New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-07-31
RATIONAL RELIGION.
is Such Thing Possible, and if so What
Should it Be7
Carleton F. Brown, St. Cloud Unitarian
Answers the Question Sunday
Evening.

One comes back from the study of the
religious systems Of the world with this
question on his lips. There is so much
to admire in the ancient faiths of the Ori-
ent that we are puzzled. The philoso-
phy of BraImanlsm, for instance, is the
marvel of the world today. 1t has anti
clpated in a remarkable manner the dis
roVerleS winch western students have
made through the gateways of natural
science. The doctrine of continuity of
life is found fully developed therein.
Likewise the most spiritual thought of
GOd-the highest and noblest precepts.
And yet. along with these exalted and
spiritual teachings, we are disappointed
to find luxuriant growth of supe1sti-
tlon and ceremony.
And so with Mohommedanism and al
80 with Christianity. There is 50 much
that is noble ideal. universal and reason
able. and yet 50 much of miraculous
tales, Of grOtc~vuc absurditics and cere-
mUnidlS.
And 50 we ask, almost in despair, af-
ter looking over the religions of the
world and observing the strand of ab-
,ur'Iity and superstition which is woven
through all of them, is Rational Reli-
gion PosslbIe.'
Three classes of persons answer in the
negative.
First, the traditionalist, who says that
1t Is necessary for relig ion to have reve-
lation and miracles to prove its authori-
ty and q Bible us an inspired and infalli-
bic guide. In reply to these, perhaps it
is only necessary to say that religion has
always made her revelations and her
scriptures, and that revelation and scrip
turc here not made religion. Religion
existed before the book, before the le-
gend, before the prophet.
Then there is the mystic, who denies
the possibility of a rational religion be-
cause the method of religion and of ra-
tional science are to him hopelessly con-
Trajectory. Rational science proceeds
along intellectual lines-demanding
proof for everything. accepting nothing
which is not capable of demonstration.
Religion proceeds. the mystic says, along
lines of faith and emotion. Religion to
him means chiefly worship. the flaming
of religious sentiment. \ coldly scien-
ttic. rational. intellectual method OF deal
inc with religious truths is almost bias
phemOus and is bound to be fruitless in
It's results. Can man by searching find
out God,' he asks. and answers by saw
ing that only to those who open their
hearts in simple minded faith are the
mysteries of religion revealed. These
people, sincere and well-meanlngs have
made their mistoke in the field which
they assign to emotion and faith. They
they are necessary to other fields of human
thought-as the poet as we'll as the scien-
test has Il necessary place in literature.
But they are not to be used as discover
ers of truth, but simply as beautiters of
truth already revealed. What is faith IN
its essence but a feeling of confidence
based upon observed or tested facts9
Faith is the stamp of approval placed
upon the gold and silver treasures of
knowledge which reason has dug from it's
out knowledge would be as valueless as
fiat money.
1t is natural, nay inevitable, that re-
Election upon the magnificent truths Of
life should produce emotion, but the
flame will be in proportion to the fuel.
Emotion can never legitimately 60 ahead
of its cause.
Religious sentiment and feeling may
be the result of the discovery of truth,
but they cannot be called forth IN those
who have not made the discoveries. So
that method in religion ought to be the
same as in science. First the exploration
and discovery of truth--then the feeling
of confidence or assurance or faith and
of joyful or reverent emotion. Only
thus can true progress be made and ter
rltory subjugated as we'll as claimed.
But the Secularist claims that it is i'm
possible for a rational religion to exist,
for all religion is, from it's nature, ira
tional and unscientifc. We may have
rational rules of conduct, a rational
science of ethics, but never rational re-
ligion, for religion, from its very nature,
must make its appeal to the unseen, the
unknown, the unprovable. Religion in