Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-22

q. what Is the real meaning OF Jne
term religion, as you understand 1t?
A. Unfortunately, It's significance is
often lost in the multitude of meanings
imposed upon 1t. Primarily, it denotes
the life of God in the soul Of man. but
the superfiuous things attached to it
would sink without trace any but an
extraordinary word. Tt Is identified
with minor moralities conventional
forms, respectability. technical ortho-
doxies, ecclesiasticism of numerous
shades, cultism. sectarianism and de-
nominationalisnn
Dead issues are tagged on to the al
ready overloaded word and bigoted
partisans or nationalistic fanatics en-
deavor to appropriate it for their spe-
cial use and benefit. Meanwhile the
divine life in the individual and In So
ciety Is chiefly concerned with the
fundamental issues Of private and pub
lie Righteousness. domestic and politi-
cal integrity, industrial justice, inter-
national peace and the mental and
ethical enfranchisement OF the ignorant
and the unprivileged.
It's inspirations are felt In all essen
TALLY spiritual movements which COM
mand the service of guiding minds and
the support of well disposed citizens.
These movements are common to all
countries. They prevail In Asia and
Africa as they do in Europe and the
Americas Many of them are too
spacious for the narrow routine of &C.
clesiastical groups. fast bound In their
rigid ideas and observances.
Hence the truly religious man or
woman is not now confined to the
time They are really recasting the
whole concept of the higher life with
in and refuse to jam not a few of
its finest expressions into exhausted
formulas. This Is as 1t should be, and
promises well. The churches. taken as
q whole. were never more truly religious
on their human side than they are to-
day Their chief need is the control
and guidance of the inner light. I'm
less many signs are misleading, this
light is breaking out afresh in numer-
Gus quarters.
Q. Is there anything to be learned
from spiritualism?
A. presume your question and
others have received from Great
Britain and our English-speaking resi-
dents on the continent are echoes Of
the newspaper debates and correspond
ence which took place in England dur
ing 1923.
Speaking generally. the phenomena
Of spiritualism are important enough
to receive the attention of the Society
of Psychical Research, which pursues
its Investigations on purely scientific
| lines In order to ascertain the EVIL
| dence concerning alleged appearances
| from beyond Spiritism, which should
| be distinguished from spiritualisn1, is
| the ayowal that discarnate human
| spirits have been definitely recognized
+, as such. The avowal Is common to all
believers in the survival of personality
after bodily death.
The spiritualism which you are In
clined to favor is a development OF
spiritism. Convinced that facts are at
stake which cannot be eXtinguished by
ridicule or prejudice, spiritualists base
their religion on these facts, and make
claims for 1t which create controversy.
The words of Christ annul for His
disciples the materialiStic contention
that bodily dissolution ends human
being. He said to the Sadducees OF old
who were the materialists of that day:
God is not the God of the dead. but
of the living; for all live unto Him."
This great Scripture and kindred Bib
lical passages authorize what may be
termed Christian spiritualism, which is
hospitable toward any demonstration
spiritism can supply of existence be-
yond the grave.
@. How, much of the non-believer's
ethical code is derived from religion,
and especially from the Christian re-
A. The answer depends on what
kind of non-believer you have in
mind. Voltaire was one type. Leslie
| Stephen another, and Lenin third.
Yet how widely their ethical ideas DIFF
fered! I assume you ask for con-
| trast between the ethics OF natural1sm
and those of the Christian religion, In
which case ! personally believe tne
| best moral concepts Of various skeptical
| groups are traceable In the main to the
| religious leaders Of the race, specifically
| to the prophets of Israel and to the
| authority of Jesus.
Not ali agree with the above state
noent. Certain schools of Skeptical lit
erature deny any originality TO Chris
tan ethics, and assert that their con-
tent was anticipated by Eastern sages
of Greek thinkers. Others claim tnaV
modern philosophers have made de-
cided advances in ethical theories.
In rebuttal, Christian apologists have
established a strong line of defense
which you should study for yourself.
To me 1t is convincing, both with re-
gard to the quantity and the quality OF
the moral thinking and inspiration,
based on actual results IN HE ana oeeu.
In these respects Jesus is Lord and so
far beyond all other teachers that the
millennial splendors of the race have
to wait upon the fulfillment of His pre-
cepts.
TO be concrete, consider His doc
trine of moralized conduct. Evil, where
its existence was conceded. was almost
universally looked upon as amenahle
to force. But the Sermon on the
Mount ushered in a new day of peace
full conquest, whose meridian is still far
distant from civilization. Thus while
having the reversion of the better flu
ture in its keeping, it provides for our
guidance here and now.
1t Is of little consequence to contend
that the characteristic virtues of the
New Testament had preceding adum-
brations or even categorical forms. The
real issue is. how many of these vir-
tues were operative and how many bed
ridden. Shakespeare did not create the
story of Hamlet" but his recreation of
1t gave the Prince of Denmark to man
kind. Jesus and the prophets He in
dorsed were not original in every detail.