Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-18
Why Our Ideas of God Are Rapidly Changing

They are vast imaginings Of omnipresent en-,
ergy, far removed from the anthropomorphic
conception of God magistrate, enthroned
potentate, and God of Battles. 1t is to be OBJ
served however that during the period which
has witnessed all this progress In science.
democracy and the sense Of brotherhood the
regard of mankind for individual persons and
mankinds sense Of obligation to persons Of
rare merit have not diminished. but increased.
We OF to-day recognize our obligations to
leading spirits more clearly and comprehen-
sively than ancestors did. We have quits
as strong an admiration as they felt for the
prophets, seers. and saints Of the past and
quite strong q gratitude towards our own
heroes as they had towards theirs and We
have the advantage Of being grateful to many
more persons because universal education en-
ables the passing generation to include great
writers Of any generation among their bene
factors and guides. Human love goes out now
ever to esteemed persons in the family, the
State and the race. The sense of personality,
the belief in personality, Is an inherent part Of
our nature, which always has been and al
ways will be intense and irresistible.
Therefore, 80 long as man Is man, God WIN
be thought Of a person, and will have q
name significant beyond All other names
Taking into consideration all the new demon
strations Of sciencs with regard to the attrt
butee Of God. no name SO we'll describes him
as Our Father among all those peoples who
conceive of q father as the loving head Of a
family
None OF the advances OF scienoe ana gov
e1nment have any adverse effect on the con
ception Of Jesus teacher and exemplar. Tia
sciences have their own prophets, martyrs and
heroes, for whom all worthy scientific men
feel profound reverence Literature and art
have their great masters whose works sur.
vive for centuries, and long continue profound.
ly to influence select human spirits. Jesus,
the amazing product OF the Hebrew race and
Of the Hehraio history and tradition. Is the SD
preme teacher Of religion. whose teachings,
{rov tr~ HtaH b. ~ ~ip
pie people to whom he spoke IN the language
and the atmosphere Of an obscure province
and soon corrupted In the great Greek and
Roman world. have nevertheless proved 70
be the undy1ng root Of all the best in human
history since He lived. For this personality
the love and reverence Of mankind are always
ascending and always glowing with greater
warmth and bri1liAncy, as the clouds which
gathered out Of paganism round his doctrines
are gradually dispelled
Greater Reverence for Jesus
more and moro the personality Of Jesus, and
will dwell on the extraordinary qualities of his
teaching proved by their historical effects
during nineteen centuries. He laid down eth
tcal principles of the purest worth which are
good for all time, but which we're SO crushed
and overcome by the existing currents Of
thought and the social institutions of his day
that they have been struggling for recognition
ever since they were uttered, and. still lack
% their intended fruition. To strive patiently
towards their Just fruition, is the mission OF
the Church Of the future
You perceive that have been giving you
reasons for the belief that the form of Chris.
tianity most likely to be accepted widely in
the generations to come is expressed in the
formula THE fetherhood Of Cod the brother
hood of man, and the leadership Of Jesus"
This Is a form Of Christianity which prefers
liberty to authority; neither deities nor
demons in the forces and processes Of nature;
deifies no human beings; is not propitiatory,
sacrtnoial or expfatory; relieves man from IT.
rational terrors; relies on reason and hope;
has ministers and pastors, but no mediatorial
priests; recognizes and resists sins, wrongs
and evils; and looks death in the face; but
dwells chiefly on goodness, rife and love.
This address has been published for free
distribution In pamphlet form by the American
Unitarian Association, Ma Is Beacon St.
Boston