The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-01-23
VALUABLE SERVICE
THOUGHTS.

INtiuO.I
Ofall the peculiar Developments o
human thought, the one that most Sc
versy shakes our faith in humanity i.
the ease with which differences Of opin.
ion Oh the subject Of religion separate
human beings into camps that are
actively hostile 1t would seem a
though the last thing Of all to make us
diss0naDt with other people is the
search after truth; for if judgment is
allowed sway for a moment, we realize
that two strong minds cannot possibly
tske precisely the same view Of one OBJ
ject they cannot see through each
others eyes. 10 is as though an ex-
eursiOn boat were passing some inter-
estiDg object, mo two persons on that
boat can possibly see precisely the same
view, and therefore no one eau speak
with absolute positiveness as to what
another sees or does not see.
In the history of man the most
fendish displays Of ill-feeling, hatred,
malice, back-biting and all evil have
srisen from disagreement in beliefs.
These differences have absolutely clos
ed the bowels Of mercy towards the
Wesker-pOssibly the unresisting one
and they have smeared the blood Of
martyrs over the pages Of history and
the face Of continents during CEN
iuries Of human life In the name of
God the believers in God have slain
esch other; in the name of God have
they devised all possible crueties, and
in the name Of God have they undone
ID themselves the attributes Of gentle
Dess, meekness, temperance and peace
which they ascribed to Him. If il
we're not so terrible, it would be anus
iDg to think Of the fury, and furry,
and schemings into which men let
themselves drift when they attempt to
force other men to see with them.
Our Own country-men here, when this
country was boring, were no better
or perhaps it would be well to say no
worse, than the illiberal generations
that bad gone before them. The blood
Of martyrs for belief has been spilled in
this land, where, according TO Mrs.
Hemans the Pilgrims sought freedom
to worship God" and achieving thai
freedom by their proves over savages
then denied il to those who differed |
with them. Poor saints Of Plymouth |
and the sad and Grabbed Puritans,
they never could see the inconsistency |
Of Prosecuting the Quakers and driving
them out to starye in a wilderness where
savages were more kindly, nor could
hey see that when they slew the
witches they themselves were possess
ID With the spirit Of evil. Who is to
blame? Surely not Religion itself.
Persecution is a form Of human con-
cit. The n0siest are the narrOwest
be most positive are the shallowest.
lne least liberal are those who under
land least the breath and depth and
lelght OF human aspiration. Conceit
makes man who has merely nibbled
Z Truth and trifled with investigation
~ to force agreement from others, and
lis eonceitis the first step to his cruelty.
There undoubtedly are still lurking
Q many hearts opposition and hatred
those who differ with them on the
implicated subjects Of faith, the exis-
'nce Of God, redemption by sacrifice,
'ci but Of the hopeful features Of this
ayi when progress is broad on al
-her subjects, surely not the least is
be ease and liberation with which
len Of different religious beliefs get to-
Ether and agree to at least be silent .
ID charitable on the subjects where
pom they disagree.
we look forward into the future Of l
le human race, we believe that the q
'rSi miserable, repressive days Of the
sst are never again to descend upon the {
lman mind, closing it against the
gher light that comes from believing a
e best Of all who differ from it. that I
'Ver again is the sword to be taken
hand to sweep into a land misery, :
ony aud death, because of some dis :
iled point in some disputed scrip n
res. We believe that the line Of n
'evage between nations and men istO n
a decreasing one because Of increas-
g mutual understanding and esteem. =
e believe that a. the human family is
e family it has one destiny. We be-
We It is surely growing TO believe 81
al there is only one chief good in life j.
d that to battle the whole being in p
Dad hope and broad aspirations not a
~ Tor ones self but for every other il
ing human being. II
IS mp the tortured mountain side c'
many pathways wind and spread, Il
.nl rock crevases and stream divide
ue TRAVELLERS who such pathways tread.
ma some at times are lost to sight az
ma seem 10 seek q downward track, "
nile others turn % lcft or right, in
ma now fare forward, now turn back. o,
~ az the summit an appear &
see gorgeous sun up-rise, n
Ina' meath "a sky forever clear,
ofgel the paths perplexitios. al
Scientific Discovery. II
Aodol does for the stomach that OF
llch IT is unable 10 do for itself, even Of
~, ~ out slightly disordered or over oi
. 'o.eo' kodol supplies the natural =
'.ies OF digestion and does the work &c