The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-16

SIR OLIVER LODGE BLENDS RE-
LFGION AND EVOLUTION.
God . Lovins Father: Prayer = state AZ
Harmony with Kim -Communish or
Saints . Reauty-usher Life IAotner
stars--Heayen I'm Personal Perfection,
sp.ssa. cooss Despatch TO THE syn

eeknuA neauty-nuBncr Lie sfDthcV
stars--Hesven I'm Personal Perfection,
Special cabls Despatch TO TIE syn.
LONDON. Dec. 1s.-Sir Oliver J. Lodge.
LID. r. r. g., principal OF thu University
Of Birmingham, has issued the text OF q
oatechism, which he read before a gathering
Of Nonoonformist ministers in. London n
which ID designed for the use Of teachers
Interested in the educationEof the young.
In the preface Sir Oliver says;
Prom the viewpoint Of q teacher and 4
trainer OF teachers the following clauses
nave been drafted by me as sfording 3
partially scientific basis for future religious
education:
'~Question-What ara your
'Answer-A being, alive, conscious upon
this earth, my ancesors having assembled
by gradual processes from the lower forns
OF animal life and With struggle and suffer.
ing become man. :
.~Question-what then lie meant ~ the fan
Of man?
"Answer-At-a certain stage of develop
ment man became conscious Of the differ
moo between right and wrong so that there
after when bis actions fell below \ normal
standard OF conduct he felt ashamed and
sinful. Nevertheless the possi 5ility of the
fall marks a rise in the scale Of existence.
as creatures below this level are irresp IN
sible. feel no shame, suffer no renor and
are said to have no conscience.
-~Question-What is the distinctive char
acter OF manhood7
-Answer-That he has responsibility for
his acts. having acquired the power ~
choosing between good and evil with free
dom TO obey one motive rather than an
other.
"Quest,on-Whst is the duty OF man?
"Answer-To assist his fellows, to de-
velop his own higher self, to strive toward
good in every way open to his powers. and
generally to seek to know the laws Of ma
ture and obey the will OF God. in whose
service alone can be found that harmonious
exercise of the faculties which is synonymous
with perfect freedom.
'Question-What is meant by good and
evil?
-Answer-Good is that which promotes
development and is in harmony with the
will of God. II is akin TO health, beauty and
happiness. Evil is that which retards and
Illustrates development and injuries soms
part of the universe and is akin TO disease,
ugliness and misery.
-Question-How does a man know good
from evil?
"Answer-His own nature; when uncor-
rupted, is suficS atty in tune with the uni
verse to enable HIM to be well aware of what
is pleasing and displeasing to the guiding
spirit Of which he himself should be a real,
effective portion.
@Question-How comes IL that evil exists3
-Answer-Acts and thong hts are evil
when they are below the normal standard
attained by humanity. The possibility of
evil is a necessary consequence of the rise
in the scale of moral existence, just as an
organism whose normal temperature 10 far
above absolute zero is necessarily liable
TO a dana ging, deadly cold, but the cold il
not in itself a positive or created thing.
-Question-What is sin7
~-Answer-Sin is the deliberate, wilful act
OF a free agent who sees better but chooses
worse and thereby acts in~iuriously to him
self and others. The root of sin is selfish
ness, whereby needless trouble and rain
are inflicted on others. IL is akin to moral
suicide.
questionable there beings lower in the
scale of existence than man?
~Answer-Multitudes. In every part Of
the earth where life is possible we find IL
developed. Life exists in every variety OF
animal, in the earth, the air and the sea and
in every species of plants.
~Question-Are there beings higher in
the scale of existence than mann
-Answer-Man is the highest of the dwell
ers OF the planet Earth, but the earth is
only one of many planets warmed by tha
sun. The sun is only one Of a myriad
Of similar suns which are so distant that
we hardly see them and group indisorimj-
nately as stars. We may be sure that In
some of the innumerable worlds circulating
about distant suns there must be beings
far higher in the scale of existenoe than
ourselves. Indeed we have no knowledge
which enables US to assert the absence of
intelligence anywhere.
-~Question-What csused and what main
tains existence?
-Answer-Of our own knowledge we are
unable TO realize the meaning OF its origi.
nation and maintenance. All we can ac-
complish in the physical world is 10 move
things about by means Of our bodily or
ganisms and then leave them to act on
each other. But We conceive that there
must be some intelligence supreme over
the whole process of evolution or else things
could not be as organized and az beautiful
as they are.
"Question--Is man helped in the struggle
upwardI
-Answer-Man did not bring himself
into existence nor can he unaided maintain
his existence or achieve anything what
ever. There is certainly Q power In the
universe vastly beyond our compfehsn-
sion. We trust and bslieve IL 10 DO a good;
loving power, able and willing to help Us
and all creatures, TO guide US wisely without
detriment to our incipient freedom. This
loving kindness surrounds US every mo-
ment In it we live and have our real
being. 1t Is the m~ainsprinR Of love, Joy
and beauty. We call 1t the grace Of God,
1t s~ustains and enriches all worlds. It mar
take 4 multiplicity Of forms, but its essence
and higher meaning rs especially revealed
to the jewellers ON the earth In the form OF
the divinely human, perfect life Of Jesus
Christ, through whose spirit and living
influence man may hope TO rise TO heights
at present inaccessible.