The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-11-05
BISHOP GAlLOR'S LETTER
In Reply to the Invitation to Make an
Address
- ....
OF Welcome on Behalf of the South to
the Liberal Congress of
.. Religions.

Oh the programmes distributed by
the managers of the Liberal Con-
gress of Religions, which was held
in Nashville recently, an extract
from a letter of Bishop Gailor in re-
ply to the invitation to be present
was published. Below is given the
letter in full as published in the
diocese of Tennessee which is
edited by the Bishop:
The american Congress of Liber-
al Religious Societies" is going to
hold another "Parliament of Re-
ligions" at the Tennessee Centennial,
like the one held at Chicago.
Bishop GailOr was invited to make
the address of welcome on behalf of
the South but felt Obliged to decline
the honor. ....I..
The following letter gives his
reasons n rs
Universityof the South. Sewanee,
Tenn, June %. l897.-Mr. Jenkin
Lloyd Jones, 2939 Langley avenue.
Chica2o-My Dear Sir: greatly
appreciate your kind invitation re-.
questing me to take part in the Con-
gress of Religions at the Tennessee
Centennial Exposition on October
10, and to make the address of well
come for the South on that occasion.
l am not sure that | quite under
stand the true meaning and purpose
of this congress, but / infer from
the printed extract you enclose,
from articles of incorporation of
the American Congress of Liberal
Religious Societies." that its pur-
pose is "to unite in u larger fellow
ship and cooperation such existing
societies and liberal elements as are
in sympathy with the movement
toward undogmatic religion, to foster
and encourage the organization of
nOn-sectarian churches and kindred
societies on the basis of absolute
mental liberty TO develop the church
of humanity" etc.
If this be a.. correct statement Of
the purpOseof the congress, / am
debarred by my convictions from
taking part in it. Yet my profound
respect for the sincerity and ability
of you yourself and your CO workers,
and my grateful appreciation of
your kindness to me, make this let
ter very unwelcome task. l beg
your indulgence for moment
while endeavor to state the reasons
which, rightly or wrongly, appear
to me to be paramount in this de-
cisioh. |
1t seems to me that our respective
mental attitudes towards the great
questions involved are so entirely
different.
To my mind the great ethniC
religions like Buddhism, NOLAN.
mechanism, ETC., are based, for the
most part, upon guesswork and con
lecture, the effort of the human sou
to satisfy the innate longing anC
yearning for union with the infinite
ard eternal. They are religions il
the sense that they represent tn,
phases of the aspirations of the hu
man soul in search of God. On tn,
other hand, the results of scientific
investigation depend for the per
manent verify upon the validity o
processes of reasoning, based upOl
, the two assumptions of the trust
, worthiness of one faculty-the un
derstanding-and the uniformitJ
ana perpetulty or what we cal
nature. In both spheres-religiOl
and science-there is large amour
of uncertainty-in other words, al
absence OF dogma, i. e.. of certain
4 nXed and unalterable truth.
) Now, | understand Cbrist;anitv =
/ be different from both of tboso ''E 70 =
only in degree, but in liza 1'iese'' il"
: Christianity is the worshi. %
! person and loyalty II op !"
his statements of trrtb po,s" a =,
commands of obediepce -" anu ~
Christianity is not roI;c;or 4;
! the sense, e. e., that pnddhis,
religion. for it is sonoth un,s'n "
I more. 1t is a reToIas PRESENTATIONS vas,3
! from God himself 'ei"'io" uirec'i
Christianity is NO. ,..,o.
9 system, but it e nv t",u'''a !,
Q compulsory. Thoro H ~ ~ ~
], in any other thon I ~ s"ir Cn"i.
Ghr;s4 a. 4 Tor he is indeed TN
Tohn -, 10 30 savior of the world. IS
q serias ~ Christianity is not
: iifa 49, Pinlons or doctrines. but
. ohodian Upon union with an
. Of cd w 70 the only begotten So
"uV is in the bosom Of th