The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-18
LONG AGE OF FABLE
GIVES WAY TO SCIENCE
Rational Religion and Our Age
of Science" Discussed by Rev.
E. F.. Newbert
AT ALL SOULS CHURCH

At All Souls Unitarian Church yesterday
the Rev E. E. Newbert had for his theme
Rational Religion and Our Age of
Science" He said in part: 1.-THE long age
of fable is closed; the age of science is be-
gun. And what an age! Yet the average
mind only partially adjusts itself to the
new conditions, while the faith of the aver
age man, unmindful of the spreading light,
stumbles on in the dark. We have talked
of the warfare of science, and there has
been warfare. We, too, have talked
of the antagonism of science and re-
ligion, but there is antagonism.
make no defense of an outgrown theology,
rational religious faith | say there Is per-
feet harmony between science and religion.
Science seems TO destroy only because it
comes into collision with half-formed and
yet it's sweep OF vision is vast, it's reve-
lations so marvellous, that mind fees the
wealth of an awakened intellect. Liberal
religion has its all powerful ally in science.
and science finds in liberal religion the
more poetic expression of it's profoundest
conclusions. For rational thinking takes
up the facts of science and makes them
over into sonnets of faith. 1t sets gravi-
tation and evolution TO music and the world
sings q new psalm of life
To-day we have a new idea of man. 1t
is natural and scientific rather than super
natural and biblical. 1t works along the
line of ascent, and knows nothing of a fall
It's teaching is that man was not made
man to become a brute. He was not good
by nature TO become evil by choice. His
infancy was not accompanied by angels,
rather did he contest the path to the hu-
man with the fierce carnivora-the cave
bear and the saber tooth. Science gives
the unattractive picture of the human
in the brute, the ray of light in the dark
ness, the thorn lying thicker than the rose.
Then 1t shows VS.. another pictHremthe pic
brute in the human, the shadow lingering
in the light, the rose lying thicker than
the thorn. But science leaves its idea of
man in the rough. 1t needs to be touched
with beauty. This is the province of re-
ligion. And here religion has its great op-
portunity. There is an infinite meaning in
this passage of man from rock shelter TO
home, from brute instinct to human love.
from clOd of primeval earth to soul. And
as the complement of this idea of man we
have a new idea of nature and God. Relig-
ious thought is seeking expression in the
terms OF unity, law, life. We are learning
to say one law, one life, one God. While
the confident assertion or science that all
life is an evolution and inVolution-the
passage from diffusion to concentration.
and the growth from the atom to the brain,
becomes the ground of a daring optimism.
But science closes its book of marvels.
1t stops just short of the vision. Rational
religion takes up this book and writes a
chapter OF poetry Science nalts at the pOr-
tall religion knocks at the gates Science
measures the mountain. for instance, and
tells the age of its formation, but 1t does
sky. Rational religion accepts the geology
of the mountain, but ii climbs to the top
and 1t climbs for beauty 1t listens to ma
ture voices, ii wonders, it admires, it builds
an altar.
''Oh. man has heritage that passes I'M
derstandingl He has the promise of i'm
measurable good. All time is his; all
worlds are his. BY all its prophets, by
all its hottest voices, by all its affairs by
the humanity of its thought and the sim
plicity OF its faith. liberal religion is on
the side of man. It's mission is TO emanci-
pate, TO break the force of fear TO mate
with life 1t is ready for prophecy. ready
TO interpret this wonderland of a world in
the terms of confidence TO urge q faith ia
all that is and all that is to be, to counsel
men to live without fear and 10 die and
not be afraid. Ours is an age of doubt and
question. Shall skepticism find resting
place in faith, and shall searching reason
Justify itself in religion? Let the church
answer Will the church take the shutters
from its windows? VIII II set aside its
feeble light and see TO worship by the sun
VIII 1t make all truth welcome?"