The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-07
The multiplication of creeds.

/ The Bosom Transcript" comments or
( the fact that no decade in American his
( tory has given us more religious CT pseu-
/ do-religious sects than the last one. II
calls attention to the circumstance that
every belief which has ever existed in The
minds OF any considerable number of peo-
pie is today represented in this country
The Theosophists and the Spiritualists
have creeds founded on ideas as old as
humanity; and some of the later sects, one
is tempted to say, are founded on no ideas
at all, but simply whims.
Opinions may differ as TO the signii-
canoe of this indisputable fact that sects
are multiplying in the land. To some
minds it may seem 10 indicate that the
older Churches are decaying. and that re-
ligion is becoming only a name to others
it may mean that indiyiduallsm is tecom-
ing more powerful than community Of
thought or feeling. Perhaps both theories
I are partly correct. There is no question
that faith in the older creeds does not
now exist in the sense that it once did
Nobody now can be found who believes
that immersion is the only true form of
baptism so strongly that he is willing to
die for his conviction, or even TO suffer
social ostracism and persecution. No
body now claims that all mankind except
members of his own particular Church are
doomed TO eternal punishment; and even
the prejudice against absolute unbelief is
not nearly as strong as it once was
There was time when the atheist had
no legal rights, and when the profession
of agnostieism was enough TO ruin a
mans political career. This is not so
nowadays. The change is a good one. 1t
is well 10 remember that the founder of
all Christian faiths did not indulge in Os-
tracism or persecution of those who diff
fered from him or advocate any such
thing. lie was continually bringing him
self into disrepute among the strict
churchmen of his day. by sssociating with
people whom they did not consider re-
spectacle. In so far as the Churches are
more tolerant today, therefore, they are
approaching more nearly to the spirit of
Christ; and it is worthy of note that
about two-thirds of the hard sayings and
knotty points which have led to dissen-
sion on matters religious and social in
the past. emanated from Paul, the one
writer OF the New Testament who never
came into personal contact with Christ.
II is he who freely asserts that many
specified things are "ineXcusable:" who
says that the powers that be are or
dained OF Cod who justified slavery: who
advocated celibacy, on the ground that
married man cared more for his wife than
for righteousness. The average bigot gets
most of his justifying texts from Paul.
and sometimes they Hatly contradict the
sayings of the Gospels.
In proportion TO the accurate apprehen-
sion Of the real meaning OF the New Tes-
lament, then. there must be a breaking
away from old creeds founded partly on
approximations. This, to The minds Of
Ixitted people. amounts to the reJec-
of religion altogether and having
ice been convinced that right doing is
'inseparable from belief IN certain dogmas,
they cannot give up these dogmas with
out rushing into all kinds of curious aber-