The sun., 1897-11-15
FELIX ADLER'S RELIGION.
HE WOULD HATB THE STATE RE-
PLACE A PERSONAL GOD.


wen Are GraauaIly PassinG frotn ths ole
meitcr In PsFsoniacation, nrs aats. ana
Wernhip OF tho state sheuld Take 1ts
Pinee-roiitics shouid snppiant ReiiEion.
Felix Adler, President Of tho Society Of Eth
ical Culture, discussed the question, What
Has Religion Done for Civilisatlonf' at Car
nogio Hall yesterday morning. In answering
the question. Prof. Adler offered as q substi-
tuto for the religions whose vital force Ia In a
personal God. a religion in which the State
takes the place of personal God. In the new
religion. which is in no wise akin to the phil
osophy Of socialism, the State is TO become
the deity of men by men making 1t sacred. In
the course OF his remarks Prof. Adler said:
Religion has been Of use in giving point to
mems imagination. Religion has been tho
means OF elcvating the arts. What would civ
ilization be without the artist Religion has
been tho handmaid of civilization, In that It
has brought about the best In art, In aTchitec-
ture, and even in literature. What have been
the finest buildings over erected on oarthi
Not court houses and town halls, although
there have been somo very beautiful. Not tho
houses of rich men, although many Of them are
marvels of beauty. Not in these, but at tho
temples and cathodrals Of the Old and New
Worlds must we look for the worlds treasures
in architecture.
And in them wo must look for tho lovolicst
things In art. What are counted the master
pieces Of sculpture IL not the statues Of the gods
of Zous, OF Apollo. Of Venus, and Of Pant And
the great paintngs-are they not the Madon.
mas and. the Crucifxion, and Michael Angeles
Transfgurationi Art becomes great when It
lends itself to q great subject. Religion has
furnished that subject. 1t is excmpifed in
the houses Of worship. You cannot. In build.
l.Il l.. \. Al
II you try 1t, you make the stable and yourself
ridiculous. Tho same is true but to lesser
extent, perhaps, in tho houses of rich men.
But II you ask what kind of a house q god
should have, you kindle tho Imagination at
once upon the altar Of inspiration.
"As religion has influenced the arts, so Il has
influenced morality. Religion was the nurse
of morality. Religion has attached n sacred
ness to private property. In the worlds morn
ing the temples wcro the buildings in which
property was safe. They were tho first safe
deposit vaults. Highwaymen might attack
men in the road. but they left the temples OF the
gods-the treasure houses of the time-unmo-
lcsted. An altar or shrine or n religious paint
ing. worth its weight in gold would not be
touched, because it stood in the shadow Of the
presence OF an unseen god.
Religion has given a sacredness to truth,
in inspiring & % fear Of retri6ntio1 ror faisehood AL
of an assertion. Religion has taught a respect
for Justice. The first judges were priests. Re
ligion broke the law OF the vendetta when the
temples were thrown open as asylums to him
who had innocently taken the life of
has done finer things. Study the great Scrip.
lures Of the world, especially the Scriptures Of
that they trace n system of morals that cannot
but make better those who follow 1t. Religion
has stood for that bclicf-without which there
was death that the right will come upper.
most.
"Religion has aided civilization. then, by
done this by personifying its ideas. But t now
X passing from the BELIEF in a personal God:
the belief in this personification, mems lives
have become flexie and dry. because they have
re@ans 10
They may, go back to the fountain head Of these
Ideals They may remember for .. what ,t those hose
ideality. They may have the knowledge Of the
reality first hand. instead of secondhand
knowledge Of the personifcation.
This course presupposes perfect race.
to the level OF tho beasts. In most things we
have advanced. In morality the most of us re-
Here Prof: Adler stopped. ss if he had fin.
s h tasE
in any part OF the hall 1t seemed five min.
utes before Prof Adler spoke again. Then he
"I could well stop here my friends, as my
main argument Is closed but have something
else to say and it may as well be said now
at any time. Religion has done another service
for civilization in influencing politics. Tine first
civic State n religious State. In the old city
States the words fellow citizens had different
meaning from what they have now. Fellow citi-
zens then meant those who worshipped the same
God, for each city had a god. Later, we re-
member that the idea of the King was that he
was sacred; that he ruled by divine right.
To-day we care nothing for kings. ! fear
We are losing our care for the State. In the old
days the State was for the common veal. Each
sacrificed something for the other. In the moral
night that.fcll upon the city after the late cleo
tion, we may think that men caro- nothing for
the State. The morning after election l met
persons who said they were going to move
away from New York. They were the hasty.
peevish ones. What we should do ig to stay
here and learn a hOlier feeling for the State.
Let politics take the place of religion II we
caro- nothing for kings. let us devote ourselves
to the State. In the State let find the per-
sonal deity which is passing out Of mons lives.
Let the State be the object of on worship. Let
us make it sacred, and when we have done 80
the State will have taken the place of the per-
sonification. Let the State be that personid-
cation"