The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-30
REJECTING THE SUPERNATURAL.

udy w ieJocI Iuo Supernatural, uOu
merely to reject the word but the
thing for which the word stands. The
word stands for something above or
more than the natural; something
more than the sum of created things.
The word nature stands for the sum
of created things, for the visible uni
verse; that is, for all of which we can
come to some knowledge through the
senses. Supernatural stands for that
which is more than this; for some
thing of which our senses give us
no knowledge. In one word it stands
for all that we call God. The ord
world is often used theologically in
the sense of nature. 1t is used to
cover all visible phenomena, all things
that come within the range of sense
perception. God and the world i.
therefore, signify the same as the nat
ural and the supernatural.
The absolute rejection of the SUI
pernatural, therefore, leads either to
atheism or pantheism. If the super
natural is rejected without explana-
ton, then we have atheism.
For we have rejected all that is
above and beyond nature, all that We
cannot know through the senses, and
SO have rejected all that we call God.
The rejection of the supernatural,
therefore, with no word of interpreta-
ton, means atheism. 1t is the rejec-
ton of God himself
But if by the rejection Of the SUI
pernatural is only meant that there
is nothing above nature, that all is
included in nature, as it is often said
"that everything is natural" then we
have pantheism. Then we may have
God so called, but he is not to be
distinguished from nature. He is in
nature and identical with nature. God
and the world are one. But it may
be said that by rejecting the super
natural we do not mean to reject God
but we mean to reject the idea that
God is more than nature. We mean
that God is in nature and acts only
in natural ways, but is not identical
with nature. But if God is not iden-
tical with nature, then he must be
more or less than nature. If he is
more, then heis supernatural; if he is
less, then he is subnatural. Hence we
must either accept the supernatural
or fall into the ridiculous absurdity
of having God which is less than
nature itself. If God is not identical
with nature, than he must be super
natural and we must accept the thing
for which this term stands.
For if he is not supernatural then
he is not God, for God less than ma
ture is no God at all. This rejection
of the supernatural, therefore, this
saying that Everything is natural" if
it means anything, means that God is
identical with nature, that God and
nature are one. But if God and nature
are one, then we have materialism or
pantheism. If God is lost in nature
so that nature dominates and is the
all, then we have materialism. If ma
ture is lost in God, so that God domi-
mates and is the all, then we have pam
theism, and in either case we have
atheism. Thus materialism is athe-
ism there is no dispute for it de-
MES all spiritual reality. But pan
theism is also atheism. Practically
it is the same thing. To say that all
is God is the same as to say that
there is no God. BY so saying you
blot out all distinctions and render
rational conceptions impossible. 1t
is like saying that everything is
miraculous" which is equivalent to
saying that nothing is miraculous.
The absolute rejection of the super
natural, therefore, ends us in atheism
in one way or another. either directly
or through pantheism.
This being the case it cuts up
religion by the roots. II there is
no supernatural there is no God;
and if there be no God there can
be no religion. Religion without a
God is as impossible as circum-
ference without a center. But it cuts
up morality also. If there is no God
there is no moral law, and therefore
no obligation to keep that law. I'm
der atheism morality sinks to zero.
This tendency to reject the supernat-
ural, therefore, is more serious than
we are apt to think. Push it as you
must to be consistent, and you de-
stroy the foundation of all we hold
dear. Religion and morality are
swept away utterly if the supernat-
ural is rejected.
When hear minister, as | some
times do, talk strongly against the
supernatural and affirmin an oracular
yav that 0evervthino is natural" |