Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-11
Come One! Come All!

morally. 1 decided that it was better
not to know so many things than to
know so many things that are not
true.
THE ordinary medieval dogmas of
all the orthodox confessions of faith
became in themselves to me immoral
and demoralizing; such as the failure
of God, the ruin of man, the fantastic
unreal scheme of justification, saliva
tion by opinion and the existence of
eternal evil and eternal torment.
"The greater theology began to sup
plant the old, until adopted the prin-
ciple, I will believe the best 1 can
think, being fully persuaded that If
it be not the truth it is because some
thing better is true which 1 am not yet
able to comprehend
Furthermore l changed my religious
opinions because those which I held
did not satisfy my moral nature. I saw
that they stultified sympathy because
of their exclusive character, both as
regards their teaching of discrimina-
tion between the saved and the lost,
and also through the monstrous doc
trine of the separation of man from
God.
81 discovered also that religion does
not depend on opinion and that the
most religious people are as apt to be
outside the church as in it. l saw that
the great thinkers, reformers, poets
and leaders of the race We're almost
without exception counted heretics in
their time. I have felt that it would
be immoral for me not to speak out
the best ! can think. AS Oliver Wen
dell Holmes said, L cannot be a coward
with my lips, who dared to question
all things in my SOUL This very atti-
tude and practice changes a mans
opinions and opens undreamed of doors
into the counsels of the unseen re-
ality.
Still further l found that my old re-
ligious opinions distinctly prevented my
spiritual embodiment mean this
word spiritual to include the whole
man, l had lived up to the highest
standards 1 knew the best l could, and
it was simply in following out this
principle that I needed a larger set
of opinions to express the larger con-
ceptions that came to me to live. /
conceived of man as a royal per-
sonage deluded as to his real character
and that he reconquers his territories
by the Endorsement of his spiritual
consciousness. | believe that it is true
for all, but l know it is for me, that
the way of spiritual unfoldment is
through self-reliance.
Il believe l nave worked out sci
entifc basis for rational religion. ]
never plead with men TO get them to
adopt my opinions. If a man is thor
oughly satisfied with his reliance on
authority outside of himself and if ii
really introduces him TO God, would
bid him continue where he is until he
needs a larger environment to contain
his growing soul. But If you are dis
contented with your religious concep-
tions and environment, then 1 bid you
have no fear, as you entrust yourself
to the revelation and the guidance of
the God that dWells within.
THE world is becoming filled with
people whose faces are turned toward
the larger light, the larger truth, the
larger wisdom, the larger satisfaction
and the larger life.
I'm the works of another let us write
on our banners, Freedom of reason
and freedom of conscience the method
in religion, instead of tradition and
authority; fellowship the spirit in re-
ligion, instead of sectarianism; service
the aim in religion instead of sectarian-
ism; service the aim in religion instead
of salvation for self, and character the
test in religion, instead Of ritual and
creed.'"