The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume 1, January, 1880 — John Shaqi
The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume 1, January, 1880Various
Religion
The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume 1, January, 1880
Various
Religion and science -- Periodicals
Man is imperfect in many of his attainments. A few men are more perfect
than others, but all are liable to mistakes. Errors are found in all the
histories of humanity; shall we therefore discard science and civil
government? or shall we turn misanthropists? No; we will do neither. We
are in a progressive age. We were capacitated for progression. We would
not be men without this capacity. Let us ever remember that man is,
after all his mistakes, the noblest creature of God, having God-like
attributes. Do you doubt this? Then tell us why it is that a falsehood
is always detestible to the mind. Why do men strenuously avoid
contradictory propositions? The God-like in man is the great secret of
his progression. He is a progressive being. Shall we on this account
condemn all that in which man has and does progress? Shall we condemn
Christianity on account of man's failures? Shall we discourage his
honest efforts by keeping those failures always before him? Have men
made no mistakes in science? Shall we repudiate on account of mistakes?
Then there will be no end to repudiations. Let us remember and talk of
the many mistakes that have been made in both science and religion, like
the man "who visits the shadows in the deep ravines, in order that he
may more fully realize the fact that the sun shines;" that is to say,
let us talk of old, effete dogmas in science and in religion only to
more fully realize the fact that the sunlight of truth is shining. Yes!
Man has progressed. "Science and religion both stand true to their God."
Man alone deviates. How often do we hear men say, "Science is
progressive?" Scientific truth is always the same. Man is not always the
same. Shall we keep his many deviations from truth and principle before
him in order to cause greater deviations? Who will "deliver" the
unbelievers of our country "from this dead body?" It contains all the
errors of the ages. Their name is "legion." Among them we behold laws in
the early history of our own country that to-day would shock the common
sense of our country. Examine the old "Blue Laws of Connecticut." Among
the errors of the past we find the "rack," the "thumb-screw," the
"inquisition"--I was going to add the cross, but I recollect that
unbelievers do not put that in their list. They do not sympathize with
Christ, so they leave the cross out; in fact they do not like to talk
about it. "It is their stumbling stone; the rock of their offense." I am
tempted to say more about the errors of scientists in the bygone, but I
must forbear; for in so doing I would ape the unbelievers. I have no
great love for apes. So far as old, effete, erroneous opinions and
faiths are concerned, with the old instruments of torture belonging to
the shadows of the dark ages, we should say, disturb not the dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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