The Washington herald., 1909-08-08

Archbishop Ryan, in the current issue
OF the Catholic standard and Times. re-
plies to the advocates OF nonsectariauism.
Although he mentions none Of the per
sons whom he evidently seeks 10 re-
proach. his paper seems 20 be conceived
as a counter-argument 10 every phase OF
DR.. Eliots recent discourse on a progress
sive religion.
The archbishop calls his dissertation
"Paganlsm Under a New Name" and
prefaces his attack on the proposed abo-
nJion OF sectarianism by declaring:
Christian civilization Is based on and
motived by great CnristIan doctrines.
which. II weakened or denied. VIII weak
er or ruin the great superstructure itself
and send Us back not merely TO pagan
civilization. but much farther"
a Fatal superstition.
He further says:
"One OF the most fatal and demorailzing
superstitions OF this country is this at
tempted separation of,morality from doe
trinal teaching. Doctrines are as the
granite foundation 20 the whole edifce OF
Christian ethics. and with them that edl-
fee must stand or crumble into ruins
What underlles the value OF holy child
hood but the doctrine that the child has
an immortal soul? Abolish this. look at
the child only In the light Of its utility TO
the state and soon infanticide Will COM
mence again, and deformed children viii
be put 10 death when men shall have lost
the tenderness which Christianity has
produced and fostered
Take away the doctrine OF faith. and
suicide. which is becoming so common, is
the resort OF the child OF misfortune In
the hour of misery. And as faith dlnin-
lshes suicide must increase Statistics
show US that IN ten years il increas sed 60
per cent In Germany. II IS increasing IN
Frapce. and Will increase in proportion
as faith loses its hold upon the children
OF men. One thing is remarkable IN the
statistics OF suicide. and that IS the dis
proportion OF women 10 men. Women are
supposed TO believe more and trust more
deeply than men. and in one list Of 106
cases. where suicide was attributed %
WEAKNESS OF life. there wSre found but
women TO 100 men.
1T IS known that among Germans who
endeavor TO act out their faith, as the
Catholics and Lutherans. suicide is al
attributed 10 n national temperament, but
TO loss Of faith and Of hope which makes
life wearisome II Is remarked OF the
Irish. who have faith. that suicide is al
most unheard OF among them. and this IS
TO be attributed. at least 70 a great ex-
tent 70 the influence OF that faith upon
them in the hour OF their trying afiic-
ticns. Some have asserted that Il IS
rather pugnacity than p!oty. An Irish
man does not like 10 be beaten in a fight.
even In the fight OF life. and regards sui
eide as en- act OK cowardce, which in
truth II Is. But this Is not sufficient to
account for his victory over afTl!ction.
PRsanism Under New Name.
we must remember that though the
new religion Of the future OF which some
men dream may not be called paEanisn.
It IS paganism under another name. We
occasionally hear OF the religion OF hu-
manity- What IS this but pacanism,
which deihed all that was true and beau
tiful and good with all that was vile in
our nature, and called these things by
various names the details OF its religion ?
II any one whispered 70 the lnndeI phil
osophers OF France who sought the de-
struction Of the Christian religion that
the day would come when they would
find themselves worshiping az a pagan
altar. they would have smiled IN derislon.
But false principles soon act them
selves out into institutions. Human req
son was defed. and the goddess or rea-
soma dancing girl OF Paris-stood on the
high altar OF Notre Dame, a 1T symbol OF
the prostituted reason that ruled tho
hour. But after a time some philosopher
might say: Why not a goddess OF love, Q
power stronger than reason and more
universal in its innuelce?' We will not
call. her Venus, because that would sound
like old paganism. We VIII call her glori-
other. we should. above all. had a god Of
spotloss French Honor, and another OF
Military Glory and so on through the
whole range Of human passions. Sood and
bad, until the Pantheon should be COM
p!ete Man is a religious being. II he
worship not God. he viii worship himself.
Deny the doctrines Of faith and YOU try
10 kill Christianity and establish some
form Of pagaHism.
I'm the name OF our Christian civiiiza-
tion /, bishop Of the Christian Church.
lift up my voice TO warn the represent
ative men who hear me that the popular
modern system OF teaching morality with
out the doctrines that motive It. whether
that system be called Christian ethics or
moral instruction or unsecterian teach
ing. Is sapping the very foundations OF
Christianity and Christian civilization"