The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
4 MOHAMMEDAN VIEW or r.
LIGION.
An Argument That In Unitarianism 10 the
Hone OF Pr0testautisin.


LIGION.
An Argument That In Unitarianism 10 the
Hope OF Pratestsutisrn.
To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN-Sir: ]
have been following with interest the dis
eussion In your columns on the Ritualistic
imitation Of the Roman Catholic Church
for some time The Rev. Mr.. Fllingham's
offensive assertion is quite characteristic
Of his Apalo-Saxon race, and II amused me
beyond measure He says that a RSualist
ID an idolater who worsbips q little cake
Of -four and water, while the Protestan's
worship Almighty God; but as subsequent
writer's have pointed out to him, the 10
finite God who holds the earth itselt 90
mere speck Of oosmie dust In the play OF me
forces that govern the universe. coulo
deign 70 80 through the process OF human
birth, He is capable also of conhning HIM
self even In that material form in the
Eucharist. 3, 80.
1t is evident, however. that these writers
have failed to grasp certain questions az
issue with far-reaching consequences In
yolying the future destiny OF the human
race. The fact of the matter Is that the
movement toward Rome, no visible IN this
country and in England OF late years, OF
portentous Significance Whether the
schism OF Professionalism was originally
especially In England, due to opposition 70
such minor points as the doctrine OF trans
eur,etantiation, or to the idea OF estaolsning
a riva, power to the one that gave the title
of Defender OF the Faith to the soverelgns
Of England, IL open to discussion But the
retention of the Episcopal hierarohy-a
facsimile Of the Roman organization-ano
the belief in the doctrine Of tho Trinity, dc''
support the latter supposition. IL desire
for the emancipation OF reason from the
bondage OF the Papacy and eagerness 70
learn the truth directly from the Bible had
been predominant in the minds OF the pro-
motors Of the Reformation, then. sTel!
the Bible and reason would have led
them to the Unitarian faith and the reJec-
ton of the doctrine OF Triune Cod and
then the rest Of the absurdities would have
gone with IT, The Bible, though greatly
tempered with as was pointed out by the
Koran thirteen centuries ago and con-
frmed by the higher criticism Of the nine
teenth century, teaches, on the whole.
Unitarian faith. There il no mention OF
the Trinity in the whole Bible. The meta
Father are one" eau be easily explained In
the light OF "at that day We shall Know that
I am In my Father and We IN me- ana IN
you," or. "as thou, Father art In me. ana
! in thee, that they also may be one IN us.
In short. the position OF Protestentism
il most illogical. 1t processes TO follow
the Bible and reason. yet at the same time
il clings TO an apology OF creed ~h'oh IL
the mixture OF old pagan superstitions ana
the sublime ethics Of Jesus. concocted for
he dual supremacy OF the Holy Roman
Empire. The Professionals cannot escape
the ban OF idolatry so long as they stick TO
the worship of a man-god notwithstandlng
substaniiation and so forth. This illogical
position is bearing its fruits in agnostlclsm1
md atheism. Tits false concept on OF
God is driving away the people from the
churches and rendering, them wtt fH;,t
faith and Tshon. hope IN This hasr Tsa' OF erm
a afro murders, gigantic frauds and in;
oreasing suicides, in spite of light ana
iaarnins. There is no rational religion
availabie, either, in Europe and America Tor
people to seek solaee in Its told OF n,hsr
r reI in he blacklist possible colo.s.
The outlook is gloomy and demands me
attention Of the Unitarians to rise up 70
the situation erod
"a SycrHowing simply because that orgam-
zation is consistent to it's principles N has
forbidden the flock TO Use reason in matters
rei;eio,ls, and the followers Of the komlsn
Church are happy in their ignorance. Inc
imitation Of Rome by Rituslists may attract
people to hear good music and see divert :
ine ritual, but it cannot be OF lasting IN,
fi,ience unless they are able to command
passive obedience from their focks and 70
forbid the use OF reason. Naturally, .Iis
Roman Catholics resent the aping OF the'r
methods for catching men.
Professionalism rs bound 10 pass away
sooner or later but agnosticism and atheism,
because Of their negative nature, cannn'
take its place. Unless the Init a"lan I nnrch;;
With fresh energy. intellectual, ethical ana
literary resources, adopts vigorous asres.
sive attitude, the field will he lost tc, Roman
| Catholicism. Nay, the mighty and highy
| intellectual bureaucracy OF the .,esuits
| is moving onward, slowly but surely. IKE
a huge iceberg floating on the face OF the
| deep, crushing every obstacle IN Us couIse
| without making any demonstration what
| soever ~,
| There is a manifest analogy between the
| struggle between Romanism ana fro'eS,
! antisln In modern times, and the struSgiie
between Brahminis,n and BUDDHISM SIM IN y
protest agains, the priestcraft OF brahmlh-
) ism, after playing a pert, Of predomins"ce
, for centuries in india, had, in the end, To
, make room for the revived and well-or,,
| Ran;zed theocracy Of the latter and passed
away from The land Of the Indus, leaving
| no appreciable traces Of its existence
! Brahninism in the Fast, like Ronlanlsn IN
| tho West, holds all the three lower cas-, as
| in tho hollow Of her hand, e1acts passive
obedience from all and gives them the nope
! of attaining that emneice by means o.
poverty, chastity and obedience. through
rcincarnaion 1t is older tian the Papscy'
and "a adamantina a. Papacy itself.
One imbued with broad philos"phic ideas
and altruistic sentiments might ask, why
do you quarrel over these insgnlhcan'
details? Are not all religions trying to reacA
the same goal by different routes' II the
question ended in the Divine pursuit only,
there would be certainly no occasion ior
quarrel at all, but the principle beneath
these Divine institutions is TO dominate
and WELD power over mankind. beh'na
their meek and humble tones. there lie hid,
den stern dictatorial mandates. Man,
says a writer, lis by nature a hypocrife;
he t,xes his eyes ecstaticaly upon the hear,-
ems and poses as a spectator oil time ana
eternity. while his heart and inHlost thoughts
are centred upon his native earth: Herein
lies the crux of the matter Man wants
power and dominion over his fellow man
The easiest way to acquire II Is through
claiming Divine institution.