Thoughts on Life and Religion: An Aftermath from the Writings of The Right Honourable Professor Max MüllerMüller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Religion
Thoughts on Life and Religion: An Aftermath from the Writings of The Right Honourable Professor Max Müller
Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Life; Philosophy; Religion; Theology
If we granted that all religions, except Christianity and Mosaism,
derived their origin from those faculties of the mind only which,
according to Paley, are sufficient by themselves for calling into
life the fundamental tenets of natural religion, the classification
of Christianity and Judaism on one side as _revealed_, and of the
other religions as _natural_, would still be defective, for the
simple reason that no religion, though founded on revelation, can
ever be entirely separated from natural religion. The tenets of
natural religion, though they never constituted by themselves a real
historical religion, supply the only ground on which even revealed
religions can stand, the only soil where they can strike root, and
from which they can receive nourishment and life.
_Science of Religion._
The intention of religion, wherever we meet it, is always holy.
However imperfect, however childish a religion may be, it always
places the human soul in the presence of God: and however imperfect
and however childish the conception of God may be, it always
represents the highest ideal of perfection which the human soul, for
the time being, can reach and grasp. Religion therefore places the
human soul in the presence of its highest ideal, it lifts it above
the level of ordinary goodness, and produces at last a yearning
after a higher and better life--a life in the light of God.
_Science of Religion._
I suppose that most of us, sooner or later in life, have felt how
the whole world--this wicked world, as we call it--is changed as if
by magic, if once we can make up our mind to give men credit for
good motives, never to be suspicious, never to think evil, never to
think ourselves better than our neighbours. Trust a man to be true
and good, and, even if he is not, your trust will tend to make him
true and good. It is the same with the religions of the world. Let
us but once make up our minds to look in them for what is true and
good, and we shall hardly know our old religions again. There is no
religion--or, if there is, I do not know it--which does not say,
'Do good, avoid evil.' There is none which does not contain what
Rabbi Hillel called the quintessence of all religions, the simple
warning, 'Be good, my boy.' 'Be good, my boy,' may seem a very short
catechism, but let us add to it, 'Be good, my boy, for God's sake,'
and we have in it very nearly the whole of the Law and the Prophets.
_Science of Religion._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account