Our Religious Beliefs Are
Formed
OMNISCIENCE CAN'T FORGET
The Whole Universe Is Gods Eternal
Daybook
The Churchman'S Obligations TO the Church
and the Loss OF Faith OF
the nasses

At the Church OF the New Era the pas
tor, W. {. Bowman, last night discussed
the question, How Our Religious Beliefs
Are Formed. He said that we are living
III extraordinary times. History being
evolutionary every period is marked by
some sort of progress. But the world
has never before experienced transition
like the present. The whole civilized
worl | is eg itatei with strange AMI START
ling discussions which fall on the ears
like the mutterings of q dream-yet men
are not dreaming, but wide-awake,
thoughtful and earnest. The questions in
volved range widely over the whole field
OF human interest. In the soc al AMI po-
litical world the most radical and revolu-
tionary reforms are urged with an intens-
ity resistess as commissions OF nature, and
as inevitable.
II is not the common people only urg-
ing the movement forward in their dis
content, but the writings of the world 5
greatest nj lsters in social and political
science dre breathing with the spirit OF
revolution. In the world OF theology and
religion the same spirit prevails. Multi.
tudes OF learn ed doctors OF divinity,
after growing grav preaching certain dog
mas as the infallible truth OF heaven,
are turning about, as by the overpoweri ng
convictions of new revelation. REJECT
ing old beliefs and proclaming new ones
instead. And in the here'v trials VIII lch
follow these defections. it is not so much
a trial of these heretlcs before the church
tribunals as it is the trial of the churches
themselves before the bar of the world
judgment seat
Let none fear the result. Truth has
nothing TO fear from free discussion.
l,.xl,f Loot ! to ID
formitics be exposed. Storm. tempest ana
upheaval are as necessary in the moral as
in the physical realm. When the Storm
is on the thunder seems to Hinder the sky
and threaten chaos to the world but
when it is over the air is purer and the
sunshine brighter than before
But what is at the bottom of all his
stir and upheaval of reformat ory thought
and effort of today? 1t is the result OF
discovery which has dawned upon the
minds of men-a discovery made possible
by increasing knowledge, and it is usher
ing millions INTO larger liberty OF
thought and a nobler estimate OF man
hood 1t is the discovery that the world
and principle and truth and ju stice are
larger than men had thought; that the
variety of peoples, tongues. governments
and religions is greater than they had
any idea Of The increase OF knowledge
is making a sad havoc with the worlds
ness we thought there was but one re-
lgion, and that was ours; but one holy
book-ours one way of salvation. and that
we had it; one company of the elect, and
that was our set.
But light has come and we begin to
say: This is too small for God; to little
for the world; too partial for justice.
How came the difference between us and
the heather? How did we come by our
different beliefs and religions. Let us see.
An infants first cry is heard; we say
not where. It It's, is boy; VII Ghi it ever be
Bushman? A Zulu man? An English
man? A black man, white man or
red man? That depends on circumstan-
ces. What it depends on circumstances
whether the boy is to be cultivated
Christian gentleman or "a degraded
stances? The geographical accidents OF
birthplace, race, training! Surely the
child had no choice as to The nationality
of it's mother, the locality of its birth or
the manner of its raising. Oh! | see
The only reason we are not Africans or
born and raised there? Precisely SO. Then
what about the boys religion? will he
have any? Undoubtedly. and it will be
determined by the same geographical az
cdents. II in America or Europe, he will
be a Christian or Jew, with the Christian
and Jewish scripture for his bible. If in
Turkey, Mahom medan with the Koran
for his bible. If in Persia, a Parsee.
with the Zend Avesta for his bible. If in
India. Hindoo, with the Nedas for his
bible. And so on through the catalogue
OF the world religions. But come still
nearer home. These same contingencies
not only determine whether given child
is to be Christian or heather, but
what particular kind OF either, ana there
are more kinds OF Christians than of
heathens. Some are Catholic and some
Protestant, differing mainly in their like
and dislike OF the little red school house
and the little red hat. Why are some
Romanists. some Checklists. some Angel
leans, some Methodists. Baptists. Presby-
terians. etc? The same accidents of
neghborhood, nationality, birth and
training furnish the answer. How char
liable and broad hearted this should
make us all towards those who differ
from us. The man who has become en-
lightened enough to catch on to this idea.
and to survey it in all its LIBERAL bear
ings on the whole subject of religion, is
not the man to be going about over the
land proclaiming any pent-up, one way.
straight jacket plan of salvation, con-
signing all men tn hell who happen to
he outside of that particular guild, and
stigmatiZing as heretics, sseptics and
infideis all outside Of his special faith and
order or beyond the limits of his neigh
borhood, county. state or nationality. To
sum mp the whole matter in one sentence.
the Church OF the New Era don't believe
in any God or any religion, or any creed
that sends people TO hell for purely
geographical reasons.