The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-23

REV. ri e. NEwBERT SEES IMPROVE
MtNT, BUT NO DEcADENcE.
Many lrgue that Religion at Best Is
but aiRefned Form of Superstition
What Ii Really Is.

At Ala Souls Unitarian Church yesterday
the ReI E. z. Newbern had for his theme.
Faith, Hope and Love-" He said in part:
"Howkcommon place these words are, yet
how poesr would language be without them.
Man hat done much. He has fought neces-
sary battles, built empires and cities, dis
coveredf new worlds, and taken giant
terial strides. But he has done something
more thTn all this, else he has not achieved
It Is ths dream OF the poet, the call of the
-proDhetg the note of the singer, that tells
of abiding human progress and lifts out
OF the dusty rut of work Not all the Gaze
sars dig work in empire building which,
in its rial influence upon the world, rises
to the high level Of the simple work of
Jesus. Before all things else stands mans
thought Of God, his hope Of a good to be
and hisflove Of the world around him. His
thought Of God may not be rational, yet
II touches his life with little of the uni
versal- His hope, too, may be made of the
stun THAT dreams are made of, yet when
drifting it becomes his anchor. and when
down II is his inspiration. And our love
may BET imperfect. but without it this world
would Pc sorry. place for man, and life
would te difficult proposition.
1T Isl a fair picture. this OF man opening
his hf4 10 the universal Ii Is impossible
10 namf the value or a moral action. like
the mttn who plunges in without asking.
Give NJ, the man with heart. who believes
in the hood and true even though dust MI
his eyet and he now and then is blinded 10
the viston. Give me the man VINO is some
times I'D by his emotions, who does not al
ways carefully compute the cost, who
catche3 the spirit Of song and sings. who
hears fne drums beat and goes marching
TO thei wars. who prays, perchance. at
night. fnd by day is touched with earth
streinst who is thrilled by something, has
a toucif OF pathos In his nature, who laughs
and cfes aloud. and is awed or made
ashanti by the mighty and regenerating
moral f0rces of life.
RELIGION HAS ITS PLACE
WITHIN this region of inspiration, this
region sof heart and soul, this region Of
faith AID hope and love, warmth and color,
religiori has Its place. For religion is like
unto lte. and the cardinal principles OF
life arr as well the eternal forces in re-
ngion. But as yet the larger half of the
world toes not believe this. Simplify re-
Iigion, make IT, plain and sweet and inspir-
Ing AMI true and real a nearby thing for
daily Uhe. and you destroy the features for
which 71any people care most. 1t still holds
In thief public mind. that to be religious
one MIST be little unlike ones neighbor,
whose tfe Is worldly. or one must do some
thing tfat he dtslikes to do or believe some
thing Got easy TO believe, or at least once
IN willie be uncomfortable. 1t is objected
that fsfth and hope and love are too simple
neededs to round out human life? Be
Ieve what you Will, call God by what name
you wiz. read your Bible with microscope
or Telescope, say your prayers in church
or In e street car, unless your faith makes
you faithful, unless your hope makes YOU
cheerful. unless your love makes you low
ing ank lovable you have not crossed the
boundsery into religions sphere. man
may b a Christian, in a formal sense, yet
have Ito religion.
''Muth Is being said about the decadence
OF religion. The question is asked. will re-
lgion kndue, and have place in the busy
progressive world 100 years hence? II the
Questidr Is. will belief change during the
new ctntury? l answer. yes If the ques-
ton will the church make progress
will pISyer become simpler, will worship bt
more 3adsome and willing? | answer YES
But IL the question is. shall religion bs
done fway or be superseded by education
of ethts? i answer, no. And l am now
thinking of religion as being the very sun
OF thsf worlds sentiments. IL is argued
that Tfligfon at Its best is only a refined
form ~ superstition and that we are try.
ing inta rational way to repeat the form
ua hshded on 10 US by the savage Ii Il
true Tat many fears have borne the nam,
\ OF religion and that many superstitions
- have Tome and gone but religion Is MOI
Bupersk tion, II Is not fear. II is not form
nla, ~. Is not bad logic. IL is not ignorant
worship. Religion IS just human life at IL:
highes9 value. IL Is just human life liveC
vlef or life's sacred possibilities IL /:
lst ff1man life taking on the universal
eligf4n shall endure for human life witt
tt6 higher needs. its dreams, its sou
1ngef and its quick response TO III.
1marf touch. shall continue