Evening journal., 1903-06-13
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.

At HhAA VI ANAhA AiinA MtH liilliiiu III
the question is rarely heard in these
days But we have noticed a tendency
on the part OF clergymen to bewail the
lack of religious enthusiasm, and from
time to time we are told that there is
an alarming growth Of agnosticism and
inhdelity. Yet we doubt very much
whether anyone will hazard his repu-
tation by asserting that men are less
moral than formerly or that they are
more prone to fail in performing all
their obligations.
The thoughtless might conclude from
this that there IS no necessary rela-
tion between religion and morality, but
it is important to observe that what
one man holds as his religion Is re-
garded as heterodoxy by another. For
In its last analysis religion is not
matter OF creeds and liD-confessions; Il
Is the faith that each man carries in
his heart and It is the truth to say
that each man holds to creed that
could never be duplicated exactly by
any other person. II is quite possible,
then, that great number OF persons
are wronged by being regarded as ire
ligious, when the reason for this desig-
nation Is that they do not openly pro-
fess an orthodox faith.
But in the old sense of the term,
there are no inhdels in these days. No
longer do men have the temerity to
stand uo and declare their disbelief in
the Infinite, or sneer at those who pro-
fess such faith. Truth always throws
aside so many obstacles and opens up
SO many doors that We no longer feel
the impulse to doubt what our brother
sees. II is tolerant reverent and ready
to believe. The world owes all Of its
advance in religious truth TO those in
dependent and honest minds who could
not accept formulas and dogmas with
out investigation, and your doubling
Thomases' have made our conceptions
OF religion what they are.
II has been the tendency in recent
years. in fact, through all the centuries,
for the pulpit to crlticise science and
to charge Il with undermining the
faith; and yet there is no more holy
place than the halls Of science, and
no more reverent tread than that Of
the true scientist. He IS as fully conse-
Grated as Is the religious teacher. and
step by step in leading from effect TO
cause, is passing back to the First
Great Cause of the theologian. II is
true that many Of our great scientists
do not hold TO the orthodox standards
Of belief but we do not know of a
single living scientist who is an atheist.
Lord Kelvin. admittedly one OF the
greatest scientists Of The ase, m re-
cent discussion admirably presented the
scientific viewpoint. lie says:
Science makes every Gle OF MS lee
a miracle In himself: feel that II is not
m any dead matter chat we live, and
move. ana have our being. nut In the
creative ana directive power which
science compels us TO accept that We
cannot escape from. We are all ag-
nostics. We don't know we only know
God in His Works. But we We're abso-
luiely forced by science TO admit and
TO believe with absolute confidence II
a directive power, in an influence Other
than chemical. dynamical, clectrica
: forces. There is nothing between alb
solute scientific belief IN a creative
power and acceptance of "a fortuitoui
concourse OF atoms" But could ther'
, be anything more grievously absur,
than to think of atoms of matter fall
ing together, sometimes making a crys
$ tai or sprig OF moss, a microbe or livini
s animal?
- With scientists holding such san
e views, new impetus is given to humal
r faith and il the clergy shall reach GU
T. and clasp the hands Of such men, hail
ing them as brother workers and teach
ers. the church win be the benehciar!