The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-14
IS STAGNANT THOUGHT.
RABBI r. ". CILISCH's INTEREST
mo DISCOURSE ON BfGOTKf.
Closely Associated with Religion, Our
Strongest osses-ion-fntolerancc
Has Made the World Weep,

At Beth Ahaba Synagogue yesterday
morning Rabbi i. y. Calisch spoke on
"Blgotry," taking his text from two say
ing OF the Jewish Fathers. one OF which,
by Joshua. the son Of Pcrachia. IS as
follows:
Judge all men in the scale OF merit"
and the other. by lIillol. Judge not thy
nclghbor iii thou hast stood in his place.
lie began by giving a parable OF
pond and a stream. During the spring
the pond rebuked the stream because it
was always in motion. The frogs could
not play in it, lilies could not grow in
it. and its inccssant babble was tiresome.
In addition. If it sent all its waters
away it would have none left when the
hot summer came.
The stream answered nothing. but when
the hot summer came the pond was dried
up. and the stream was still running
joyously on its way TO the endless ocean.
Similar IS thought 10 the pool ana the
stream. Thought that is stagnant sees
nothing good I'm its neghbors, and con-
stantly vaunts itself of its superiority.
But thought that is stagnant perishes.
Thought that is progressive lives on for
ever.
WHAT BIGOTRY is.
Bigotry IS stagnant thought. II IS the
assumption Of q mental position that is
not only immovable by argument and
deaf 10 the voice of ratiocination, but
that does not concede any value or util-
ity 10 position that differs with itself.
And alike a stagnant pool. bigotry per-
ishes when the summer sun of an en-
lightcned age beats upon.
n g
sociate the name bisot with the jealous
and mtolerant devotee of religious
creed In fact, it is not improbable that
its derivation may prove IT 10 be cor
ruption Of the words "by Cod" which
would indicate it's Identification with re-
ligious intolerance. But bigotry is not
confined TO the church by any means.
There Is a bigotry OF unbelief as cruel as
that of belief.
There is often much narrowness among
protesting liberals as among strong sec
tarans.
An incident Of the last campaign will
illustrate this.
The aenostic Ingersoll was 10 have de-
llvered an address before the American
Secular Union and Free Thought Fed
Grafton" which is an organization made
up OF free-thinkers But some OF the
free-thinkers were silvertes. and niger
soil was known TO be - strong gold
man.
Some OF these partisans wrote such
sharp letters 10 Ingersoll relative TO his
political mclinings that they finally pro-
voked an answer in the shape Of a de-
clination to address them.
Their professed free thought meant
only thought that agreed with theirs.
Possibly bigotry may be most closely
associated with religion for the reason
that religion is our strongest possession,
and our convictions in its domain must
be strong and precise If they are 10 Oe or
any value whatever.
The man whose religious opinions are
undetermined and indefinite; cannot get
much comfort from them. II Is not firm
ness of conviction that makes the bigot,
but the inability 10 concede the presence
Of any conviction except the bigots own.
SPIRIT OF INTOLERANCE.
II is this Intolerance that has made
the world weep, and has stained the
darkest pages Of history. Strange para
dox of human folly where there should
have been most love there was most
hate: where greatest gcntleness should
have reigned most horrid cruelty took
possession: whore most mercy should have
blessed "him who gave and him who re-
ccived." relentless persecution cursed the
victim and the vicious victor.
But history is silent as 10 the num-
berless wrongs that have been done by
men 10 thci: neighbors under the bale
ful spell Of geal-blinde1 judgment.
IL is not our task {, deal with the ini-
qutics Of the past, but to regulate the
course Of cur lives in the present
An enlightened age. aid a GOd-endowed
land Of freedom have made the doing Of
physical Injury TO Offering fcllowmcn
an unpleasant undertaking. But our
minds have not kept pace with our
hands Where the hand rcfrains from
harm the mind hesitates not to hurt.
The perverse. unkind. and unjust esti-
mates that we make Of our neighhors and
their actions are but too often the fruit
OF an evil growth that is I'm ourselves.
The contorted and ungracious judg-
monts the assignments Of lowest motive
TO every deed. when motive is unknown
to us. tho assertion Of selfish purpose 10
every action are but few ways that we
have OF showing the bigotry that still
bides with us.
It would be a happy period when men
would act according to the counsel of the
Fathers. as quoted.
SCALE OF MERIT ONLY.
The speaker closed by saying tina. as
the Jewish people had suffered most from
bigotod judgment they should be the
last 10 be guilty thereof; that as their
Rabbis &C old taught that "the righteous
Of all nations have a share I'm the world
10 come" so should every man have
share in their kindly thought. wherein
they should try TO Judge men as God
judged them-in the "scale Of merit" only.