Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-11
War Caused Because Mans
Morals Did Not Keep
Pace With Mans Mind



hate and fear science" be-
cause of my conviction that, for
long to come, If not forever, 1t Will
be the remorseless enemy of man
kind. I see 1t destroying all sim
plicity and gentleness of life, all
the beauty of the world; l see 1t
restoring barbarism under the mask
of civilization; | see II darkening
mems minds and hardening their
hearts; | see II bringing a time or
vast conflicts. which will pale into
insignificance "the thousand wars OF
old" and. as likely a not will
wheIm all the laborious advances
Of mankind in boodNdrenched
chaos"
Commenting upon it the Editor o
Nature. (London). says:
We have on several occasions
pointed out that IL is merely pan
dering to popularj prejudice to make
science responsible for German bar
barity or for the use of its discoV-
cries In destructive warfare. Chlor-
in was used as a bleaching agent
for much more than a century be-
fore the Germans first employed II
as a poison gas; chloroform is a
daily blessing to suffering human
inal purposes; potassium cynanid
may be used as poison or to ex-
tract precious metals from their
ores: and so with other scientific
knowledge-it can be made Bless
ing or a means of" debasement.
The terrible sacrifice of human life
which we are now witnessing Is
consequence of the fact that the
teaching of moral responsibility
has not kept pace with the pro-
gress of science. AS in mediae-
val times all new knowledge was
regarded as of diabolic origin, so
even ready to accept such views
of the influences of science as are
exprest in Gissing's work. The
pity of II is that the public press
do nothing to dispel illusions of
this kind by urging that what Is
wanted is not less scientific knowl-
edge, but a higher sense of human
responsibility in the use of the.
forces discovered.
In this utterance of the Editor Of
Nature is a sentence worthy of the mos
areful consideration by every thought
ul person who desires that the earth
hould be a safe place in which tC
i've 1t is this sentence: THE terrible
acrifice of human life which we are
low witnessing is a consequence OF
he fact that the teaching of moral re-
has not kept pace with the
rogress of science"
The statement is the simple truth
n awful truth. Men have become
more skillful than virtuous, more pow
rful than conscientious.
The education which has prevailed In
Germany during the last century, ano
which has been communicated to other
has all tended in the direction
f increasing human power and di'
the moral life of mankind
IN it's religious side II has been ration
listic, and has run TO scepticism. The
eligious element in German education
aving been weakened the ethical ele.
nent also has become feeble, until, in
hameless unfaithfulness to solemn
hedges the most sacred treaties have
cen denounced by German statesmen
s mere scraps of paper"
The immoral outcome of culture
with physical science and
with moral science was
Inevitable. Hence we are witnessing a
yar in which science and savagery are
nited in the most hideous forms.
The cruel conflicts of barbarians in
ting without the restraints of human
ty and morality, and, in this dreadful
var. scientific power has taken the
lace of brute force, and the result is
ust as really barbarous as was ever
7orse did the Huns and the Vandals
nywhere than the Germans have done
n Belgium?
The president of the United States
lightly concludes that with such q
over unchecked there will be no safe
lace for democracy in all the world
md he might go much further, and
ay nothing will be safe in world In
which science outruns morality.
Science gives men control over the I'll
anic forces of nature, and when these
uperhuman forces are not used in sub
ection to the moral law, nothing in the
arth is safe-neither democracy nor
nything else.
But let us not suppose the Germans
re sinners above all who dwell on our
lanet. They are neither more or less
han human beings, with like passions
S other men. They have simply become
lore scientific than conscientious, and
1 any land in which the moral and re-
gious element in education is omitted
together, or falls behind the scientiiH
lement, the people will revert to scien-
life barbarism.
We of the United States are travel
lg the same road along which German
ducation has led the Teutonic tribes
ack to barbarism as ruthless as any
hing recorded in the ''Germania" of
'acitus. Such culture will land us at
he same end.
1f ie .{rrN, =
4 decrying any disposition to depreci-
tie, or diminish, scientific knowledge.
UGH a disposition is as futile as il is
polish. Men are going to have scien-
ific knowledge at any cost. and scien-
ific darkness is not the remedy for any
f the ills of the modern world.
But men must be as pious as they
re powerful, or they will be a peril to
9th themselves and others.
II is not science. but secularism,
which II behooves us to oppose.
The Editor of NATURE deprecates
most justly that 1.-The teaching of moral
has not kept pace with
he progress of science" But how can
sense of moral responsibility be
aught in the absence of religion? To
whom are men morally responsible, If
he existence of God be denied, or the
bought of God be dimmed to the human
Consciousness? A person cannot be re-
;ponsible to an abstract moral law
Back of the law must be a divine Law
liver, or the law will be impotent, IL
estrain human passion, or impel men
o observe sacred obligations. ANY
morality that is reliable is the fruit of
eligion, and we cannot have the fruit
{ we deaden the root.