The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-23

III
~ text was. Giving
thanks always for
| H. all things unto God.
| liz MAl (Ephesians 5:2o) He
| III said in part:
| liz a Our experiences in
h x#SHKrN life are to a consid-
IL cradle extent what
We make them Bible
/ students should be
| philosophers - every
| f one OF them. Why
W. Because the Wis
~ dom from Above Is
IL the noblest science
asQ& RGssEg s as St Pep Pa 1h' dsaisTes
II tends TO promote
the spirit Of a sound
midland a sound mind Is necessarily
| philosophical. Murmurers and complain
ers are not philosophers, but the reverse
A sound mind tells US to take things as
they are. to make the best of them rather
| than TO quarrel over them and find fault
with Divine providence and make our
| selves and everybody else in our environ
ment miserable.
True Christian people in every land and
| under all conditions have found plenty
of cause for thankfulness, even though
| they have had their share. or more. of
! life's difficulties Nor was this thank
fulness because they had mastered the
Divine philosophy and understood the
WHY and WHEREFORE of the present
reign of Sin and Death. They accepted
| their portion of life's joys and sorrows
| by faith, believing that their portion was
/ full obedience and submission, with
cheerfulness. was their duty.
Excuses for UnthankfuIne...
We concede that the world, awakening
| from the sleepy superstitions of the past
can readily fn , many EXCUSES for de,
some of these, IL will be rather to show
the unthankful masses that We recognize
! their viewpoint but do not agree with IL
! We should point them TO the better course
of thankfulness and proportionate happi-
ness.
To their complaint that they have fewer
| and smaller blessings than their more
| wealthy neighbors we remind them that
| the poor Of this favored land habitually
| waste more than would make very thank
| full some of the poor OF other lands. In
| der Divine blessing upon the soil and
Divine blessing upon human skill con-
| vcnienceS and comforts have so multi
piled about Us that the common people"
| OF our land have home comforts and con-
veniences, educational facilities. parks,
libraries. weu-psved and lighted streets
and cheap transportation such as Were
not dreamed OF in our grandfathers' days,
nor enjoyed even by the rich. Let US
not greedily ask more along these lines
| until We have fully appreciated present
| blessings and returned thanks therefor.
But" says one. ''our forefathers were
! suPerstitiously thankful, and we must
avoid that They gave thanks TO God
! for the sunshine and the rain. We have
| learned that these are provisions of ma
ture: and We thank nobody for them. Our
| forefathers thanked God for escape from
feudal slavery: but We see that they
| should have rebelled against feudalism
! and bought their freedom with their own
courage. Our forefathers thanked God,
| IL they were sick, that they did not die
and go to eternal torture, We are com
ing TO the rationalistic Idea that they
should have thanked their physician for
recovery from sickness and should not
have believed in an everlasting future OF
torture; for so far as We can see that
teaching is all humbug.
Intelligent people of the world have
no more knowledge than ourselves re-
speeding a future. We agree with the
college professors that our race Is pro-
crossing by an evolutionary law of ma
ture; that God has nothing to do with it;
and that there is no future life for US
except In the sense that We, in the future,
will be represented on a higher plane of
living by our evolved children. You will
perceive, therefore, why We consider
Thanksgiving Day a piece of medieval
superstition"
Replies to the Unthankfu1.
Our reply to this reasoning must be
along two lines: first, philosophical; sec
ond, analytical:
% Are not these increasingly large
numbers of pantheistic and atheistic eVo-
iutionists unphilosophicai? They admit
that they have blessings far beyond any
thing konwn to their forefathers; and
that their unhappiness has increased in
proportion as these blessings and reason
ings respecting them have been received.
Would not a true philosophy tell them
that their loss OF happiness Is not due
to the increased blessings. but to the i'm
proper and unthankful manner in which
they have received them? Would not
philosophy alone, apart from the Bible
or religion, have warned them that, even
II their theories were true, IL would be
unwise to cultivate them In their own
minds and in the minds Of others?
C2) Let us now analyze the foregoing
complaints. Who can prove that there
Is no living and true God-that there Is
merely a god Of nature, a blind forceT
Who can explain to US the power which
holds our earth IN its orbit around the
sun; which has given US summer and
winter. cold and heat: and which has
given US mountains and valleys, hills and
plains, In pleasing variety, loaded with
minerals most useful to US and merely
waiting our Heayen-directed genius TO
bring them forth for the blessing OF our
race, and to make of earth the Paradise
Of God?
What philosophy can prove to US that
these things have happened by chance
and that we are wrong in accepting the
uttereth speech and night unto night
showeth knowledge. and there Is no place
where their voice Is not heard"-proclaim-
ing an all-wise and benefcent Creator?
We know that the wisdom and beneficence |
Of our Creator were hidden from our
mental view by our superstitions and
irrational creeds of the past; but now, as
the electric light has superseded the tall |
low candle, so Gods Word today Is shin |
ing forth to those who have eyes to see |
its beauty.
Let US not boast ourselves as possessed |
of so much greater courage than had
some in feudal times. Let us note, on !
the cntrary. that the patriotism which |
obtaind the Magma Charta OF our liberties 1
was as noble and courageous as any that !
We have today, or more so. Our freedom
from some Of the superstitions OF the
past is the result of the spread of edaea-
ton; and we must thank neither ourselves
nor our forefathers for this widespread
education. We must thank the Lord for
it. II came upon the world despite the |
opposition Of the rich and the Indifference
OF the poor. Gods due time had arrived.
Daniel. 12:1: Acts 1881.
To Higher Critic. and EvoIutioni.ts.