The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-22
MANS BURDEN ON GOD.
Philosophic Consideration Of the
Human Beings Responsibility.

To THE EDITOR OF " suN-Str: Was
It not Colonel Ingersoll who used to
say A honest God IL the noblest work
Of man? 1t may be added. in a like
vein of parody. that man creates God
In his " image.
Tho v whose best EFFORTS can
compass no idea Of perfection beyond
physical prpwess and ruthless enmity.
pictures Deity ~ 4 flesh ana blood war
rior OF implacabls malevolence and
quite as naturally the cultured inheri-
tor Of a higher development, who Is
able to achieve nobler ideala of spiritual
ambition and universal sympathy. con-
ceives Divinity a. an immaterial Being
Of boundless benevolence. In tho one
case as In tho other. the man has crea ted
God in his own image. the image being
OF course his highest abstraction Of
creative power. wisdom and virtue.
But unfortunately. few men in striv.
ing thus to devise a theology succeed
IN creating a GOD" at all most OF
them renal content with n mere god
In order that their image shall retain
nom but those qualities which seem
to them wholly admirable they habit
ually deprive Il Of other qualities which
are essential to the character OF an eff
Gent Creator. These eoodIy people are
willing 10 permit their god TO determine
NIit NliNi uTS. pltdSlUk w lVif rl-h's
but a maGnanimous disposition inclines
them 20 forbid him the exercise OF au-
thority without approval.
For what possible reason other than
10 explain the facts of life as they really
are does the human intelligence demand
q Creative Power? OF what meaning ia
q notion Of Divinity which IA liz to ar
count for everything that Is true OF hu-
manity as we'll az Of the universe nj
f.--p - III ii. .aN
ter OF sentiment, II one seeks merely to
soothe his fears by reliance on some
t~utelary spirit OF less than omnlpotent
authority. we'll and good. But II ones
idea OF Deity falls short Of a Being who
IL quite az fully the Creator of the laws
OF human nature which makes us what
We are as lie IL Of thu laws of nature
in which We live. then that person de-
ludes himself 10 ne imagines he has
reached a conception of the nature OF
the supreme God.
To pass from generalization TO an
examination OF the evidence Of facts, on
what reasonable ground may we dis
criminate between birth and death in
seeking to fix the limits % Divine and
human responsibility? Birth and death
alike are accomplished through human
means. and. In the one as the other what
ever Divine purpose may be manifested
Is maslsed by the contributory conduct
Of man. The children OF men are brought
forth by tho creative employment OF the
human affections and passions. even by
the operation OF human weakness. fol-
lies and lusts.
The "hild ts brought into the world
crippled in body and mind as n result
of parental incapacity 10 bequeath 20 II
a perfect physical organism or endow II
with a perfect mental and moral equip
ment and the growth Of the child TO
years Of understanding Is marred SINH
larry by parental inability to afford Il
perfect conditions OF development. The
entire process Of creation OF the re.
sponsible human being thus il as fully
subject TO tho restrictions OF human i'm
perfection. ignorance. ~perversity and
viciousness a. are any OF the processes
by which life Is sacrificed. yet We assert
creation to he the work OF Cod. And
most conclusive OF all. the creation OF
man imneasurabiy oftener IL due to the
volition Of man than Is his dissolution.
How, then. is mans agency in the
creation OF human life less determ!native
OF the result than his agency IN tho de-
struction Of life? How /. man more ~.
sponsible for death than birth. or le-s
responsible for birth han death" And
how are Gods supremacy and RESPONSE
bility greater In the giving OF life than
in taking II away?
Assured!y. those who believe that God
gives but does not also take away have
neglected 80 regard sufficiently the plain
facts OF human experience. Or IL not,
then they are speaking OF some other
and lesser divinity than Cod tho SUI
preme BEING. Creator alike OF the uni
verse and o' rranhinh and % the nat
urai laws by which both equally are con-
trolled. NJ
PrAlNrrnrn. Y. J. November 20.