The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-17

In his address at the Synagogue on
Friday evening, speaking on the SUD-
5ect OF the Christians indebtedness 70
the Jew, H. Weinstock said:
Not long ago received a lengthy
communication from gentleman nv
ing in San Francisco in which he took
occasion to severely criticize certain
views which I had expressed in an ad-
dress delivered by me before a religious
body in his city. The writer of that
communication had evidently been born
and reared under Christian influences,
but had become an atheist. and an OPP
ponent of Christianity. Speaking of the
influence of the Bible and the Christian
religion, he wrote:
Civilization, literature, art, educa-
ton and general intelligence existed
ages before the disturbing elements OF
Christianity had formed lodgment IN
the human mind. l nave al
ways felt that it would be far better
II the Old and New Testaments mao new
er existed; If the name Of Christ had
never been lisped by human tongue; II
the religion promulgated In the name OF
the mythical Jesus had never been
thought of, than that the ages OF suffer-
ing and devastation, misery and death,
had followed the introduction of that
name"
NY non-believing correspondent spoke
but truth when he said that "civiliza-
ton, literature, art, education and
general intelligence existed ages before
the disturbing elements of Christianity
had found Judgment in the human
mind" The splendor of the Egyptian
court, the greatness of Ninevah, Baby
Ion and Persia, the literature and phil
osophy of Greece, the high standard OIL
civilization attained in Rome, existed
centuries before Christianity was
dreamed of. Seneca was born z b. Z.
and wrote his counsels of moral per-
lection before Jesus was heard of in
Rome. Livy gave to the world his great
historical works 20 B. c. Virgil had
gained fame as a great poet 40 B. c..
Plato had written his wonderful phil
osophy, and Demosthenes had became
one of the worlds matchless orators
$50 B. c. Socrates had taught his pure
and uplifting morality 400 years before
the Christian era. Phidias had given
his marvellous works of art in marble
and in bronze 500 years before the birth
of Jesus, and Homer had sung his i'm
mortal poems over 800 years before
Paul went forth to preach Christianity.
That the influence of the heather
philosophers and scientists. artists and
poets, statesmen and orators, moralists
and teachers, had potent effect on their
time, and more or less continue TO have
a potent influence even on our time, will
not be denied. No great deed can be
achieved and no great thought can be
uttered-no matter by whom, or when,
or where-that is not certain to live and
to WELD a permanent, if silent, lntiu-
ence. To deny our obligations to the
great men of thought and of deeds who
belonged to the centuries before the
Christian era, and who were born and
reared under the influence of paganisn
and heathenism, would be an evidence
of ignorance or unfairness. Our present
civilization comes from no one stream
alone, but is the concentrated results
of the influences which have come from
all streams and from all the ages and
stages of the civilization of the past.
The deeds and the thoughts of little
value have passed away and lie deeply
buried in the memory of the past. The
thoughts and the achievements of those
who have gone before, which appeal
: to mankind, and which have aided in
its upbuilding, have been handed down
and are likely to continue to be handed
stand. No intelligent, believer, how
ever, devout he may be, will deny the
good which was achieved for humanity
\ 49, ~ ofL ao hn
dom. No skeptic or non-believer can
be we'll informed or just who will de-
ny the still greater good which has
come to civilization through Christian
ity.
1 cheerfully give testimony to this as
a Jew, speaking from a Jewish pulpit
to Jewish congregation, and when
give such testimony in behalf of
Christianity l believe 1 voice the senti-
ment of every intelligent, fair-mlnded
Jew.
IT'S true that the enemy of Christi
ariity can present a strong picture
against Christian civilization. 'Tis true
that he can point out that, despite
Christian teaching and Christian pro-
LESSONS, war and destruction, carnage
and bloodshed, hate and envy, vice and
degradation, wickedness and unholi-
ness thrive in many places throughout
Christendom IT'S true that the enemy
of Christianity can point out that,
while protesting Christians repeat the
teachings of their master. too often
these repetitions are mere lip words
that come from the head and not from
the heart, and that the Commandments
Of observed
breach rather than in the practice.
1t is not difficult for an unfair critic
to find much under heather civilization
to command respect and admiration,
and much under Christian civilization
to be denounced and condemned. A
spirit of fairness demands, however,
not that the virtues of hsathenism shall
be placed in contrast with the evils of
Christianity, but that the general con-
ditlon of society and the average men
tai moral and material condition of the
individual should be compared under
heathenism and under Christianity. The
most pious Christian, take it, will not
maintain that all human beings were
cruel and wicked under heather civili-
cation, nor that all men and women are
Saints under Christian civilization. If
more people do justice, love, mercy,