The New Avatar and The Destiny of the Soul: The Findings of Natural Science Reduced to Practical Studies in PsychologyBuck, J. D. (Jirah Dewey)
Religion
The New Avatar and The Destiny of the Soul: The Findings of Natural Science Reduced to Practical Studies in Psychology
Buck, J. D. (Jirah Dewey)
Psychology and religion; Soul
It seems to me to-day, as it did more than thirty years ago, that this is
the whole problem in a nutshell, and that any number of words could add
nothing to the statement.
The Great Work is as open to woman as to man, and on the same terms. They
have perhaps more to overcome in some directions, and men more in others.
This is like saying, "man and woman are different," that is all.
One thing is certain; there will never be an ideal social state on earth,
or a heaven anywhere, except as men and women _co-operate_ together for
the happiness of each, and the highest, noblest, cleanest good of all, and
this is only another phase or department of the Great Work.
CHAPTER VII
THE MODULUS OF NATURE AND THE THEOREM OF PSYCHOLOGY
The Science of Psychology, like any other science, must deal with
demonstrated facts, classify them, and systematize the resulting
categories.
Strictly logical conclusions drawn from categories of facts so derived,
deserve the name of Science.
Science is, therefore, a definite method of arriving at exact conclusions.
No other method can legitimately bear the name of science.
No one pretends to dispute the conclusions logically involved in the
Binomial Theorem; or in the Parallelogram of forces; or in correlative
mechanical equivalents; or in many of the known laws of chemistry and
physiology.
When, however, we come to mental processes and psychical phenomena, the
facts are so redundant, and so differently reported and apprehended, that
argument, belief and prejudice, credulity and incredulity, overshadow and
drown with a war of words all clear, scientific methods or conclusions.
But if man, as a whole, is a fact in nature; or if "God made Man a Living
Soul," then the whole nature of man exists under law, and is apprehensible
to science.
Man's function as a scientist is to read, to reflect, to weigh, to
measure, and to understand.
There are those who object to Natural Science as applied to "Divine"
things. They would preserve the mystery, and seem to prefer miracle and
dogma to knowledge and law.
Their preference is to be respected, even though ignorance and
superstition result. Since the domain of science, in America at least, is
no longer restricted by ecclesiastic law, the conflict between Religion
and Science has gradually disappeared, and the conflict is rather that
between knowledge and ignorance, with ignorance on the wane.
"Things settled by long use, if not absolutely good, at least fit well
together."
This transition period seems confusing to many earnest souls with its "New
Thought," its "occultisms" and its "Lo here's" and "Lo there's." But
through and beneath it all, may be heard a note of harmony, the promise
and the potency of the triumph of light and knowledge.
We may not know the final results, but every sincere and earnest seeker
may have the peaceful assurance that he is on the open highway that leads
to the noblest and the best.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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