Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-05
DECLINE or ATHEISM

20 express their belief To- the effect
that a higher education was likely Co
be preiudlcisl Co the faith of young
people.
These views were not founded ON
mere suspicion. but on facts Higher
education hair century ago was.
somehow or other. productive NJ atho-
ism. or. a. least. of skcpticism and
doubt. In relation To- the greater truths
Of religion and the inspiration of the
Scriptures
We can remember the time when
many OF the worlds leading scientists,
mathematician. and historians. were
agnostics. ~ not skcptics and practical
atheists The Philosophers, the stu
dents Of logic and mental science. were
not usually skeptical as we recall the
conditions Of quarter of century
since. hut the scientists NJ that and Of
an earlier day were much inclined 20
the negative and pessimistic views Of
life that begat atheism.
Students OF American history will re-
call that in the days Of Thomas Paine.
many Of the patriots besides himself
and not "a few Of the founders Of the
Republic we're tlnged with skepticism,
while some we're avowci inndels The
legislative bodies of that day always
contained some more or less blatant
atheists or deists. This was as true in
England as In America. and certain
English historians declare that only
the preaching and the religious re-
NrHH. a
England from a revolution similar 20
that in France
In the latter country. the distress OF
the masses favored the new doctrines
OF inhdelity, and these teachings gain
cd an ascendency that terminated in
the horrors OF the French Revolution.
The actual fruits Of national skeptic-
ism and irrengion are apparent IN the
tragic and disastrous history OF that
fateful period, and IN their effect upon
the most enlightened nation Of that
day.
Chancellor Kent the American jurist,
has stated that in his younger days
most professional men were infidels. A
century ago only the doep-set feelings
Of the masses prevented universal
skepticism. In fact. our feelings are
often better guides In the realm Of the
unknown than our reason. We reason
because we are I'm doubt When we are
certain OF anything. we find that our
certainty is merely a state Of feeling.
though II may be founded on demon
stration. The religious feelings OF man
kind represent, in "a way. the effect
produced upon the individual by the
entire experience of the race the total
effect Of mans contact with nature,
and with his fellow man, has been 10
make him religious, and religious feel
ing is an expression u this fact. Such
feeling g. really a better Indicator of
the necessity for religion than reason
ing ON the contents Of the unseen uni
verse about us could possibly be
We mention these points because
young people often fancy that reason
is necessarily superior 20 feeling and
emotion but IN the deeper tendencies
of human action this fancy is clearly
ar Illusion
IN l5ij. according TO Dr DIV Ight.
resident ot Yale College, only four or
five of the students were avowed
church members lie says that the
members OF his first senior class were
known To each other as "Diderot."
"D'Alembert." "Noltaire" Rousseau"
"panton' "Robesplorrc" and other
noted French inndels
Princeton college was no better.
william and Mary college was a hot
bed OF nndehtv. Bowdoin college had
only one Christian student Mr. Par
ton, in his Life OF Aaron Burr says
at that day it Was confidently expected
that Christianity could not survive two
generations Or Dwight tells MS that
mere striplinss were blatantly talking
OF he speedy death of Christianity
In recent article boa the Atlantic
Monthly Mr. Francis Kelly gave the
result Of a religious census obtained
within recent years boy President Angel
OF the University OF Michigan of six
teen state universities
OF the total enrolment OF 5,153 in
these institutions the religious status
of A962 was obtained, of whom 90 per
cent Of the whole enrolment were
church members only 5Jl were nom
adhcronts of some Christian church
These are figures from state universe
ties where the proportion of Christian
students would naturally ho much
smaller than boz the church colleges
So, too, from 90 recent ycsugatipn
made in connection with the bicont,n-