The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-04-04
The Idea Of God.
BY JOHN ID. BARRY.

ne luea OF O00.
BY JOHN ID. BARRY.
A man spoke to me the other day about the
ideas concerning religion put into the hands of
young children. They do more than anything
else to injure religion in the world. They pre-
pare the mind TO disbelieve until the children
become mature enough to think independently"
Then he told me this story: "When I was boy
was brought up in the conventional orthodox
way. / was encouraged to think that God was to
be feared, began to look on him as my enemy.
Often, when | alone, would think about
that enemy of mine. l believed the time would
come when l should have to face him and I
used to wonder what could do. had heard
that it impossible to meet him face to face.
But didn't accept that notion. really couldn't
believe that it impossible to meet any one.
In time | began to think about ways and means
of getting ahead of God. Then l should be free
from the punishment knew he had in store for
me-"
We both smiled at this childish fancy. But
the man evidently took little pride in it; he
thought it unusual that a child should think
OF it and a sign of cleverness. And yet, it
seemed to me, that it was kind of fancy that
many children entertained.
mented by the fear of an enemy created by the
idea of God put into their minds by grown-ups
who ought to know better. Some children never
outgrow it Long after they have forgotten the
pleasant fancies of childhood, it haunts them.
There those who believe there is good in
fear The fear of God they associate with the
fear Of sim Indeed, most thinking about God is
limiting of God. 1t attributes to God human
attributes. At all times when we hear religious
people talking about God we realize that thew
are discussing image of themselves. Even
some of the noblest IDEAS careessIy accepted
through habit, may be misleading. For example,
one of Faber's beautiful hymns says that there's
Wilderness in Gods mercy like the Wilderness of
the sea" But the wilderness of the sea is mere
physical concept. 1t can be measured, that is, it
can be limited 1t is in itself limitation The
poet intended to convey the idea of wilderness
in Gods mercy far beyond human conception.
Perhaps God cannot really be thought of.
Perhaps God can only be felt 1t is indeed feel
ing that makes people religious, that creates
what we call the idea of God. The people who
feel most likely to be those who think most
about religion, for all religion is essentially emo
tional
Young people usually taught that they
should love God. But where they associate C ID
with terror, it is impossible to feel love To
them God is shadowy abstraction. Savages
have always been afraid of God So has the
elementary people, living close to nature like
sailors.
And yet, in spite of the fear associated with
the idea of fear of God, it is to God people turn
when they feel that they need something to
sustain them. Those who consciously believe and
consciously have the thought that God is with
them always defy the forces of life 1t gives
a strange peace and calm We find it more often
among women than men. 1t smooths the hard
places in life for them. 1t helps them through
all the trials of the day. And yet it is curious
to observe at times how, by limiting the idea of
God people make their belief weakness instead
of strength There are those who, looking upon
God as their particular friend, convert him into
the enemy of those they condemn or dislike. The
blasphemy that we hear in profane words is not
the worst that rises to the heavenly throne. There
are those who believe God to be as bigoted and
re~engeful they are themselves.
We hear people say of an enemy, God will
punish him" What they mean is that they
would themselves inflict punishment if they were
God They are the very people who place most
reliance on the mercy of God for themselves
There arc those who can think of God only as
human. The reason is that they unable, even
in imagination, to get beyond the human lmita-
tons. Sometimes they will go so far as even to
describe God. They will say that he is old and
that he wears a long beard. Here is one of the
most simple and elementary of all the ideas. But
it gives a vast amount of comfort 1t is only as
people develop that they are able to get into a
broader understanding.
For what is most important is not the idea
of God. 1t is the feeling behind the idea And
the simplest idea may be sustained by the most
profound and the most beautiful feeling. We
have been hearing good deal about concepts of
God that are considered new. They really are
not new, however, they simply express
sIonS OF old concepts. For example an increasing
number Of people are coming to believe that God
IS law. But what they call law is simply what
the orthodox people call the will of God.
A Practical People.
Ever since President Taft modified the army