Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-27
OLD RELIGION IS
SOUL SUICIDE?
Testament Inspires Fear In
stead of Reverence, Says
DR.. Hedley Hall.
BELIEF BASED ON FACTS
''Bible Written by Men Who Knew
Less Than Pupils of Fourth
Grade of Our Schools"

The Coming Religion" was the sub
Ject OF the sermon delivered yesterday
at the Illinois theatre by DR.. Hedley
Hall, pastor of the Church Of Today.
The religion of the future will be
based upon scientific thought and not
upon the old superstitions and writ
ings," said DIR. Hail. There are at
present more than $50 different re-
ligtons and an effort is being made to
change the ideas and attitudes to
realities of today. An effort is being
made to trim them down to conform
with the conditions of today. but it is
unsuccessful. Before 1 go on with
my theme, I will define religion. The
old religion is based on dogmas. cults,
creeds and a book. This is a wrong
conception of religion. Mans effort
to adjust himself to life, to get the
best out of it, morally, spiritually and
physically, is religion Man must have
thought - thought on intellectual
things. Religion is thought. Man in
the universe is a mystery to himself
To succeed he must adjust himself TO
laws or fail
Fearful of God.
The old testament makes man fear
full of God, as subjects are fearful of
their sovereign. 1t does not inspire
reverence, but fears. If man has
thought or feeling without action, that
is nothing. Actions are thought and
feelings materialized. This is prac-
teal religion.
The religion of the future is based
upon facts of nature. Old religion is
based upon the supernatural things Cf
the bible. A revelation is given. It
must be accepted by the followers.
The modern religion takes nature and
the laws Of correct thinking as
guide. Every step is along nature.
Every stride is based upon laws and
facts of tht universe instead of on
dogma. creed and the bible The old
religion is ever changed. The laws
of nature never alter How can 1t
fail? 1t does not take past authority.
The book on which the old religion
is based was written by men who
knew less than the pupils in the
fourth grade Of school now.
Nature as the Bible.
In the new religion. nature will be
the bible, the mind the thought and
instead of revelation OF the old we
shall have reason. We will have for
our basis investigation, observation
and experience instead Of inspiration.
1--WE now come to the aim of the
new religion: 1t will be necessary to
use the old forms as q comparison
again. The old religion has a given
creed, etc. Man must conform to It
if a follower in order to be saved. In
the new religion man has freedom
of thought he may investigate for
himself along the lines of nature.
There is a religion in the thoughts
Inspired by the seas, the heavens. y
man may obtain religion through
the darkness and by his observations.
One slavery and other Freedom.
I'm one religion, man is a slave, IN
the other he is free; one religion is
progressive. the other unprogressive;
the old has a certain pattern-Jesus
Christ in the Christian religion, Budd-
ha in Buddhism. A man can not be
what he is not. In order to be saved
through the old religion he must pat
tern after someone and lose his own
personality. This is soul suicide.
Everyone and everything has it's own
D0cullar form. mere are no Two
leaves alike, no two people alike. We
lose our personality and individuality
when we pattern after someone else. |
Without question the lives of the
glorious and beautiful men who are
used as patterns are inspiring. We
can follow them, but not initiate. |
Each one of us has our own peculiar !
identity.
Heaven to Take Cure of Itself.
"The future religion will have less !
of the future and more Of the present. !
In the old all a man lives here on |
earth for is to go to heaven. In the !
new heaven will take care of itself. |
The old is all about heaven. You /
work for the future. In the new you |
make this earth heaven and In the |
life hereafter there will be another |
heaven.
1.-THE followers of the old religion |
are forever pTating about God. How |
can you love a man you have never |