(no subject)
The average man adopts the religion of his country, or,
rather, the religion of his country adopts him. He is dominated by
the egotism of race, the arrogance of nation, and the prejudice
called patriotism. He does not reason -- he feels. He does not
investigate -- he believes. To him the religions of other nations
are absurd and infamous, and their gods monsters of ignorance and
cruelty. In every country this average man is taught, first, that
there is a supreme being; second, that he has made known his will;
third, that he will reward the true believer; fourth, that he will
punish the unbeliever, the scoffer, and the blasphemer; fifth, that
certain ceremonies are pleasing to this god; sixth, that he has
established a church; and seventh, that priests are his
representatives on earth. And the average man has no difficulty in
determining that the God of his nation is the true God; that the
will of this true God is contained in the sacred scriptures of his
nation; that he is one of the true believers, and that the people
of other nations -- that is, believing other religions -- are
scoffers; that the only true church is the one to which he belongs;
and that the priests of his country are the only ones who have had
or ever will have the slightest influence with this true God. All
these absurdities to the average man seem self-evident
propositions; and so he holds all other creeds in scorn, and
congratulates himself that he is a favorite of the one true God.
If the average Christian had been born in Turkey, he would
have been a Mohammedan; and if the average Mohammedan had been born in New England and educated at Andover, he would have regarded the damnation of the heathen as the "tidings of great joy."
Nations have eccentricities, peculiarities, and
hallucinations, and these find expression in their laws, customs,
ceremonies, morals, and religions. And these are in great part
determined by soil, climate, and the countless circumstances that
mould and dominate the lives and habits of insects, individuals,
and nations. The average man believes implicitly in the religion of
his country, because he knows nothing of any other and has no
desire to know. It fits him because he has been deformed to fit it,
and he regards this fact of fit as an evidence of its inspired
truth.
rather, the religion of his country adopts him. He is dominated by
the egotism of race, the arrogance of nation, and the prejudice
called patriotism. He does not reason -- he feels. He does not
investigate -- he believes. To him the religions of other nations
are absurd and infamous, and their gods monsters of ignorance and
cruelty. In every country this average man is taught, first, that
there is a supreme being; second, that he has made known his will;
third, that he will reward the true believer; fourth, that he will
punish the unbeliever, the scoffer, and the blasphemer; fifth, that
certain ceremonies are pleasing to this god; sixth, that he has
established a church; and seventh, that priests are his
representatives on earth. And the average man has no difficulty in
determining that the God of his nation is the true God; that the
will of this true God is contained in the sacred scriptures of his
nation; that he is one of the true believers, and that the people
of other nations -- that is, believing other religions -- are
scoffers; that the only true church is the one to which he belongs;
and that the priests of his country are the only ones who have had
or ever will have the slightest influence with this true God. All
these absurdities to the average man seem self-evident
propositions; and so he holds all other creeds in scorn, and
congratulates himself that he is a favorite of the one true God.
If the average Christian had been born in Turkey, he would
have been a Mohammedan; and if the average Mohammedan had been born in New England and educated at Andover, he would have regarded the damnation of the heathen as the "tidings of great joy."
Nations have eccentricities, peculiarities, and
hallucinations, and these find expression in their laws, customs,
ceremonies, morals, and religions. And these are in great part
determined by soil, climate, and the countless circumstances that
mould and dominate the lives and habits of insects, individuals,
and nations. The average man believes implicitly in the religion of
his country, because he knows nothing of any other and has no
desire to know. It fits him because he has been deformed to fit it,
and he regards this fact of fit as an evidence of its inspired
truth.