The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-08-25
THE NEW RELIGION.

lhk NEW NELl&S1ON.
Some people get into trouble as soon
as they find themselves with nothing
to do. Perhaps this is the explanation
of the recent peculiar conduct of that
magnificent gentleman, DR.. Charles
w. Eliot, ex.president of Harvard.
Until the time of his retirement
from the head of this great university
DR.. Eliot was one OF the most orthodox
of men. He followed beaten paths.
He was ultra-conservative. Freakish
fads could not by the widest stretch
of Imagination be associated with bis
venerable name. He was solid, SUBJ
stantial and, everybody supposed,
firmly grounded in rationalism.
No sooner was he relieved of the
tine-flling duties of president Of Har-
ward, however, than he began to break
away from the straight lines along
which his life had been lived. First
he propounded a five foot library,
which afterwards turned to be q clever
advertising scheme of big publishing
house. Now he ia out Is the inventor
of a brand new religion.
Accepting DR.. EIiots own version of
his new belief, one is forced to admit
that the theory put forth by the dig.
ni6ed educator is unique, to say the
least. DR.. Eliot has this to say of his
proposed church:
1t will not be bound by dogma or
creed. There will he no supernatural
element. 1t will place no reliance on
anything but the laws of nature. 1t
will not be based on authority. 1t
will not teach that character can be
changed quickly. 1t will not deal
chiefly with sorrow and death, but
with joy and life. 1t will not attempt
to reconcile people topresent ills by
the promise of future compensation.
1t will attack all forms of evil. Its
priests will strive to improve social
and industrial conditions.
This is about as wide open, free and.
easy religion as We ever encountered.
1t seems to be q sort of go-as.you.
please proposition. Everybody aud
anybody can beloLg, without fear Of
disturbing their existing Or prospect
i've beliefs. In fact, it looks. on paper,
like church which would interfere in
no way with ones religious convictions,
politics OF previous condition of servi-
tude. The deist and atheist, the Jew
and Gentle, the Mohammedan and
Voodooist-all may join the new
church and be equally welcome. All
seem to be fitted as followers of the
Eliot doctrine.
As outlined by DR.. Eliot, it will not
be necessary for his followers to be.
lieve in God or the divinity of Christ,
in future rewards Of heaven or in pun
ishment of hell, for the keynote of the
faith is 10y and life" What COM
Portable church this would be for most
of us to belong to. If we could only
accept DR.. Eliot's religion how happy
we could be! No fear of damnatioD,
no inclination to do right for the hope
of reward. Just following along in
the paths We are already travelling,
believing anything We want to believe
and doing about anything we want to
do, secure all the time in the knowl-
edge that We are church members and
adhcrents to a religious faith!
DR.. Eliot should find the public
wonderfully responsive. If he has
what he says he has thousands of peo-
pie will grasp hungrily at the chance
to embrace the kind of religion they've
been hankering for all their lives
which they can cling to in
the belief that it is a religion but
which will in no way interfere with
they wish to do that is in
violation of the tenets of the old, ortho
dOx churches.-LincOln Star.
THE DANGER MARK.