Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-22
AS TO EyoLUTIoNIsTs.

We remarked a few days ago that II
religion has evolved" with the de-
velopment Of the human race, then re-
llgion is an essential part Of human
nature. since nothing could develop anu
grow either In man or elsewhere un-
less the germ OF It first existed there
ready for It's unfolding or evolution.
The force or import % this fact Of
observation, which is also an accepted
axiom Of logic. may not be entirely
clear TO those unaccustomed to strict
logical demonstrations.
But as TO the evoutionlsts who think
the human race has been built wrongly
and that there must have been some
ludicrous mistake on the part OF man
or nature. or ideas and convictions TO
become so deeply rooted in human
thought and feeling that the task OF
graduating them seems really hopeless
have they not forgotten their main
point when they assert that religion
Is an accidental outgrowth of dreams?
or that II arisese from phantasies, an
cestor worship. fear. priestcraft and
similar deviltries? they have apparent-
~ overlooked the very obvious fact
that If there is any truth in the doctrine
Of evolution. then the human MIND.
- 1t originally never had any religion,
could never have developed or evolved
any Unless the germ Of religion is In
human nature. the religious tree itself
viii not start, blossom and bear fruit.
as we now observe it doing An old
proverb says that something from
nothing can't" And unless religion is
in man TO begin with, II cannot come
out Of him
II was precisely this fact which Prof
BOVINE. fully twenty years ago. In
a series OF beautiful demonstrations In
metaphysics proved to the satisfaction
of any mind capable OF understanding
such propositions Bowne's position
was summarized in this sentence; "a
mind whose full nature Is expressed
in the quality A. viii never evolve any
thing beyond A" II religion is M
part Of mans being, he can never
evolve Il; the germ. the idea. the ten
dency. must be there to begin with, or
must be placed there by a cause
sufficient to change mans essential ma
ture before man could ever evolve into
such a religious being as he is now
seen TO he.
For man Is naturally religious; the
human race is prone 10 religious ideas
and impulses; all men, in spite OF
their reasoning believe I'm the super
natural The earth is fun OF religions
human society Is permeated and en-
quilted by IT, no man has ever escaped
its influence: and when the unbellevcr
finally faces eternity and death draws
near. he almost invariably perceives
that he is at length face to face with
that world and with those beings whose
existence he has denied or doubted.
Now, the inference from this great
fact-this universal belief in and per
ception Of the supernatural world IN
some form by all mankind--is just this;
that the germ OF religion is part of
mans being, and that il is hopeless T.
loook for the source Of religious ideas
in external experience alone. Certainly
no outside impressions could develop
an empty lawless. mind into a religious
and reasoning one The germ of .e-
llzion, as OF reason. must be there.
then only can II develop under the
stimulus OF outer and inner expert
ence. till II becomes what we behold
the human mind to be-a mind that
looks up ana hopes for better things
than this world alone can give or this
life alone can possibly develop.