The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
TIE FOUNDATION OF OUR RELIGION.


TO THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr. This
discussion about the waning OF faith In the
Church seems to be aimed not against the laity.
but chiefly and deservedly against some OF the
clergy. who either from shame in their ances-
trial belief in the Bible or from assumed intel
lectual ability. claim to be superior to the or
binary run OF humanity.
Now. nobody il reader than to encourage
the pursuit OF scientific investigation and moro
ready to believe In the laws. either new or old.
OF force and energy. OF light and heat and OF
life. incorporated in bodies either microscopic
or colossal. believe in the evolution OF Dana
OF Yale and try to apply natural forcos in a
practical way. but in human spheres only so
for as human arguments go. on finite subjects.
i am willing to accept any premise OF this sort
which is beyond human dispute. as guide to
mundane conclusions.
Dogmatism. however. Is a necessary COM
ponent In all Religious arguments which per-
tain to an infinite mind or an everlasting lite
The Bible from q human point Of view may
seem filed with Inconsistencies and variations
oiimpossible events. But We must rememb Der
that science 10 only human and finite in it's ORR
gin. 1t. too. is developing to an unusual degree
to-day truths which decade ago would have
been laughed to scorn by some OF these So
called critical minister's Of the, GOSPEL As
steam and electricity. in the X-rays. liquid
gases ard wireless telegraphy. To-day | read
In the Electric Age an article by severe
scientist, in which he demonstrates that light
Is radiated from the human body IN a greater
or less degree. according TO the individual and
that impressions on sensitive films have been
taken and photographed in q room of absolute
darkness, Does not this suggest that. after all.
the illumination of the body IA mentioned on
occasions in the Bible is not SO impossible
after all? An Infinite Being must have known
all these things before we could even iE!aE ne
or believe or know them.
Imag ination or suspicion or assumption.
however. have nothing to do With Gods knowl.
edge. for that 10 infinite, and all human beings.
II they belle in any religion. must he, ieve in
this superhuman knowledge whether they can
prove IL or not. In the meantime we, In our
slow processes. are gradually finding out how
little we used to know and. some OF us. perhaps.
to suspect how little we know OF what may 10
discovered eventually.
belieye In the necessity OF the restrai ming
power or religion tcven II there were no hope
for future life to the highly enlightened.
and | consider II at least a very impOrtant
factor in the development Of civilization and
ethics, No other religion has equally AZ good
ethical principles. as that OF Christianity. nor
IN he history OF the world Is there any parallel
to the civilization which accompanies its prog
ross.
The Church can we'll get along without the
skeptics who wear the garh OF divine blessing,
but really plant the seeds Of unhelicf and moral
chaos Happily. the rank and file and the larger
percentage of the clergy do not mix faith with
their science.
Until. therefore. a better foundation on which
to rest. WHICH produces better results can he
presented. shall believe dogmaticaly in the
Christian Bible. Dogmatism, however. does
not preclude diversity OF INTERPRETATION.
BROOKLYN, July ID q. FISH CLARK, Al. ID.