Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-03-05

1t is easy to eXalt opinions to undue
are our own, and invariably If they are
formed with splendid disregard OF all
other opinions. There Is fatal facility
about thinking the same things until
opinion runs automatically and begins
to rule us. Then we set up such auto
matte Judgments as standards for
others and as objects Of worship for
all.
This is not the kind Of thinking that
makes the world. This is not the kind
of thinking that determines character.
The deep thoughts of the heart shape
the action Of the individual and dictate
the actions of mankind. But this
prejudice and blind automatic utter
ance Of opinion is often the type Of
thinking that dominates theology.
1t is disappointing experiment to
ask, What ought | to do in order to
find the way Of the religious life and
service? and to receive the answer that
you must believe this statement or that
definition or opinion. Almost any
worth while man would rather be
damned for intellectual honesty than
saved by theological hypocrisy.
If you examine the formulas and
PHILOSOPHERS upon the acceptance of
which your character and destiny are
both supposed to rest you will be sur
prised to find how little they have to
6n with thu doom on1 n+ornol rnaiitino
of life. Theology concerns itself prin-
ctpally with matters about which we
never can have precise information,
where uncertainty is most certain to be
discovered, and often with those mat
ters which, if they were settled abso-
lutely, would lose all interest to us.
People were happy in their enjoy
ment Of this fair world long before the
invention Of the nebular hypothesis.
They managed to stay on the ground
long before the discovery Of the law
Of gravitation. No man would be con-
demned to be chained to the earth for
fear Of falling off because he refused
to believe that law.
The great thing to do is to accept the
facts as they are for working pur
poses. That is the only pathway into
larger understanding OF the laws Of
our universe. The mechanic who obeys
the elementary laws of physics is
a better scientist than he who blindly
subscribes to ali the theories of our
universe.
Theology properly is just our at
tempt to read something OF the laws
that reign in the higher reaches of our
life Its value depends on our use of
the laws. It will not keep you from
internal disturbances and regrets to in
dorse the theories Of modern dietetics
neither will your wholesale reception
of the Celebrations of modern and an
cient theology save you from conflict
with the laws of the life OF the spirit.
All thinking is for the purposes of
living It must come to the test Of its
product In character and conduct. 1t
is worth while to remember this when
narrow views are insisted on by small
men, and others seek to emphasize
their outlandish opinions by their &c
centric and often unsavory living.
The poorest kind Of a religion in this
world is the one that can be embalmed
in a theological mummy case, dried up
dust. labeled, and laid away, awesome
with antiquity but utterly helpless.
The life has died out Of any faith
when 1t can be thus cased up and cata-
logued. A vital belief always defies
precise analysis and the processes of
pigeon-holing.
AS soon as the heretics all die in
church the church dies. The heretics
are those who leave yesterdays forms
for to-day's facts. The only dangerous
heresies are these: When we love any
lie and refuse the truth, or when pride
persuades us to be singular in error
rather than to be lost in tbc larger
company who see the truth.
If YOU are perplexed over opinions
in matters Of religion turn from the
uncertainties to the certaintles. We
can ali agree that love Is better than
hate. that right is better than wrong;
that 1t is better to live up than to
die down; that it is better TO lift up
than to tear down. If we will grad
ually build such firm and certain
platform for our practice we will cease
to look for stability in clouds Of theory,
and will find truth through life. right
doctrines through duty.
THE GREATEST MAN.
By Rev. Thomas Reed Bridges.
Who is the Observation-Disclosures
xviii, /.
Our Lord does not condemn ambition,
but He defines its true object. True
ambition, according to Christ, Is distin-
suished by humility and service. The
first quality demands that we be uncon-
scio,1s of self. The second demands
that we be conscious of others.
Early in His ministry Jesus uttered
the beatitude BLESSED are the meek.
Now to these ambitious disciples He
Ia ..vo, o,uSf humble Yourselves