The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-09
AN INNOVATION
At THE TEMPLE,
THE REV. DR.. SPRAGUE OCCUPIES
THE PULPIT AT SYNAGOGUE
EMANUEL.
SOME CLASSES OF ATHEISTS.
RABBI MAYER S. LEVY DISCUSSES
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
WOMAN.

w. Sprague, pastor of the Second Unita-
rlan Church, who occupied the pulpit of
Temple Emanuel last evening.
The reverend gentleman was introduced
by DR.. Jacob Voorsanger in a few chosen
words. The rabbi said that Mr.. Sprague
would base his address on "some classes
and kinds OF atheists and atheism"
Mr.. Sprague then assembled the pulpit
when one stands in sacred place like
this" said he, ''and when one thinks of
the wealth, the beauty, the power, the in
splratlon that has come from the thought
OF God one realizes that corruption of this
thought of God has meant the corruption
of human life, the degradation of the
thought of God, the degradation of all
thoughts beautiful and pure"
Continuing, the reverend gentleman said
it would be unbecoming on his part to
make his address sermon to a people
who have always possessed a theism Of the
highest kind. He, therefore, proposed to
make his remarks III the form OF lecture
THE thought of God is the last great
triumph of the human intellect. feeling
and love for God is the last great triumph
OF the human soul. Obedience to the will
OF God is the last great triumph of the
human will. The worship of God is the
contamination Of human life.
Atheism can be explained by the word
"orthodoxy"; thus, as was once. wittily
said, Orthodoxy is my doxy and hetereo-
doxy is your doxy,' but the world uses the
word to signify denial of the supreme
spirit of the universe"
Mr.. Sprague then proceeded to enumerate
the various classes of atheists which exist.
Some there are who ask, Where is God p
This IS the first question the child asks,
and philosophy continually puts the same
query.
'There is another atheism which recog-
nlzes God in nature, but in nothing else,
and still another which limits the mani
festation OF God to one single revelation.
1--WE take a glance at the ideas of some
people as to what God is. The Hindoo
says God is light The scientist, God is
God is peace The sorrower says God is
compassionate But religion says God
is satisfied that it can give no definition,
loving, hoping, yearning. yet with rever-
ence."
Looking at the human side of the ques-
ton Mr.. Sprague said there exists an
atheism of the head, of the heart and of
the mind. He thought there are few who
deny the spirit of the universe. The
danger lies with the classes, with the par
tial theists, who declare that such and
such is and such and such is not God. In
conclusion the reverend gentleman warned
his audience against the dangers of
atheism, saying "How can we determine
what God knows? Beware of Journalism,
beware of dogmatism."
During the evening a good programme
of music was rendered by the choir of the
congregation and by Cantor Stark, the
principal item being, "How Goodly Are
Thy Texts" given as soprano solo.
1.-The Twentieth Century Woman
formed the subject of Rev. NJ. S. LEWIS
lecture at Beth Israel Temple last evening.
Said DR.. Levy:
II am not to be counted among those
who are opposed to the emancipation OF
woman The history of the world shows
Enthusiastically that the influence of a pure
and good woman has ever helped to foster
what was best in man. AT times it was
the mother, on other occasions the wife
frequently the sister was the moral lever
that helped to eradicate the propensity fol
evil. Without woman the social world
would become wilderness; without he1
gentle guidance man would develop into q
barbarian. We're it not for the domesticity
of woman our homes would become desc.
late, our natures crude and unrefined.
ITO woman's influence most men are in.
debted for their success in life. To hel
love of the pure and ideal religion owes its
ascendency. Without woman our places
of worship would become sepulchers: with
| her, they are made celestial abodes where
man may taste grain of the hereafter"
DR.. Levy, in the further course of his re
| marks, gave it as his opinion that the
| twentieth century woman should be as ex,
emplary in character as her ancestor. and
cited the case of Esther as that of a really
beautiful woman, both physically and
mentally.