Arizona republican., 1913-01-11
The Great Adventure of Our Life

Every religion that voices the aspirations of race individual is in a sense true religion It is true in the pragmatical sense, as long as 1t it purpose. Only when an idol has outiived it's usefulness is the icOnoclast justified by his works. At time another every race has created for itself a religion suited to needs Usually this has been done through the instrument tality of some one man of vision And always the bigger, more creative achievements the children of a living imagination, have been possible to the na tion that has found it's religion But whenever that religion has become finally crystalized and dog matized that it no longer change with the changing needs of the people it has become hndrance and burden it's creators. or else it has been tacitly ignored by them, or accorded merely perfunctory observance.
 Whatever uses such a denatured religion may have it cannot appease the spiritual hunger of a growing people. Such people must have light as well law. The living spirit cannot be cabined and confined in formula The letter cramps the spirit. It is significant that Jesus was content to trust his tremendous message to the spoken word alone.
 Life is a change, process of becoming. There fore the truth for us can never be absolute ana final Evolution a the spiritual well of the physical world and in the light of this wonderful reconciliations become possible in the domains of science religion and philosophy. Thus the new and vital philosophy of Henri Berg son is derived like that Herbert Spencer from the scientific generalization of the evolution of the human species. But Bergson goes further than Spencer his emphasis of the creative as peit of evolution His philosophy discloses the life the spirit. revealing to us reality that is con sstent with he satisfaction highest ideals. In his view of his commentators says, the reality life is essentially freedom: Life is free activity in open universe"
 . We may be of little account in the great whole. Humanity itself and the planet which it has won may be infintesmal part of the universal life but and identical with that life. struggle and striving is the impetus of
 life. And this, above all spiritual life means to us-the past has perished the is being made
 then should bring a and open mind to the consideration of religion2 Truth has nothing suffer from truth. When life forces us to discard a dogma that has outlived its useful ness life something better in it's place, and have for repinings msgvings. The sun is extngushed when candle burns To love the ancient forms religion more than love the religion which created those forms is idolatry To fear that light has died when an old lamp is broken is childish lack of faith. There real loss in the universe. Human experience IS q progressive discovery of good.
 Our spiritual life is a thing apart. but is born and colored by physical, emotional and intellectual experiences. And these experiences part of the ever-mOving. ever-changing stream of life they change. and spiritual needs change with them. Religion which links consciousness this and makes feel relation to stupendous uncomprehended scheme of life, is something the same time universal and intimately personal. Therefore there is irreverence in the idea that has q right to crate his own God. Tn fact escape this responsibility a formula Our discovery God is constant ending process, like discovery of life Il is, after all, the great adventure to which love and service and toll all contributory.