San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
FUNDANiENTALISTS AND
MODERNISTS.
To the Editor:

10 the Editor:
As could have been expected, the
controversy the Fundamcntalists and
their opponents have been INDUCING
in came to naught for the simple rea-
son the subjects in dispute were so
silly. So much the more so when it
concerns religion and when both sides
to the dispute are imbued with the
spirit of being in the right. Ode gus
thus religiosis no nest disputantum.
The great trouble with mankind is
that we have been brought up from
infancy to firmly believe certain teach
ings and on the other hand, condemn,
abhor and desrise ideas that may be
at variance and to destroy those who
venture to do some thinking.
Way, way back, some hundreds of
thousands of years ago, man was very,
very ignorant and his reasoning pow
ers were very likely on the same level
of some animals, but he gradually de-
veloped and his reasoning faculties
kept pace with his general develop
ment. For objects or events he dread
ed or loved he mentally created invisi-
Bile gods, and as he had to have some
thing tangible, he created idols to suit
his whims and reasoning powers so
as to conform with his environments.
1t was beyond his mental capacity to
grasp the idea, what produced light
ming and thunder, rain, hail. wind
storms, earthquakes and pestilences.
So it happened on a stormy night.
lightning, with its terrific crash of
thunder. struck his hut, killed his wife
and child. Now, he got to thinking
why should this happen to him day
after day he thinks about it and at
night he dreams, and gradually fig
ures it out in his childish brain that
it must be due to some evil spirit, ter
rible to behold, and in the course OF
time he makes an idol as hideous as
possible; he begins to worship it, Of
fers sacrifices and prays and begs this
imaginary god of lightning and thun--
der not to strike and kill again, and
protect him and his family from harm.
Earthquakes he attributed to another
god windstorms to another one, and
drouths and pestilences to still another
one. Now. these were all wicked gods
and terrible to behold. When events
happened that pleased, suited and
benefited him, he set up another ar
ray of gods to suit his emotions and
fancies. These gods were lovely to
behold and kind and noble-visaged
love, he interpreted by either hand
some man or lovable woman; hunt
ing by another god or goddess, and
in time he appeared TO have an idol
for everything imaginable. He became
more civilized and enlightened. and
the mysticisms of his ancestral race
had TO gradually pass through the
fof nF mn n l.
" religion was effected; he only ere
ated a few gods and eventually but
one God, God that is superior to
everything, Nature.
Now, let us come down to our own
reasoning. Before / go any further,
wish to state that was induced TO
write on this subject through mere
accident. At the St Anthony not so
long ago. the subject came up regard
ing the Fundamentalists. After some
arguments pro and contra, some ladies
and a man wanted to know. if the
biblical creation was not true. How
has one rib less than the woman?
They all appeared to be intelligent and
/ certainly was dumbfounded to hear
such arguments. L naturally contra
dicted this, and advised them to look
at a male and female skeleton. One
lady answered that she would not have
to do this, as she knew it to be a
fact for she had seen it with her own
eyes (perhaps through some one else's
eyes CD
Now, l want to say this: We are
In the age of intellectually and rea-
soning. and it can be put down in n
few words-How, Why and Effect.
The biblical version Of the creation
is lust as much a myth as the mysti-
cisms of the original savage. The
Book tells you this: ain the begin
ming" Well, then, in the beginning
of what? 1t is just about as sensible
To snr. Once unnn a time there was