Theologians, as well as theological philosophers and theorists,
finding their pet notion of a god strangely interfered with and
disturbed by the advancing progress in the knowledge of the natural
sciences, bring to their aid additional proof to demonstrate the
existence of a god, viz., that all races of men, wherever found,
savage, barbarian, Indian, African, etc., on the different parts
of the earth's surface, believe in a something higher and greater
or more powerful than themselves, a spirit, a soul, a supernatural
being. Unfortunately for their argument, this mental condition
that is ascribed to the barbarians, etc., as being instinctive or
innate--that is, this supernatural element--this having an idea of
something they do not understand--proves the contrary, that there
is no truth in their assumption. The very fact that they have gone
through that process, or are going through it, shows it a kind of
educational distemper of a lower order that all primitive races have
to pass. As children who learn to read must first know their A B C,
it is the road that leads to a higher grade of thought. They begin
in surprise and wonder at the natural, concerning which they know
nothing. They fear, they adore the forces they cannot overcome. They
make images of them in their likeness and worship them. When, however,
they have learned through experience to overpower them, they cease to
respect them. New forms are adopted, modifications made, and lastly
so changed that but a mere shadow of the original remains.
All races began in a similar fashion, varying in form and method. The
sun, clouds, atmosphere, seasons, oceans, thunder, and all other
phenomena in nature--the inability to account for the existence of
these led to worship, sacrifice, etc.; and images, idols, gods,
originated; and in connection with them, stories, fables, myths,
and fictions were supplied by the officiating priests or persons in
attendance. The fanciful creations of the imagination hold good and
will hold good so long as we do not know anything of the realities
of life, of nature, of the actualities, of facts, of truth. But when
the masses shall have learned more of nature, then the visionary,
the imaginary god, the heirloom and heritage of our antiquated
forefathers, will be thrown aside as the images were by Abraham,
the idols dismissed or discarded later. The relics, the remnants,
of this barbarism still have a hold on the minds of men.
Our entire religious fabric rests upon the creation as related in the
Bible, handed down to us as the universally acknowledged text-book
of all knowledge. The time was when it was dangerous to doubt, and
imperiled one's safety or even life to openly state an opinion contrary
to the supposed infallible assertions contained in the holy book.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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