The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-09-22
JBWISH NEW YEAR
Is CELEBRATED
SPECIAL SERVICE HELD IN EoFr
STREET TEMPLE vEsTER-
DAY MORNING
Rabbi laxaron Delivered Interestinu
Sermon Before Large Number
OF HE Congregation.


New Years day was Appropriately
observed at the Eof Street Temple
yesterday morning. where services of
a special nature were conducted by
Rabbi Lazaron. who delivered a splcn-
did and instructive address on the
subject Religion and Life" A large
crowd was present and the special
music In connection with the service
was furnished by the choir OF the
church. Many OF the stores owned by
the Jews were closed In order to al
low the members to attend the ser
vice. Rabbi Morris Lazaron in the
course OF his address spoke as FOL-
lows:
There is one fact which stands out
win striking persistency, and that Is
the general prevalence OF religious as
piration In all parts OF the inhabited
world wherever men have gafhersd
savage and civilized: we find some
concrete expression OF religious feol-
ing. IL is natural for men to worship
The forms of his worship gradually
become fixed. crystallized into def
mite symbols. authoritative rights:
nnally the habitual right or ceremony
instead OF being recognized as only a
means OF approach to deity, becomes
the only method communion with God
Inc old attitude OF religion was sim.
ply this. the binding force OF a trndf
tlon which was authoritative whether
ancient Persian. or modern Christian
whether ancient Egyptian or modern
Jewish thought. until only a short
time ago. its chief characteristic was
the emphasis laid upon and the au-
thority placed in tradition The
weight OF the centuries was its hal
hold. -'0
venture to say that II there was
any one cause more. than anv Other
responsible for the break down Of the
morals of Europe. IL Is this: Fmner-
ors and rulers allowed religion 10 be-
come a meaningless form which did
not feed their minds and hearts. with
inspiration for good.
After all. while we believe in the
absolute perfection and infnity OF
Cod our conception naturally changes
and should change as we grow m
mind and soul. Our religious view.
point must help us TO live. II instead
II stultifes IL must be changed. N
there Is one thing ! want to bring
nome today II is this difference be-
tWeeen theology and religion. TheoI-
ogy Is only the way we express our
renglous aspiration; IL is man made.
ana has all the inadequacies OF the
human mind. Religion Is the yearn-
ing Of the soul rooted too deep for
perfect expression. Freedom must
De given to mans religious expression
IN order that IL may influence his life.
fou cannot expect a man to be reli-
sious or moral IL you stunt his inter-
iect by an irrational theology. You
cannot produce moral man by sucn
means. though you may get a theolo-
gical gymnast or a hypocrite.
when religious leaders identify the
oiogy with religion they opened the
nrst wedge that separated religion
from life. This attitude resulted in
Two codes of morality: One for
church and synagogue use. and one
Tor everyday use; but there is and
can be no compromise: religion and
NE are one and inseparabIe.
Ihis Is particularly true OF the Jew
Ihero Is less excuse for a Jew to have
confused this dual standpoint be.
cause Judaism has no salvation con-
altloning dogma. Judaism has not
quilt up a theology. identified Il with
itself and said. thus shall you believe
OF you are lost; but the fundamental
principles OF Judaism are the funda-
mental principles Of morality. Juda-
ism says thus shall you live Juda-
ism has form and ceremony, ritual
and Nhxed prayers. but we recognize
them as but the medium OF express
sion, the form we give to our reli-
gious expression. They are unimpor-
tant In themselves This is our
strength. the expression OF our faith
changes with the years.