The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-01-28
BREAKING UP OF DOGMATIC RELIGION,
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page ~
new Cbristianity-or rather the relic of the aJ
Christianty-to consist of natural religion clothed
in the adornmcnt of Christian terms and poctr-,
. Religion Is eternal life in the midst
of time; God and the soul are its clements thc
kingdom of God within YOU its end the fathcrhaud
of God and the infinite value of the soul are f..
teachings: the higher righteousness and the com.
mandmcnts of love are its law.
This VIC are told is all of Christ's mc>,ag.-irs
kernel and essence, and at once simple enough fl,
command the reverence of the greatest and broad
enough for Jew and ufidel. for Catholic and Pro-
tcstant-to be the religion of the world. And c.r-
tainly the best expression of it, positive caclu-a,
| have set " down Is simple and sublime and trl-
as far as il Goes But it is not all of Chrstiautv.
it is only the Christian statement of the common
religious idea that undcrlics all religions. and
which they all are an instructive eudcavor to ill.,
terprct You will recall how Leo MIL emphasize.
the word naturalism IN his cncycical ON the Fro.
NIasons.
Harnack, whom as rector of the faculty Of
theology in that home of learning. the University %.
Berlin we naturally quote as the chief prophet
and reflector of advanced Protestant thought ISL.
find to be but a Robert El-emere.
Years ago Ernest Rcnan expressed the rcgr..
that he was not Il German professor instead of 81
Frcnchman, that he might be Christian at tho
same time that he was am infidc Today me might
be both in American we'll as Germany
The effect of this eclipse of the light of faith
a widespread dcsertiou Of the pcws. Only 30Ooo0oo
of Americans are affiliated with any church. Matv
of the great unchurchPd are merely indiftcrcut
morally at fault, perhaps. and mtcligcntv unu-
formed about religion. but yet the unconscious OK
preston of the loss of Christian unity and am ac-
credited custodian and teacher of Christian faith
Others attempt to find in socialism other
isms of the day the solution of the problems of life
which it belongs to true religion to provide; the
questions of the soul which will not down. thu
whence and whittier of destiny; the how and the
why of morals. Among the better Glasses are great
numbers, | believe, who i'll condition of
waiting a composite of unattached Unitarian
and reverent Agnostic. whose picture OF Christ is
a dimmed heirloom retained by sentiment and
whose religion is a natural hope than a Chris
tian faith. If this class gave themselves over to-
religious intrcspection they might. DR.. Shechan
says. be typihed by Herbert Spencer in his last
days sitting on the sands at Brighton and pccrug
out, silent and dull of eye. over the unfathomabc
sea. But as they happen to be busy and prosperous
and not sad, while they wait" their truer type
might be the crowd around the Marconi wires in
the saloon of the transatlantic steamer enjoying
the applications of science and eager to catch the
gossip of two continents.
SO. much then. for the non Catholic who is
left Christian still, by the breaking up of dog
matte religion.
Dr. Sheehan in reviewing the Question Box cx-
presses surprise that the questions largely
the old-fashioned and oft-reputed objections and
MISUNDERSTANDING which arose at the very time
of the reformation and have been classics for gen
crations, and that the nome Catholic public seems so
little affected by the advanced thought of liberal
Professionalism.
Happily the affection is not widespread
living among the scholars might expect;
but think it is much more general than the
tents of the Question Box would indicate.
That vastly many reading and educated
Catholics are undoubtedly influenced by advanced
and rationalistc thought Is obvious from the fact
that their demands supplied by the most eul-
tured and generously paid pulpits; by the fact that
so large portion of our better classes atil-
lated with no church at all. or go eonfessedly for
the mental stimulation of listening to another
mans views of question. or for the sentimental
nourishing of the hungry religious instinct. 4
Only yesterday the bright young reporter sent
out here 10 write up meeting. told me, not
fippantlv. that he feared he was d pagan. Another
reporter. this morning, told me, and without my
asking him, that he believed IN God, but did not
understand or believe i'll the divinity of Christ,
and belonged to church. His father had been
a Methodist. his grandparents were Catholic What
endless procession of bright young men, students
and business and professional men, whom meet
the trains and everywhere, are such reverent
agnostics: They admit that there is a more salts
flying inspiration in a church steeple than in a
sky-scraper, but their religious education. failing
to keep pace with their secular development was
IelJ DeHlItl ana the tneplOPN OF the DON OF ten
found inadequate to sustain the man of thirty
1t has been said that can safely neglect the
half-dozen unbelevers in the audience to give our
attention to the stray Christians whose conversions
are more probable and easy. Alternate series OF
lectures for the two different classes might be a
safer solution of the problem, especially in cities
where there are many of each
Men whose faith must be built up from the
bottom are likely to let slip a series of lectures
whose subjects seem to assume the very things thev
want proved lecture ON "Saint Worship" or
Tho Blessed Virgin" or Prayers for the Dead
or The Sacramcutal System" will hardly appeal
to the man whose questions are: 'Who was Christ
that we must believe Him. Can, we trust the
Bible.' "Is Science and Religion in Conflict /"
What is Christianity" what the need of organ
lied Religion" us there Revelation of Gods will
except through and nature? or yet Is there
further Life for the Individually as there
Personal God apart from the Universal Life and
Lave"
A popular and convincing response to these
fundamental questions, at the proper place and
time, might bring into touch also with the chill
dren of God whom the breaking up of dogmatic
religion has left without the light of faith
God knows everything. There are volumes of