Evening star., 1923-02-18
Crossed Wires, Short Circuits,
Confusing Religious Thought

liable, and that the addition of a
religious belief to his autosug-
gestfon would do no harm ana
might do some good. While the
pharmacist of Nancy was making
this Interesting admission. a dis
nized orthodox church was
preaching a sermon i'm which he
declared that the really intelligent
Christian no longer believed In
the miracles of Jesus Of Nazareth.
We were gravely informed that
beneflclaries Of divinity were in
reality the recipients .of the
splendid influence of autosugges-
ton.
I myself am one of those old
fashioned Christians who take the
Bible, Jonah, whale and oil. My
puerile mind would rather believe
In a God who could create a man
Cd big enough to swallow whale
than to doubt that there was God
who could make whale big
enough to swallow a man. I may
be wholly unworthy Of associating
with men who are tearing the ark
of the covenant to pieces just to
determine whether 1t was put to-
gether right or not, but the fact
remains we are short t-circuited by
these two theories, because of
crossed wires. Any man has a right
to believe II he wishes to that auto
suggestion is the surgeon, and God
is the nurse, but 1t would throw
much light upon the subject X the
currents proceeded from the initial
source to the point Of utilization.
To my mind, the trouble about
the doctrine of miracles through
the ages is that we have been try
ing to reduce them to a scientific
explanation, or to put them among
the secrets Of religion. Even the
Master who performed them recog-
nized the most suspicious attitude
of mind. He eaw clearly that
many Of the recipients of His
bounty were actuated by merely
selfish motives; that itwas not His
will which they desired be done.
but their will. IT was not SO much
for the glory of God as it was for
the welfare of man.
Why can't we have these thought
lines in tubes or cables? Why
should we be in constant doubt
whether the clergy believe the
gospel they profess? Why must
scientists remain uncertain wheth-
sciously or unconsciously added to
or distracted from by the influence
Of power which their science
does not recognize. but which IL
Is not brave enough to say does not
exist? Why is it that the tail al
ways insists that 1t wags the dog,
or, IL not that. that II should wag
the dog? What credence can man
put in professed leaders who dis
pute most of the creed of the or
ganization to which they belong?
Why dosn't a man get out of
political party when he no longer
has faith in its principles? Why
will he wear the badge when he is
ashamed of the 1enets 1t stands
for? Why will men remain in a
church while denying its cardinal
doctrines. thereby iniuring 1t? If
scientists wish to revise the Bible,
why not have the courage of JEFF
ferson and revise it? j would sug-
gest that clergymen. who believe
in scientific religion should organ
ize the Scientific Christian Church
in America. and promote and de-
fend 1t.
we had some really old fashioned
religion when theologians quarreled
over how many angels could dance
on the point of a needle. We would
better return to that benighted
condition of mind than to have an
everlasting crossing Of thoughts,
short-circuiting of ideas and dark
ness while repairs are being made.
II a.man believes In an omnipotent
God he has no right to deny that
that God can work a miracle. Let
that be one thought never to be
short-circuited by the dropping
across 1t of the scientific thought
that in the beginning immutable
laws by which miracles were
wholly impossible were made.
fCnp1right, 1873 by Thomas r. Marshalll