The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-04
OTHER PEOPLES NOTIONS.
Very Unorthod ox.

To the Editor OF The Journal.
Your Thanksgiving editorial contains
one statement which *reduires trefutation.
You say that 1.-The people and the nation
who ignore the moral consciousness which
/ leads to consciousness of God. are in. a
/. very bad way, and are going in a direction
which leads to moral chaos and national
J. decrepitude.i .1,rs.jt,L lfGlr% 2St - & : -.
/ i Your. preceding: sentence is as follows.
+ 1.-THE character of nation. is not made by
an memorable resistless force, but by the
choice and action of the individuals,
choosing between the Brightness and
wrongness of things, as set, forth in man S
/ consciousness of moral obligation, uni
versally prevalent This latter state
ment is quite near the literal truth, the
other is very far from it. 49,.
Whether CONSCIOUSNESS of moral OBJ
legation" was universally prevalent
among original humanity, is Of. course,
| unknown and u1lascertainable. But if
such were not the fact, human experience
would sooner or later make it SO; and all
subsequent experience would simply de-
velop, strengthen, and intensity this fac
| tor in humanity. I, however, am disn-
| clined to adopt the expression Conscious
ness of moral obligation q because the
fact is simply that humanity learns
| through experience that certain conduct
yields favorable results, while the reverse
+ Of this conduct yields unfavorable re-
+ suits. y " - ..:F *, --:ess -: "a
| Your EXPRESSION, Brightness and wrong
| ness of things is getting at the essence
| of the matter. That is, the religion Of
| right for rights sake has been evolving;
an dalthough humanity in. general is. as
yet wholly unconscious of the fact, it is
| this which constitutes great deal more
| orthodox religionists can not conceive of
| else. besides; and it is the whole of the re-
| ligion of the unorthodox.> .-. ... = -. 70
1t is an unfortunate circumstance that
! not presume to speak of or concerning
| an unorthOdoX persons being religious at
all. But this is wholly erroneous; or at
least this is my personal testimony. do
| not presume t ospeak, Of or concerni11e:
| anybody else; but believe the possibili-
ties concerning myself to be Just as posi-
| BILE with anybody else.:# 1@befieve neither
| in the existence of God nor in; the iinmor-
tality of man; not only so, but I con-
| stantly experience the. absolute and UNI
| qualified mental. assurance and sconvic-
| ton that there, is neither God nor immor-
! tally, in any of the, accepted meanings
| of those terms. Yet 1 defy you or any
| body else to be more; conscientious
scrupulous. or religious than 1 am.
| . The exact status of, the ma tier is this:
! While I believe neither in the. existence
| of God nor immortality of men, / do not
have the slightest possible concern wheth-
| er am right or wrong in these ideas. for
| it is human conduct. and this alone, which
| either constitutes or fails to constitute
! human duty; and either makes or mars
| human welfare. My concern, therefore.
| a constant. and" profound Concern is
simply that I may always be able to know
and do right; and always be able to know
| and avoid wrong. This is my religion:
and do not allow anybody to be more re-
ligious than l am; T do not allow any
body to be any better than am in motive,
! purpose, object, intention, Incentive Or
| desire. ~ $3.50
! I speak personally simply because1I am
not warranted in speaking for others.
But know the facts concerning myself
and believe the same things. to be just
as possible for anybody else as II know
them to be for myself. II NJ,
Humanity in general is not yet
conscious of the fact, but departure from
the CONSCIOUSNESS Of Cod and from the
recognition of 'the fact of the Supreme
Creator, actively governing the universe,
and in divine personality caring for his
creation from the highest to- the. lowest
form of its redundant life,'' and the sup
planting thereof by the religion of right
! for rights sake is now the most dis
| tinctive fact in human existence. There
I is, to my mind, no question that huma 11ity
i is more religious to-day than ever before;
!, but it is in this unorthodox religion OF
/ right and rights ssake-the- new religion
i and which is destined. as predict, to be
4 the greatest single boon to, humanity ever
4 Iet.eNperienced by lit; or If snot SO. then
4 certainly all the worse for the humanity
| that rejects it, and 5discreditable to it as
! well. s--W.ssR Stokes. s
Court Block. ST. Paul, Mimi, a i.s
The fool hath said in his heart, there is
i no God.-Bible. FS5s
l.