Evening journal., 1906-12-03
SHAW WANTS TO
REPAIR RELIGION
Wants Doctrine OfImmaCuIate
Conception Incorporated
in All Religions
SUGGESTS GOD AS WOMAN

"some Necessary Repairs to Rell-
gion" is the title OF lecture delivered |
by Bernard Shaw in connection with
the Guild Of ST. Matthew. az Essex
Hall, London. the other night
Mr.. Shaw said we had a great many
pressing social problems to solve, but |
lacked a religion which would impel us
to tackle them.
II the great congregation OF towards
called the human race were TO be got
to disregard their own safety and in
terest, they must be made religious. A
religious man was not one who belong
ed to the Church OF England or who
did not, and the enthusiasm Of men
who did not belong to that church
seemed much greater than that OF men
who did. Nor was he a man with a
special creed. religious man was
one who had sure knowledge that he
was here. not 10 fulfill some narrow
purpose. but as am instrument OF the
force which created the world and
probably the universe. Religion made
man courageous. and II he was not
intelligent it made him extremely
dangerous. In the absence OF a re-
liglon a coarse man had the most cour-
age, but with religion the most fragile
and sensitive became enormously
courageous.
Jonah and Noah.
Until we could get rid Of the Bible
in the sense in which we had spoken Of
il for 800 years religion in England
would be impossible. Another OBJ
I-a
les" In. which evolution. its great re-
ligious and philosophic side being ig-
nored. became materialistic and soul
destroying in its conception Of the uni
: verse.
3 There was no established religion on
earth to-day in which an intelligent,
! educated man could believe. No such
man could belong to the Church Of
England without considerable reserva-
|, tion. The great body OF legend which
|, every religion accreted around itself
2 might be as true as Hamlet" was true
but to tell children that the stories Of
Jonah and Noah's Ark were literally
true was TO lie.
8 Many people who said they believed
, in God did so because they thought
that otherwise he would strike them
. dead. That was abominable idolatry
Yet IN schools religion was taught
much in this way. The Jehovah of
the earlier parts of the Bible consented
to have Jeptha's daughter sacrificed
TO him, and sent bears to eat up little
children. The result was that the
masses became so irreliglous that peo-
pie did not dare to teach them a genu-
, inc religion, for they would not be-
E lieve it
= The main truth that required to be
j. taught was the powerlessness Of God
IS If we conceived God as moral force
d we must admit that apart from us he
was powerless. Millions revolted
n against religion when confronted with
s the question. 'If God is so powerful
n why is the world such horrible
e placer" 1t was no use saying God
e could not he understood. A man IN
e the dock would not be excused because
j. he said he had some higher purpos'
3. that others could not understand.
e The only way in which God could
o work was through ourselves. He had
I mo hands or brains but ours; he was
a nothing but a will. If we wanted C
lpersonify him, why not personify hin
, las a woman? The doctrine of the I'm
- lmaculate Conception should be incor-
4 lporated in all religions, because il re-
. minded us Of woman's place in god
: head, and made us realize that all con.
= lception was immaculate, and not sin
The will that drove the universe was
y ldriving every man more or less, ever
> 1.-THE most sordid stockholders in Lon.
8 don, and it was evidently driving a
nme sort of moral conception. An,
Is other thing to remember about Coo
was that he made mistakes. Only al.
ter many trials he had produced a MAJ
who, though only a makeshift, was a
ibis best rather a wonderful creature
If men realized that what God wa
= driving at finally was a perfect com.
\ fprehension of his own purpose, therl
, would be little difficulty in makinl
them religious, observant and inteln
r gent.
(. The one thing religion could give u
t. -omfort, but courage and self
: respect.
People jumped in with their religion
/. and philosophy and morals a numbe
a Of other things which were merely as
+ ISOLATED ideas and customs. He neve
: talked disrespectfully Of religion, bu
: ibis mission was to tell people Of tn
l. rubbish that choked tsligion. Unit
: that rubbish was got rid OF there wa.
h lno choice Of getting a world in whicl
. anything worth talking about woul,
i ever be done.
Is The first annual ball given in Turl
Hall by the Retail Ice nrfvars will fob,