Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-26

Our day may sometimes look like an
eclipse of faith. The clouds seem to
gather and obscure that bright sun
which ShOne out in the days OF great
religious trust and zeal. We see what
little reverence there is for the past.
The voice of hOary authority is I'M
needed. The faiths of our forefatherS
are condemned as narrow and cruel.
The Bible has been cast into the fires
of criticism. The church has been
forsaken by many, as if it were an
unnecessary institution.
And what does all this mean? Does
it indicate the decay Of religion?
Does the reaction from absolute
authority lead to nothing but laWless-
ness? Is there nothing but scepticism
about what is divine and eternal in
the intellectual movement since the
renaissance?
Yes, most certainly there is. What
ever we may have lost or left behind
We have gained one thing, priceless
possession too, and that is liberty.
That is of far greater worth to us than
all that has been denied or rejected.
1t has opened the way to all that is
best in modern life, and has within t
the promise of all future good.
Whatever we may believe, however
reyerently we may regard it, If 1T does
not tend to the making of man, 1t is
worthless and must be cast aside.
Whatever hinderS the free growth OF
| life must be removed. And history
tells us the church has bound men in
letters which must be broken that
| he might live and march forth to his
destiny.
There could be no manhood without
liberty, and it was doubt which set
life free and started mankind along
the path of endless development.
That was the beginning OF all dis
cOvery, the opening up to man OF the
world and all its vast possibilities.
We could never have become men,
gaining possession of ourselves and the
right to use our powers ii that ancient
domination had continued.
Doubt was the first act of the waking
\ intelligence-the assertion Of indivld-
uality-the transition from superstition
and ignorance to knOWledge-frOm
slavery to freedom-from the tyranny
! of organization to the exercise OF
| individual reason and conscience.
Doubt, therefore. has been one OF
| the most important and significant OF
all activities, 1t has been
the first necessary step in all progress.
1t has not been the rejection Of truth.
but the wider knowledge and larger
reception of it.
The virtue then was in the doubt
which gave freedom and not in the
belief which was intellectual bondage
Their belief had no moral value OF
nj IT ART
intelligence or personal choice.
, They believed because they must
They lived under the reign Of terror
) and dare not disbelieve for fear O
torture in the next world.
: 1t is the relation OF our faith t
, truth that gives it value. If MAJ
, believes in what is not true the result
: is practically the same as if he diSbe
/ lieVed in what is true. In either cas-
! he misses the truth. To put the EN-
| phasiS on belief instead of on the trutl
7 to make. it more important to beliey
t than to know the truth is to maxi
bigOts and not free, intelligent, open
Y minded men.
l Our first duty then is to seek t.
t know the truth for it is by the trutl
: we live, that is the only nouriShmen
+ for thinking man: but we canno
e know the truth until we put 1t TO tn
test, and doubt is that condition o
, mind which sees the need of a ties
y and waits until the proof is satistao
S tory.
i And this is an attitude we canno
e help. 1t is the demand of the moder
d mind. We must have evidence. Ma
d has begun to reason. He asks, ''wh
: should | believe this? What truth
0 there in these assertions? How can
o know they are true? What right is be
If hind this authority"
o He can no longer accept anythin
e without question, or submit blindl
e to any demand.
e 1t is here we find the cause {
J. hesitancy on the part of many me
e toward religion. They dc not deny il
n reality. They are not utterly an
d hopelesSly Indifferent, yet they cannC
become active and enthusiastic bt