Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-07

I have met many people who did not
,falk of their beliefs. have met fanatics.
and cranks even, who were silent regard
ing their ideas until asked to talk.
But | never met an atheist or any in
fidel who was not voluble and agrees
isive in argument, and insisted on talk
tng on the subject Of religion.
Thousands OF believers IN various creeds
ARE contented to permit their fellow men
other faiths. or no faith at all, thinking
st is personal matter between the indi-
vidual and his Creator
The atheist, however, is violently OPP
posed to allowing any man a faith in
IDivine Power or a hope of immortal life.
He will shout himself hoarse and black
lip the face in the effort to take away the
Komforting belief Of a devout soul.
think any creed which teaches that
1.-THE Overruling mind of this universe is
cruel and petty in its treatment of the
beings It has created should be destroyed,
because such creed makes human beings
cruel and petty toward one another.
II was the preaching of the horrible
old hell-fire doctrines OF an ignorant age
which made the first infidels and I'M
believers. Because intelligent and just
minds refused to accept the doctrine of
infant damnation and the fall through
Adam they were called atheists. They
preferred that title to being classed
among the believers in such a cruel God.
But we have in the land today a more
violent and aggressive class of atheists
men who become abusive toward any one
who expresses any faith in the contin-
uance of life beyond the grave. no mat
ter how broad may be the creed of that
one.
Any man who in his own mind hsr-
bors a creed which condemns hts fellow
men to damnation for not believing as he
does needs to be educated out of It, since
he is adding to the misery of the world
by his thoughts and helping to keep hu-
manity in chains of ignorance.
But any man who has creed baseS
on love and kindness. no matter whether
It be Pagan, Jewish. Catholic or Pro
testant. and who exemplifies his faith by
his actions. should be left to the enjoy
ment Of It unmolested by the agnostic or
the atheist.
Personally value my fixed faith in a
Divine intelligence and in a succession
OF lives more than I value all other
things which could be bestowed upon
me by the united powers Of earth.
-. Could I have the wealth OF all the
plllOnareS OF the WOrlu, the beauty OF all
beautiful women united in my person, the
genius of all the greatest minds and UNI
disputed power. yet be deprived OF all
faith in any life beyond this and OF any
Creator, I would not resign my belief.
That belief Ia broad and unorthodox.
and Is based on love. 1t tells me that love
is the creative power of the universe
and tho reforming and healing power OF
humanity. That hate, anger and revenge
and sclfishness are the only hell.
It tells me that heaven must begin here
on earth, within our own hearts, or we
will never find 1t anywhere; that each
man is his own savior, and that unless he
saves himself by thoughts and acts of
love no one in heaven or on earth can
save him. II tells me that we build our
own future lives hour by hour by our
thoughts and deeds. and that we will
dwell In heaven with the same order
of disemhodies intelligence as we our
selves are. That prayer is merely wire
less teegraphy through space, and is
received by unseen beings and answered
by methods not always understood by us.