| Show ask TESTIMONY of HISTORY ia io i evolution of the idea of god to is via Vi 6 telfe le of a volume by grant allen alien ich the author endeavors to give hc explanation of the origin swath of mans conception of the s y it to is stated that he has spent tty years in gathering materials for book and part of ten years in writ t alien takes the view that the ot ua religion is ancestor worship wore hip die deference ference paid by the living to prom from the worship of mum ghosts there was only one B the e practice of worshiping at s shrines and temples cover grayes graves and paying homage botones images and statues benting een ting the dead in this way the idea of a multitude ot or but how did mankind 1 from pa polytheism y deism to monotheism jen ahan does not attempt to reply to fuestion but denies the fact that an was a monotheist elat and also alao on that this form of wet was due to the labors of rt lawgiver boxes he rather that mat the deity whose sacred name no devout jew dares to mention for fear of profaning it at first was a tribal ancestor god represented per haps by a sacred pillar and that thib thi crude idea finally expanded until je hovah became a power eternal omniscient almighty holy the most ethereal the most sublime the most superhuman deity that the brain of man has ever conceived and this conclusion that the idea of god is evolved from the practice ot paying respect to dead ancestors th ib the result of so called scientific research irresistibly it recalls the observation of the ancient sage the fool says in his heart there is no god the theory rests wholly upon the assumption that man commenced his career upon the earth in a state not different from the animals and that every forward step to is the result of development from internal causes it takes for granted that the different stages in which the various branches of the human humah family at present axe are found with respect to arts sciences morals and so on is to be accounted for on the ground of difference in the speed with which the forward movement has haa been carried on but these assumptions seem to be entirely unfounded the history of nations rather favor the old view that all civilization is due to external causes to instruction training to knowledge imparted by someone superior in this respect what else Is the teaching of the history of japan and china and of the islands of the sea where comparatively a short time ago cannibalism and idolatry prevailed the evidence is all in favor of the view that hy by no process of evolution can a nation fenced in from communication with those in a higher stage of civilization attain a mote more elevated standard stagnation and even betro retro retrogression egression gres sion is the rule until the barriers of separation are broken down and then a short generation is sometimes enough to lift a race up to the most elevated level obtained by man if these observations are correct the conclusion is inevitable that the idea of a god came from without ard and in the case of the first man as with many after him by revelation As far as the evidence of history goes everything points toward revelation as the first source of all knowledge of civilization itself writers on the history of religions will have to count with the wonderful phenomena encountered on this continent it is now an indisputable fact that a civilization of a high order nourished flourished here in the past ages structures the equal of which are not known to have existed in egypt or persia were once reared here wealth was accumulated symbolical signs and elaborate inscriptions indicate the position giop of the inhabitants in philosophy and religion by what process of evolution we may well ask did this continent become the grave of all this civilization iza tion and its inhabitants the sad remnant of a once mighty race will not the history of this continent com rl I 1 science to recognize the fact so often lost sight eight of that by internal po power alone no progress so can be made man needs providence to instruct guide and protect outside that protecting care is barbarism decay death the ups and downs of civilization 0 o the existence of a supreme being |
