The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-26
new RELIGIOUS THINKING
REV. Z. Z. NEwBERT SAYS PAST
CENTURY WAS RIFE WITH CHANGE.
Out of Scientific Conclusions Came a
Radically Different Conception of
God-New World Theory.

At All Souls Unitarian church Rev. Z. Z.
Newbert had for his theme yesterday IAN
Inference from the New Religious Think
ing" For illustration he referred to the New
Testament parable the substance of which
on an old garment-and no man putteth
new wine into old bottles-but new wine
must be put into new bottles
In part he said: Jesus probably had a
nearby suggestion for this parable. A beg
gar near with tatteTed garment 1t was easy
for the people to see how futile the at
tempt to patch the tatters and rags with
new piece of cloth. Or pointing TO an old
wine skin, blackened and cracked. he made
plain that it was not fit for the new wine,
for the new wine with it's power of fermen-
tation needed new wine skins The simple
parable is full of suggestion. / have in mind
the new religious thinking, the triumphs of
intellect, the changes wrought by the new
learning, and with the parable before me,
l say this new thinking should not be used
to patch the tattered old garments of be-
lief, nor should the wine of new thought
be put into the old wine skins The new
thinking demands new expression. The rapid
progress of religious thought calls for fresh
utterance. The logic of the new learning
is forcing preacher and teacher to clear
thinking and frank statement.
That there is new religious thinking
no will deny. The nineteenth century
was rife with change. and out Of the large
scientific conclusions of the century issued
radically different conception of God, a
new Interpretation of the universe, an adj
vanccd anthropOlogy, a daring yet careful
criticism. a mi RI iop vic wv
of the person and work of Jesus. A new
world theory came III with evolution, and
while there is certain continuity to
thought 1t is true that an ever widening
gulf is fixed between the old world theory
and the new. The attempt to harmonize
Genesis and geology or 10 read into the Old
Testament the new cosmic philosophy or to
find in the Bible a warrant for Darwinism
has long ago been given up. Fact is the
situation admits of no compromise. If the
old SupernaturaliSm is true, coSmic philoS-
ophy, with a vital n2turalism as basis is
false But everywhere the new cosmic phi
losophy is accepted. Evolution long ago
passed out of the stage of radical expert
ment and Is now a working basis for knowl-
edge in all large institutions of learning.
It's words have been set to music; poets have
turned its severe prose into poetry; and elo-
quent preachers have worked il over into
forms of faith. the most daring that the
world has known.
But the new and inspiring thinking
awaits full appropriation Religious
thought advances, but il Is tinid and halts
half way. The full logic of the new learn
ing as applied to religion is yet TO be tried.
| The present is far in advance of the past
| but we are scarcely doing better than patch
| ing the poor old garment OF belief, while the
| splendid new wine of thought is being put
| into the old wine skins. Yet there are those
who believe In religion, vital and vitaliZing
religion, who wait upon its mighty words
/ of faith hope and love, who are enamored
! with its beauty and led and helped by its
| open vision, and these people affirm that we
MAY hax- wiz roll OIL oil
| dogma, that prayer may be whispered
| apart from the old supernaruralism, that
! the new idea of God does inspire reverence
and worship and that religion may embody
all the truth no matter whence its source
| and still be religion and still inspire 10 high
thinking and noble living"