West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-09-10


rIilversal OF all themes. If addressed
yeI upon the subject of law / might
- crest the lawyers. If | discussed
i,,e science OF medicine ! might inter
CT the physicians. In like manner
merchants might be interested in a
ia.k on commerce and farmers In u
discussion of agriculture But none OF
t.csc subjects appeals To- all. Even the
Gcieucc of government. though broader
1han any profession or occupation,
lie. and those who think upon it differ
% among themselves that I could not
LAX upon the subject so as TO please
Al part without offending others While
- Ile the science of government is in
tensely absorbing, | recognize that the
most important things In life lie out
side of the realm of government and
that more depends upon what the in
diyidual does for himself than upon
what the government does or can do
for him. Men can be miserable under
the best government. and they can be
happy under the worst government.
Government affects but part of the
lie which we live here and does not
touch ut all the life beyond, while reli-
glon touches the infinite circle of ex-
istence as we'll as the small arc OF that
circle which we spend on earth. No
greater theme, therefore. can engage
our attention.
Man is religious being The heart
instinctlvely seeks for Cod. Man Is
essentially devout
There are honest doubters whose
sincerity we recognize and respect, but
occasionally l find young men who
think 1t smart to be skeptical They
talk as If II were an evidence OF larger
intelligence to scofr at creeds and re-
fuse TO connect themselves with
churches. They call themselves Glib
eral." as If Christian were narrow
minded. To these young men l desire
TO address myself
Religion the Basis of Morality.
Even some older people profess 10
regard religion as n superstition, par
tOhdbit NAt bul
OF the educated, mental state which
one can and should outgrow. Those
who hold this view look down with
mild contempt upon such as give to
religion definite place in their
thoughts and lives. They assume an
intellectual superiority and often take
little pains TO conceal the assumption.
Religion has been defined as the re-
lation which man fixes between him
self and his God and morality as the
outward manifestation OF this relation
Every one 10y the time he reaches ma
turity has fixed some relation between
himself and God, and no material
change I'm this relation can take place
without n revolution in the man. for
this relation Is the most potent innu-
ence that acts upon human life.
Religion Is the bnsls of morality I'm
the individual and In the group OF In
dividuals. Materialists have attempted
to build up system OF morality upon
the basis Of enlightened self interest
They would have man figure out by
mathematics that 1t pays him to alb
stain from wrongdong; they would
into altruism. But the moral system
elaborated by the materialists has sew
erai defects. First, it's virtues are Dor
rowed from moral systems based upon
religion. Second. as IL rests upon argu-
ment rather than upon authority II
does not appeal 90 the young. and by
the time the young are able to follow
their reason they have already become
set I'm their ways. Our laws do not
permit a young man to dispose of real
estate until he is twenty-onc. Why
this restraintf Because his reason IS
not mature. And yet mans life Is
largely nodded by the environment
Of his youth. Third, one never knows
Just how much Of his decision IS due
20 reason and how much Is due tC
passion or to selfish interest We rec
ognize the bias OF self interest when
we exclude from the jury every man
no matter how reasonable or upright
he may be, who has a pecuniary inter
est In the result Of the trial And
fourth. one whose mortality Is based
upon n nice calculation Of benefits tc
be secured spends time figuring that
he should spend I'm action
Morality is the power Of endurance
In man. and a religion which teaches
personal responsibility 20 God gives
strength TO morality. There is a pow
erful restraining influence I'm the be
lief that an all seeing eye scruunizc.
every thought and word and act OF the
Individual
There are difficulties 10 be encOun
tered I'm religion. but there are diff
cultles TO be encountered everywhere
j passed through n period OF skep
tlcism when was I'm college. and
have been glad ever since that be
came a member OF the church befor,
] left home for college. for II helped
me during those trying days. Th,
college days cover the dangerous
period I'm the young mans life II 4,
when he is Just come into possession
Of his powers. when he feels stronger
than he ever feels afterward and
thinks he knows more than he evei
does know.
1t was at this period that was con
fused by tke different theories OF crea
ton But / examined these theorie
and found that they all assumed some
thing TO begin with. The nebular ny
pothesis. for instance, assumes tina
matter and force existed, matter II
particles infinitely fine and each par
tlclc separated from every other par
ticle by space infinitely great. Begin
ming with this assumption, force work
Ing on matter, according to this by