There does not seem to be any particular reason why a religion should not arise with an ethic as fluid as Hindu mythology, but it has not yet arisen. Christianity has probably the most flexible morals of any religion, because Jesus left no code of law behind him like Moses or Muhammad, and his moral precepts are so different from those of ordinary life that no society has ever made any serious attempt to carry them out, such as was possible in the case of Israel and Islam. But every Christian church has tried to impose a code of morals of some kind for which it has claimed divine sanction. As these codes have always been opposed to those of the gospels a loophole has been left for moral progress such as hardly exists in other religions. This is no doubt an argument for Christianity as against other religions, but not as against none at all, or as against a religion which will frankly admit that its mythology and morals are provisional. That is the only sort of religion that would satisfy the scientific mind, and it is very doubtful whether it could properly be called a religion at all. No doubt many people hope that such a religion may develop from christianity. The human intellect is feeble, and there are times when it does not assert the infinity of its claims. But even then: “Though in black jest it bows and nods” * * * * * “I know it is roaring at the gods Waiting the last eclipse.” The scientific worker of the future will more and more resemble the lonely figure of Daedalus as he becomes conscious of his ghastly mission, and proud of it. “Black is his robe from top to toe, His flesh is white and warm below, All through his silent veins flow free Hunger and thirst and venery, But in his eyes a still small flame Like the first cell from which he came Burns round and luminous, as he rides Singing my song of deicides.” FOOTNOTES [Footnote 1: Embden, Grafe, and Schmitz. _Zeitschrift für physiologische Chemie_, Vol. 113, p. 67, 1921.] [Footnote 2: The Hindus have recognized the special and physiological relation of man to the cow by making the latter animal holy. A good Hindu would no more kill a cow than his foster-mother. But the holiness of the cow has unfortunately extended to all its products, and the extensive use of cowdung in Indian religious ceremonies is disgusting to the average European. The latter however, is insensitive to the equally loathsome injunctions of the Catholic Church with regard to human marriage. It would perhaps be better if both marriage and milking could be secularized.]