| Show biga blaa PAGANISM AMONG christi ims THE I 1 new york sun has arrived arrived at the conclusion which we think very correct ecta that there is considerable paganism among christians christianso Christi christl anbi ansi itis it is both encouraging lencou cou ragin raging and ref nef refreshing to nind find sueh such ideas as tt it contains ventilated in a it new York Yok paper they are so unusual that thes thaS feels it necessary to make an explanation for writing upon such a theme a theme usually regarded it says bays as US so 60 banut of the province of it adaily ally aily Vows news piper paper but while it rebukes tap shortcomings of politicians and I 1 rader and professional men pien and crit i the behavior V of clergymen it thinks a it surely may nw and then touch upon the religious scepticism of the maba mass of or the nation they claim to be christians but if 14 think and act they ought J it bays to be bo told ofil i WL L the article opens by br stating that christian christians blaim a superiority ty over pa igans in that the latter have not their hope lof tot a joyful resurrection and ofa ora a glorious lo blous klous eternity yet practically haip how many mady christians are better better than thin pagans in in the thoy really cherish ihl this sub jentof ij act of a auturo existence take for instance ins tanto fante it bohIl hues way in dri which abath is I 1 regarded k e radd nb abt merely laming among carel carol caroles cs s sa 1 1 bradl J but among those who profess to havo have pai pal palti ff some atten tiow tiou ti onto to religious matters the ohe thought lof lol it brings a shudder r and a heart pang the iho mention of it on any but the most solemn occasions is treated as a mark bark oti oell 11 breed in ing except perhaps when the decease ofa of a and friend fr or acquaintance is communicated as a piece of news and then it Is dismissed as soon as possible with but few exceptions it is to every one ja p great shadow hang hanging i 1 over life darkening our sunshine and ana an 15 dimming our pleasures it was this to the pagans of greece and rome and it is this ito to most christians j when death actually invades the family or the friendly circle it sun says in pagan fashion notwithstanding the mourning and and lamentations the seclusion and the foregoing of the customary occupations the au survivors aviv have none but pagan notions about the grave it Is to them the end of all things the dead whose body has been swallowed up in its dark gulf is in their mind as though ho hadl had been annihilated the sus suns remark in continuation of this subject are so pertinent and truth ful fal thai that we give glye theman them in tn its iti fan own lan ian i 8 t 01 i at t r bhole spirit and policy which gov n e itself among ahong us there is much more moro 1 paganism than christianity men an lay out plans nor for the wih win what is I 1 io come CO meatter after atter deanthis de death athis is seldom em eto braced in their calculations parents train up children but the one great purpose it in view is that thai these th children ildren may succeed irr iff business busiA ess or ambition or in making a brilliant worldly marii marli marriage age the more religious may pretend that thai they look took beyond this tills but why then do so many of them give way to such bitter grief when death comes and interferes with vath the execution of their project if they really believed as they say they do that they are rearing not beings for tho the habitation of this thi earth scarth alone but att recruits for a better world would they be so cast down because their work has hag been finished a little sooner than ahey they expected c ad C christianity hristian ity teaches them this plainly enough but they are in heart pagans and when tho the worldly life is extinguished pd they think nothing is left I 1 on sunday nominal christians all over the globe celebrate the resurrection of him who according to 16 the geed weed of their lips ims lug 4 disarmed death of rf its sting sling and aled pled ravo rave of its I 1 terrors vvo wo vent tousand th adenine athine hundred and ninety a thousand among the assembled crowds vere were either cither living in I 1 daily daliy dread of death abath ar r dwelling with unco 44 eprief grief upon the death of some dear ofle orienne odi ori eone one 1 before them to the realm of spirit thickly intermingled intermingle a among them were more masses of sombre drapery ery ory betokening the inward gloom of the tho wearers Wear etire ettre ers rs while many others whom custom obliged to lay aside asido the garb of yoe voe woo cherished cherl 1 i it none the iless deeply in their souls and above andi ands tHrough all tho the sound of joyful chants andlee pageantry of thanksgiving ceremonial there was heard secretly in m every ear the terrible pagan whisper death is the end and there is naught beyond if we vero veto disposed dispo sedi to criticise criticism critic ise the esus ns position our chief comment would oui be that thai by its comparisons it doea do as many any of the pagans injustice we h have a met et with pagans whose ideas of the future were far more reasonable than those of many professing christians with whom we have conversed let a man of an inquiring mind ask any so called christian minister a series of q questions about the condition of the tho soul in a future state and the nature of its occupations or enjoyments enjoy ments in itil heaven throughout the never ceasing ages of eternity and how much satis faction will he get such men know nothing about thead things themselves and to conceal their ig ignorance noraLee they thoy I 1 to the extent of their power po wier vier a tine he all in in upon subjects their thein ideas I 1 af pf f god also M are more inconsistent with the and aud truth and reason than are those of many og of the heathen what wonder then that thal such a condl aion tion of affairs as that described by the sun sun exists the only cause of surprise with usini that scepticism is not more wide |
