The Washington herald., 1907-09-19
At ISSUE With POPE
Jewish Rabbi Discusses His
EDcyclical.
THINKS MORE LIGHT NEEDED
Blind Faith, Unsupported by Agree
ment with Science, a step Back
Tradesmen - FaVOrs the Federal
Supervision OF Physicians.

New York. Sept 1s.-Rabbi Joseph Sill
verman, Of Temple Emanuel, made a
strong plea for the advancement OF
knowledge in his address TO the congre-
cation at the services held on the Day Of
Atoaement to-day He criticised the Pope
for his reacuonary encycHcaI forbidd.ng
the teaching Of modern philosophy in Ro-
man Catholic schools. condemned physi-
clans who make a trade Of their profes-
sion, and depIored the modern lack of
right thinking IN the conduct Of govern
ments.
We need more Hight. learning. and cul-
ture. said the rabbi IN his general con
sideration Of the deficiencies Of mankind
I'VE soreIy need, in this age, the light Of
true wisdom. True culture and religion
need the new birth into the light Of the
spirit No wonder prejudice. bigotry.
passion, and warfare are rampant
Critieises Pope's Decree.
'The great p0tcntate Of the Roman
Catholic Church has issued % his thou-
sands OF subjects a decree declaring that
what he spells by the term modernism
and what others spell BIZ the terms sci
/ ence and philosophy shall be excluded
r-gidiy from the churches and the schools.
He iHsuucts, practically. that the In
deN ExpUrga atorious shall exclude all show
Ing for modern things. all reform In
thought. 1t IS time. high time, I repeat
that the governments OF the great re-
ligious organizations should protest
against such decree: dIctum that
would tend 20 shunt the human race Loo
/ years backward. and make for the up
holding of "a blind faith that can never
/ bring true happiness 10 humanity
I Rabbi Silverman referred % The great
step in the advance Of knowledge that the
/ acceptance OF the Darwinian theory had
Brought. but complained that people have
not arisen to the fun height OF their in
/ tellectuaI capabilities. endowed by the
( light Of an advanced civilization Com
( parauvely speaking. we are more ignorant
than the peoples Of ancient civilizations.
with their limited capabilities for the ac-
/ quiremeut of knowledge. He gave his re-
marks a practical turn by reference to
/ the medical profession
Finds Fault with Doctors.
Doctors confess 10 a lack Of medical
science, noting that It does not progress
as it should But they dol't seem 70
concentrate effort to bring about real
| progress. Comparatively speaking. the
profession is far, far behind where it was
( 1900 years ago.
1T is not a profession. It is a trade
| that the doctors ply to-day. It is not
/ the practitioner Of a profession. who. with
! his commission 70 heal from on high
goes into a household and demands his
! fee Of $3.50 or $1,000 before he Will apply
the knife 10 the cancer, the auaesthetc
/ to the wound. Such practices ought tc
/ be condemned from every pulpit. every
rostrum in the land The government
ought 10 step in and prevent them. Il
/ is not the art of healing, I reiterate; il
! is a trade"
Government Not Scientific.
Dr. Suverman had this TO say about
the aspect Of government:
I'VE are pitifully lacking in knowledge
/ Of logic and sense Of political economy in
! the governments of our States and mu-
nicipalities. Our whole scheme Of gov
1 erument Is constituted not to meet the
/ demands Of the people. but for the good
| Of the political organizations. Therefore
/ we are governed IN ignorance and folly
sometimes with criminality."