Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-16
OLD-TIME RELIGION
ENGAGING CHRISTIANITY AS A USEFUL temptat
EMPLONE
BY BISHOP w. A. CANDL


ing his having ceased to accept the Christian
doctrines which his pious parents steadfastly
believed. He affirms that he maintains the
church going habit of his youth, his reason
for not breaking himself of it being that he
regards the Christian church "as the most eff
fective organization society has yet devised
for%the promotion of altruism and morality
He goes on then to say:
"TherefOre | am glad to do what can In
my humble way to support it, and l feel that
it is a duty to attend its services, although
| am not confirmed, do not go to communion,
and should be guilty of intellectual hypocrisy
if | repeate ed the creed or joined in the petit
ton or declarations of the Prayer Book.
ITO those who may regard me incOn-
sistent because I try to support an organf-
zatiOn that stands for philosophy 10 which
do not assent, answer with EmersEs& that
consistency is weakness of the nSsTOw-
minded and that have about come to the
conclusion that Christianity is mode of life
rather than system Of theology. | am not
certain that there is either a heaven or
hell. I am neither a fundamentalist nor
mOdernist.
"Such questions concern me not at all, but
| believe that the world with which l am
quainted has been made better place by the
advent of Jesus Christ: that since He ap-
peared and His teachings began to be heed
ed, even imperfectly, men and women have
become less cruel and more kind; that the
being for the ameloratOn of human misery
were unknown prior to the Christian era;
and that if l wanted help l would be more
likely to get it from a Christian than pagan.
And so l say to myself that it is my duty
to do what l can to give vitality to nsti-
tuition which makes it's adherents good citi
zens, good husbands, good wives and good
parents
Il would not, however, give the impress
sion that in acting upon this view l am in
any great degree inspired by an altruistic
purpose.
NATURALLY, I am glad to do what I can to
make the world better, but like most men l
want it made better for me.
"Therefore, I should be uncandid if l did
not explain that my willingness to support
the church and attend its services springs in
part from the belief that it helps to keep my
employees honest and to make my children
obey the Fifth Commandment; that it inspires
others with Willingness to help me I
hope it inspires me with desire to be help
full when | can"
Stripped of all It's winsOme Probabilities,
this mans language means that he uses the
Christian religion, but does not believe in it;
that he supports it as a valuable employe to
supervise his other employees and keep them
honest and to make his children dutiful and
obedient.
Such a patronizing attitude towards the
Christian religion is something worse than
Inconsistent" 1t is logically indefensible
and morally insincere.
Christianity is true false and if it be
false it could not have produced Christian
civilization nor can it promote morality and
altrusm." FaIsehood has no such property
power
If Christianity be deception a delusion,
it is the most monstrous falsehood that has
ever darkened the erring mind of mankind.
According to this mans position, it is the
foremost force in promoting moral life in
the most enlightened portion Of the world
and in its most advanced stage of civilization.
Therefore he stoops to patroniZe and support
it, although he has no faith in its truthfu-
ness. What an elevation to falsehood and
what dethronement of truth he thus I'M
dertakes.
In all ages men have sought knowledge in
the belief that to know the truth is for the
highest welfare of mankind, and that the
truth is itself enough to compensate for any
may be obtained. But if this mans position
be correct then the most monstrous untruth
is good, if not better, than the truth to
improve the morality and correct the selfish
ness of the human race.
Why, then, seek truth any further? Why
write articles and print magazines and pub
fish books? And why establish schools and
employ teachers to discover and teach the
truth?
If handy falsehood is as helpful as truth
to make men better, let us concern ourselves
no longer about truth. But is it so?
This man is living and moving under the
moral momentum impaired to him by his
pious parents.
What moral momentum will he give to
his children?