The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-23
OUR CONTRIBUTORS.
RELIGION.
Second Article.
BY THOMAS j. WATER.

| PRESUME there is nothing very
new in the presentation or conclusion
of my former article; but the great
importance of correct religious ed
ucation is REINFORCED by clear and
frequent recognition.
We know of no time in the history
of man, when it was not deemed of
vital Importance to instill religious
impressions in the mind, give a re-
ligious education to the young and
governing principle to the ma
tured. Long before secular educa
tion was considered at all necessary
for the masses, there was an or
ganized and somewhat systematic at
tempt to instill and feed the religious
element in mans nature; using it to
modify and even controll his actions
and improve his disposition. Only
religion imparts fixedness of charac-
ter; and we ought to remember that
to degree it moulds the character
in accordance with it's own. A fierce
and grotesque religion is found only
among people of that character. Re-
ligious training should be vigorous,
insistent and of the very best quality
known, to be of the greatest benefit,
of the choicest blessing to our race.
Any religion is better than none,
but the best is none too good for
children of the Infinite Father.
And whose work shall it be to i'm
part this best religious education, to
improve, regulate and direct this
powerful influence in determining
mans character2 Schools and col
leges will not do it; academies oil
science will not; nor literary insti-
tutes; nor Reform Associations, nol
societies for moral improvement
These all have different lines OF
work; which in proportion to then
efficiency and usefulness are closely
| followed.
In general way the church is felt
to be the institution and the minister
the man for this work. But for some
years now, has not the tendency oil
the times been to neglect and almost
ignore the spiritual element in man
And has not both church and min
lister quite seriously caught the in
fection?
In this age of wonderful discov-
cries, vast quantities of facts and
theories, plans and purposes, press
ing upon the attention of the crowd
ing throngs of busy people, to exer-
else any potent influence upon the
community, there must be singleness
of purpose, combined and persistent
effort for it's prosecution; there must
be organization and concentration
for that single purpose. The scat
tering of efforts invites failure. In
all the various similar movements
of society this fact is recognized ard
the conditions observable becoming
more prevalent as time passes and
people move. Success requires this;
usefulness, efficiency, can be OBJ
tanned in no other way. But do our
church movements fill this measure
of success? Are they sufficiently
consecrated to the single purpo e
of reverent, religious culture as dis
tinct from secular interests and ma
terial improvement?
Is there not growing tendency to
make the pulpit means of enter
tainment, rather than religious in.
struction and culture? Or to make
it an instructor of physical rather
than spiritual facts; worker for
material improvement, a communica-
tor of secular information rather than
religious truths and blessings?
Is there not drifting away from
the thought of God, His imanence
being and doing, in the voice of the
pulpit today? How little do we hear
of the supernatural and superhuman
in the almost ever present deserta
tion on natural law and the constant
ignoring of the facts of special, su
pernatural or superhuman occur.
rences; in many cases persistently
promulgating the thought there is nc
special providence, no divine nor su
perhuman causes; but all things oc
cur, come and go under the never
failing operation of natural law3
We may rest assured, that in the
proportion we fail to recognize the
divine, the superhuman, the personal
efficiency in the occurrences about us
we fail to truly recognize our OWL
weakness; our dependence, our obi.
cation and cur duty to God and oul
fellowmaD, the fundamental element
in religion, and the main quality that
distinguishes us from the animal Gre