| Show PAINTS PIT RELIGION I AS A PUNY THING Criticism of Chris Christian Christi Christian tian ti m Faith Is Just Says Rev Mr Brown TRUCKLES TO MATERIALISM SEARCH OF AWAKENED S UL FOR PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE The Religion of Tolstoy was the subject of ot a lecture delivered by Wil William William liam Thurston Brown at the Unitarian P church yesterday The story of life is the story of the search by an awakened human soul for reality in religion for such a philosophy of life as could sat satisfy satIsfy satisfy the inmost demand of ot his moral nature said the preacher Born and bred in the atmosphere of the orthodox church of ot Russia and familiar with Its teachings he early makes the discovery discovery ery that mens lives are not guided or molded by the religious teachings t they received but by the very ery opposite and that the church in instead Instead Instead stead of leading and dominating the lives of ot men merely follows the lead of the forces of materialism to I have sought In vain says Tol Tel Tolstoy Tolstoy stoy In our civilized society for any clearly formulated moral bases of life There are none No To o perception of their necessity exists On the con contrary contrary contrary we find the extraordinary con conviction conviction conviction that they are superfluous that religion Is nothing more than a few words about God and a future life and anda a few ceremonies very useful for the salvation of the soul according to some and good for tor nothing according to others but that life goes on of It Itself itself Itself self and has no need of any an funda fundamental fundamental fundamental mental bases or rules and that we have only to do as we are told to do doIn doIn doIn In the first place the religious quest of Tolstoy Is the only religious quest there is the only thing worthy of the name Religion can be had on onno onno onno no other terms It cannot be an In Inheritance Inheritance Inheritance It cannot be Imbibe imbibed l in any church It has to be discovered by life itself The tremendous demand for tor reality for a satisfying faith which was the whole of Tol Tolstoy Tolstoy Tolstoy stoy Is just as much your demand and mine as It was his We Ve can no more satisfy the deepest need of our nature with any conventional teaching or with anything less than the pl discovery of a divine law of life than I he could Until we find the eternal et law of life which harmonizes fall all mor moral moral moral al ar aT i ethical discords we are but wa in a wilderness and have no gospel for any anyone one I Criticism Is Just In the second place crit criticism critIcism criticism of the Christian church and of the civilization which the church ap approves approves approves proves Is as unerringly Just as was that of the Hebrew prophets and Jesus of the civilization and the church of their time There Is but one place which the Christian church or any in institution Institution institution which presumes to stand for religion may honestly occupy In this world and that is the place of un undoubted Undoubted doubted moral and spiritual leadership It has no business to be unless it Is in inspired Inspired inspired by a moral and spiritual and j ethical vision Incomparably higher that which so easily finds em embodiment embodiment embodiment I in the selfish Institutions of materialism unless it dominates in inspires Inspires inspires I spires molds leads the life of men To the church asto as to nothing else the world I has a right to look Jook for moral leader leadership leadership I ship And the fundamental claim of the church is made ridiculous if It the might of its truth and of or the spiritual life which it proclaims be not to the might of materialism Does the church lead the world to today today today day Does it shape and mold the ideals and passions which determine I mens daily dally lives On the contrary is j there any sort of evil Influence any i political corruption any commercial I selfishness any immoral national pol icy which fears the power of the church Where There has the church dared to oppose any national policy polley how however however however ever morally Indefensible When has hasIt hasIt hasit It riot not followed the lead of powerful and unscrupulous influences in social and national life Tolstoy Is eternally right In saying that our civilization today offers otters no moral bases for Ute life I j obedient to no divine law is conscious of ot no moral mora or ethical goal And he is equally right in thinking that It In is the one mission of religion to furnish such moral bases to proclaim such divine law to point out and lead the way to such an eth ethical ethIcal ethical ical goal Religion a Social Thing Finally the greatness of Tolstoy Is seen nowhere more surely than In his discovery that religion Is not at all alla alla a little affair which each man can set settle settle settie tle tie with his own little god that t at It is isan Isan Isan an affair which can be settled alone with the whole mass of ones fellow fellowmen men settled at the bar of a social or order order order der which provides for the Just fulfil fulfilment fulfIlment fulfilment ment of every mans nature Religion is a social thing a fact of just social relationship There Is ie no activity Into which a man can enter which is not the domain of ot religion God Is ie not a being who sits on the clouds conveniently remote from the scene of human struggle God Is the soul of that struggle Identified with wIlli humanity there to be found and wor worshiped worshiped worshiped The only path a man can take toward the solution of his religious problem toward such a sense of God Godas as will vill unify and glorify his life is that which leads him Into the struggle for tor righteousness in the economic bas baa basis basIs is out of which life grows In that economic basis and In the struggle to tomake tomake tomake make it just are bound up all the sanc sane sanctities sanctities titles and all the sacredness it Is pos poe possible possible sible for tor us to know To find moral harmony and ethical accord with men menIs menIs menis Is to find harmony and accord with God |
