The times., 1898-01-03
Mr.. Kinks Paper ON It's Func-
tions in Religion.
IN PLACE OF BLIND BELIEF
He Argues That 1t Will Be the Sub.
stitute When Men VIII Not See
Through Glass Darkly-T Then,
He Asserts. Science Will Replace
Dogmatic Theology.

emitted The Function of Reason in
Religion
1T happens to be true AIR. Heg-
ward said, that science and every
form of faith have the same back
ground in the unknown, and until rea-
son reaches certainty, it cannot abso-
lutely condemn any religion which sim
ply holds some hypothesis of the un-
known as form of faith. Objectively
religion may be defined as a formulated
concept OF the unknown; sand-it is only
when the theologian predicates his
views IN way which is seen to be
inconsistent that reason has any
quarrel with him or hisfaith.
The real grievance of reason as
against any religion, is directed not
50 much toward its aim and purpose
as toward the method by which its
ends are sought The avowed aim and
purpose of religion is To assist and
benefit man. The claim of every h CHER
form of faith, whether Pagan or Chris
tian, is that ii tends to make man bet
ter, more moral in this life besides
insuring an endless life in the future
Certainly with such aims as these
science has no quarrel neither has
reason; but 10 be consistent, they
must reserve the right To investigate
the methods by which these benefits
are sought to be conferred But the
more Immediate grievance of reason
as against religion has to do with the
theological method.
II We assume with the book of
Genesis that Man is created in the
image of God, then reason is that
image, and every attempt to repress
or pervert il is an act OF impiety. The
idea that faith is, or can be. a substi-
tute for reason, is based upon an erro-
neous notion of what the mind is
capable OF believing. Voltaire's satiri-
cal definition that faith is nothing
more than deferential incredulity, and
consists in believing things because
they are impossible appears To be ac-
cepted by too many religionfsts: while
ST Paurs view seems To pe ignored
In order 10 have faith in things un-
seen, we must first have evidence.
and all convincing evidence. necessa-
rily depends upon the power of COM
parison. the fundamental element in
reason and in mind
Because books have been written at
a time when il was deemed miraculous
TO be able to write at all. is no reason
for considering them more sacred than
others. The forces of Nature are the
same today that they were when the
first savage Shuddered at his shadow
or listened to the whiStling wind with
awe; and the same demands are being
made upon mans reason to unravef
this mystery of himself and his des.
tiny. The realm OF the unknown as an
endless chasm yawns on every side of
the little strip of earth on which he
stands and is still melting him to go
forward and discover the truth.
II has been urged tnat the stinu-
iating influence of religion ceases with
its first effects upon the savage. Fa-
naticism and bigotry may commit all
crimes in the name Of religion. vet the
fact remains to the extent that any
faith arouses human nature from the
sluggishnesS of mere brute existence,
does it benefit the individual and the
race, and the greatest minds Of today
are in part doubtless the result of the
forces which stood for religion how
ever faulty or mistaken it may have
been in the past.
When that stage is reached how
ever, where enlightment declares the
basis of faith TO be erroneous. when 10
believe is TO be stupid or hypocritical.
ii is evident that the beneficial effects
OF religion are at an end. The rei-
sions Of the world says Emerson, are
the CALCULATIONS of a few imaginative
men, At the time these geyser- like
efforts at reform occur. the resulting
deposit crystalliZes into creed and
surrounded by its circle of worship
ing deVotees. But the earth keeps
moving and its living forces continue
to develop. Yesterday the postman
was carrying the peoples messages on
horseback, today We have the tele-
graph and telephone, and tomorrow
there may be human beings conversiny
with each other across the earth with
out distinct lines of communication.
So in religion the doctrines OF
aeons, of the demi- urge, of demons,
infant damnauon and endless punish
ment drop out of sight as reason ad-
vances. The supernatural disappears
in the light Of science and the doctrine
of pre-design is submerged in the mod
ern concept that existence always ex-
listed and that design is quite as much
matter of the present moment as OF
the remoteSt past
There is. beyond doubt. more real
religion in infidelity earnestly seeking
the truth than in all the forms and
ceremonies of established faiths COM
bined. Some of the greatest skeptics of
the world have been intensely religious.
because so intensely in earnest upon
the problem of religion. Their work
has been Of more value probably in
eliciting truth than that of all the
Sycophantic followers of creed
The true theories of the universe of
the earth's structure. of human origin.
and of many other important truths.
have been gained by the exercise of |
reason in direct antagonism to religion: |
but in every case it merely discarded |
old imaginary hypotheses for infer
ences based upon the facts. And it |
must be admitted that the old dogma |
was of some value, by way of leading |
UP to the discovered truth: but how |
absurd is ii To attempt to defend old |
exploded doctrines, seen to be errone- |
Gus according to facts and logic on the |
plea that they are inspired, belong to
the supernatural. and are above rea-
son. So far as books of the Bible are
Biblical critics have fairly |
demonstrated that no one claimed in |
spiration for them at the time they |
were written, no one claimed that the
events referred TO We're supernatural
but on the contrary, the most miracu-
lous were considered events and de-
tended on rational grounds
1T is safe to conclude that when the
time comes wherein we shall not see
through glass darkly' but face TO
face with the facts and truths of
nature and of life, science will not only
take the place of dogmatic theology.
and reason be adopted as the proper
substitute for blind belief, but a secu-
ar movement uniting all men in a con- |
mon army of progress. will take the
place of religion. Now the church as
custodian of morals, de-
,lares the only way in which man can
gain permanent happiness is by be-
ieving its creed and acting up to its
precepts: science says he can only |
gain that result by comprehending and
adjusting himself to an improved envi-
'onment. Those who desire to recline
n the vale Of inaction, breathing in the
1ypnotic atmosphere of passive Gre