The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-11-24

truth about either God or Life The
most horrible atrocities and the most
loathful debauchcries OF all the ages
have been perpetrated and 1racticed
In the name OF religion From be-
fore the day of the slaughter OF the
Innocents and the crucIfxIon of the
! Nazarene, on through the reign of
Nero. with his hungry arena and his
pleasure gardens lighted by blazing
human torches. down past the eXecu-
tIons by Charlemagne. the atrocities
by the Moors the 6utcherles by Bloody
| Mary, the burning OF witches in New
] England. down 10 the fitful maSSacres
in Armenia, religioniStS have too af-
ten not only made the mistake OF
thinking that they alone were right,
but have been guilty of the resulting
wrong of trying to eXtingulsh indi-
! Vlduaiity by numbering the individuals
or by forcing them at the point of
death to coward'S remuneration and
acquiescence. And all this has not
J justly reflected upon ultimate religion.
| but has proven to us the tolerencc
| that should prevail in the days of par
! tial truth. And this fallibility is
quite as demonStrable by the spaci-
GUS arguments of social, business or
| political sophistries as 1t is in the
realm OF religion. The acceptance by
this generation of the necessity for a
| spirit of friendly tolerance of the con-
victions of others and recognition of
| the universal right to individual IL
| berty. Is hopeful beyond expression.
! No church or council can compel Teli-
gion to others, any more than a poll
teal gathering can decree convictions
into the minds of the voters, We have
just finished a convincing illumination
of this latter fact We are learning
/ ing that each mans convictions
must come to him, not through the
commands of others, but through the
eXperimence, discernment and free
action OF his own mind and heart
But the acceptance of the right
TO religious liberty should carry with
it the inter-human obligation to es-
tablish for ones self an individual
religion. Religion must always be
personal and it cannot be personal eX-
cept as IL becomes individual The
personal belief OF any man may be
very much like that of others. yet
with him It takes on its special phases
because his soul can no more develop
to be the exact counterpart of
other soul than one rose precisely du-
plicate to another, even though Slip
ped from the same plant and grown
in the greenhouse side bp side Schell-
er expressed it well when he wrote
What thou thinkest, belongs to all:
What thou feelst, is thine only.
Wouldn't thou make him thine own.
feel thou the God whom thou
thnk'Sti"
"We speak properly. in practical
sense. of the religion OF a cuhroh
or city or nation, but we conld not
so speak in full exactuess. The re-
ligion of a church, city or nation is
really the religions, more or less alike
in their understanding, OF God and
in the lives resulting therefrOm, of its
many individuals. Every one. there
fore, who would become a good citi- |
zen will need to search out for him
self an individual religion. He may
not get a very large conception in I,
the beginning, but he will come to
have growing and an ever enlarginE |
understanding Of God and he will set |
about rightly relating his life TO the |
example and teachings of that divine !
personality. When each man recog-
nizeS this obligation and sets out to i
study and choose for himself, our
knowledge of God is sure to be en-
lnrged toward the whole truth and
our search for the way to the highest
life will be so Illuminated by individ-
ual examples as to forward the day
when ignorance, selfishness, dishon
eSty, vice. hatred and sin shall be in
tollerable TO humanity; and knowl-
edge. unselnshness. honesty, virtue.
love and righteousness shall crown
the ful6llment of life in man.
Not in a day may this come to
be, but We look forward confidently
to that far-off divine event toward
which the whole creation moves Our
physical advance from that first
day with its hardships
and dangers Is multiplied in the spir-
itual progress We have made beyond
the days OF the burning witches. Tho
modern marvel OF American democ.
racy born out of ancient tyranny, is
not half so wonderful as the spiritual
democracy of this generation, reached
III humanity IOuS journey from odN-
agery up through ignorance. supersti-
ton and coercion to the sovereign
ship of individuality.
And what shall be our several
parts in forwarding this fulnllment of
life? We are to seek ourselves 10
enlarge our own knowl-
edge of God, and to impart that
knowledge to such as will receive 1t.
We are to be tolerant of the beliefs
of others and to be willing to learn
from them. We are to live our own
lives buoyanlly and reverently, and
to walk in charity and helpfulness
one with another 1t is our privilege
to believe devoutly in God. profound
ly in man. unwaveringly In the even,
tual perfection and fulfllment of hui
man life.
Bound to the Pilgrims OF that first
day by a common sin.
cerity OF purpose and faithfulness of
let us today lift up our
hearts in their spirit of gratitude to
God. not alone for cur physical well
being, but for the religious freedom
of our day and for the promise OF the
of life in the days that
shall come. II was Robert Browning
who taught us this prayer.