|
On the nature of ultimate
reality or God
|
•
|
“A
man’s religion is the expression of his ultimate attitude to
the universe, the summed up meaning and purport of the whole consciousness
of things.” p3 |
| • |
“Ultimate
truth may always remain veiled. It is the search for it that makes
life worth living.” p9 |
| • |
“Love
is measured by service.” p37 |
| • |
“The
divine cannot be lost and will not be defeated ultimately. This is
the faith that underlies all struggle.” p42 |
|
•
|
“In
sacred books we read how God did speak to holy men in many different
ways: But hath the present age no God to seek or is God silent in
these latter days.” p110 |
|
•
|
“Nature
is a new book. Science has given us a new cosmology. Natural phenomena
are no longer interpreted as the caprice of Deity. We have lost our
fear and our sense of mystery.” p132 |
|
•
|
“Yesterday
men were governed. Today they are the governors. The religion of that
day was similar—Departmental deity. Gift of a master to a slave.
Our democratic spirit rebels against this. Democracy must worship
a social God.” p133 |
| • |
“God
is the nucleus of every religious system.” p147 |
| • |
“God
is a spirit and that spirit is none other than the spirit of humanity.
This is the God of a Democrat.” p149 |
|
•
|
“Soul—a
self conscious personality. God—the totality of being. This being
is variously termed power, force, life, causation, mystery, God. We
have a relation to the infinite whether we realize it or not.” p157 |
|
•
|
“Some
say, Why not do without God? I do not believe that we can do without
God. We cannot stop thinking about him. The God who will help and
needs to be helped must be known.” p198 |
| • |
“The
God of the human heart. The human heart says spare the weak.”
p199 |
|
• |
“The
ultimate of existence is a veiled being—shows no special interest
in life, death, good or evil. Modern religion has nothing to do with
the unknowable absolute. The life force is not God.” p200 |
On the immanence of God
| • |
“The eternal mystery whispers to us the meaning
of life and the world through this medium. A still small voice within.
Willingness to bear cross.” p42 |
| • |
“There is a lifeward impulse, growing
up from within. Utters its challenge to every organ and faculty to
help. God without revelation. God that is in the struggle with us.
Compels us to find a purpose for living. Led to do that for which
people have waited centuries for God to do. God is the friend of man.
Courage. Knowledge. Goodness. Love.” p201 |
| • |
“Old Eastern legend: The gods stole from man his
destiny. At a loss to know where to hide it. Other side of the earth?
Bottom of the Sea? Oldest and wisest—‘let us hide it within
man himself; that it the last place in which he would think to look
for it.’”
p208 |
| • |
“When after many years of searching you have discovered
the God within what is the effect? You are compelled to love the good
the true and the beautiful. But you know that you are not different
from other people. You discover the same in them. And you love them.”
p209 |
On the nature of Faith
| • |
“A characteristic feeling of our nature leading
to a confidence in a value in life. The instructive certainty that
life is good. Science in this sense is based on faith.” p8 |
| • |
“Faith has to do with ultimate value” p8 |
| • |
“Prayer is the attitude of the whole
man to life. Receptivity. God-Fulness. Real prayer is preparation
to receive like sunlight. Or communion or companionship. This prayer
is always answered because we give the laws of the higher life an
opportunity to operate. It is an attitude of effort. It implies effort,
companionship, receptivity.” p122 |
| • |
“God’s presence must be an experience, not an inference.
Religion must stand the test of life. We cannot test life by religion.”
p168 |
On the definition of religion
| • |
“Religion is an attitude of the whole man—feels—thinks—wills—acts.”
p3 |
| • |
“Religion is a personal attitude toward
life which, beginning in a feeling of dependence and dissatisfaction,
rises to a faith that life contains, somewhere and somehow, an eternal
and completely satisfying worth and value centred in an objective
reality, conceived as perfect and divine into relation with which
the dependent and unsatisfied soul can enter in such a way that the
sense of dependence and dissatisfaction is resolved and removed.”
p4 |
| • |
“Religion as a system of thought is interdependent
with all other systems of thought, within the range of human cognition.”
p147 |
| • |
“Religion and morality in their origin are one.”
p151 |
| • |
“Religion is the expression of a true natural force,
proceeding from our deepest being, operating toward the more perfect
adjustment of ourselves to our surroundings, and leading to a life
in harmony with the laws of the universe.” p157 |
On Ethics
| • |
“History, Politics, Economy, Social statics and
dynamics, the law of wealth, the laws of mutuality, the laws of character
and heredity, the laws of population, the laws of crime—these
must make the subject matter of our study when we seek to follow out
any line of practical duty and morals. It is with these and not with
any theological scheme of duty and opinion that our nobler sentiments,
and our charitable emotions will have to be reconciled.” p112 |
On the nature and purpose of humanity
| • |
“We need to be preparing for life. Much of our
preparation has been for death. Self realization and altruism meet.”
p21 |
| • |
“Necessity of laying aside every thing
that hinders us from being our best. Every man wants to be the best.
1) Hinderence in our system of political economy 2) In our system
of education 3) In our moral standards. It requires co-operative effort
to lay aside these encumbrances that stand in the way of the individual
and the social whole being their best. We should have a purpose in
life that summons up all our energy. We need to live intelligently
(consciously.) If we have a life purpose, all embracing and intense,
we will change the circumstances which prevent us achieving it.”
p22 |
| • |
“The writer recognizes the human effort in the
Christian life. Task is colossal. Not a hundred yard dash but a marathon.”
p23 |
| • |
“It takes more virtue to come away from our pet
vices and vaunted opinions, and to acknowledge failure than is required
of those who know no vice and have no opinions.” p107 |
| • |
“We know we are not all what we desire to be. Divine
urge within. Dynamic agent of all religious effort. Our nature is
to love. This is the verdict of all Religion, of History, and of experience.”
p113 |
| • |
“We have an unhealthy tendency in education to
extend preference for all our habits, accomplishments, characteristics,
and conventions to the exclusion of all others. We set ourselves upon
a pinnacle. Condemnation and contempt of others. Affection is thus
debased into self-complacency and deceit. Germany is perhaps the best
example of this. We are following here. An over confidence arises.
Boastful determination to dominate follows.” p128 |
| • |
“The man who is always repeating that
human nature does not change would not acknowledge a pre-historic
man as his relation. There is nothing permanent in humanity. We are
in the continuous process of becoming.” p132 |
| • |
“To thine own self be true … self
deception is the unpardonable sin. Instead of using intellect as a
guide to right, we use it to give reasons for not doing right. It
can be a powerful weapon to defend right, but is equally as effective
in defence of wrong when conscience is dead.” p154 |
| • |
“It was man’s
deepest consciousness that he was not what he desired to be which
gave a foothold for the entering of fear.” p163 |
On Humanism
| • |
“Humanity must be supreme in the new civilization.
Faith in inherent human goodness. The soul of man is Divine. The soul
of humanity takes the place of autocratic power and profit-making.
Politics, Social life, Industrialism—all must be humanized. Every
institution must have for its aim the well-being of all humanity.”
p188 |
| • |
“It is the power of the intellect to guide that
distinguishes humanity from the brute.” p155 |
| • |
“Every man that loves humanity and tries to serve
with sincerity merits recognition even if mistaken. If our study of
martyrs helps us to see this it will not have been in vain.”
p139 |
| • |
“All life values are increased by the example of
those who have discovered something of its meaning and who had faith
in its ultimate reality.” p219 |
| • |
“But what is a man to do if he cannot find work
and has no money?” p99 |
| • |
“We are first born to live. 'I came that ye might
have life.' One thing that all the world wants, and has it not—Life—Abundant
life. The means of life itself is Bread and Butter. These have been
degraded by theologians, because they seldom lacked it long enough
to learn its fundamental necessity. Nothing to be gained by denying
the physical basis of life. Food, clothing and shelter. The Trinity
that in Unity make life possible.” p203-204 |
| • |
“Can there be a Rational Religion?
Seems to be a contradiction of terms. The function of religion in
society seems to be to provide a super-rational sanction for individual
conduct leading to a progress which is racial rather than individualistic.
Religion is a form of belief which leads to the subordination of the
personal interests in favour of the community interest when these
are antagonistic and thus leads to the general evolution of the race.
Bound by customs as forcible as law.” p237 |
On the relationship of religion to life
| • |
“Religion cannot be isolated from the rest of life
and thought.” p1 |
| • |
“Reverence and love for the ethical ideal, and
the desire to realize that ideal in life.” p3 |
| • |
“Our type of religion has as much to do with Geography
as the colour of our skin. All Gods are human creations. Gods are
human explanations of the Universe and life in terms of personality.
To feel the utter humanness of all religions will broaden our views,
enrich our experience and unite humanity. There is no factor in our
separation more potent than religious prejudice.” p111 |
| • |
“Selfishness does not alter its nature by being
spiritualised. Christianity must redeem Public life or be scrapped.
It must be a practical religion—how to live. The time has come
for us to preach as many sermons on public or social crime as on Individual
Sin.” p117 |
| • |
“Let us get the idea of cooperation with God. Thanksgiving
does not consist in what we say about what we get but what we do with
what we get … the best way to thank God: for life, is to live
it; for brain is to use it; for friends is to be friends; for love
is to love in return.” p160 |
On the Kingdom of God
| • |
“Sad to think that we have ignored for 2000 years
the dearest wish of Jesus.” p35 |
| • |
“Conditions of life are direct causes of Sins.
Bad Housing. Unemployment. Deep-rooted injustice based on ownership.
Ownership is economically unwise and morally wrong.” p35 |
| • |
“The Christian Church cannot make terms
with injustice.” p36 |
| • |
“A state of being which will afford
to every one an opportunity to be his or her best.” p37 |
| |
The solutions are political: |
| • |
“We must elect our own representatives; We must
capture the government; This is an agricultural country: Farmers should
dominate; You must unite in political action; You must know what you
want; We must have control of our representative;” p44 |
| • |
“Will you join us? By breaking up pernicious combination
of party-ism; Putting public business on a business basis; Electing
own representatives; Getting the legislation you want; and by voting
for a man instead of a machine.” p46 |
| • |
“Every human life and mind is a social product.
Individualism has permeated the national life. We have missed our
true service by worshipping an unholy trinity of Individualism, Sacredness
of property and profits.” p63 |
| • |
“Character is the religious goal. If character
be something that grows, we must look to the environment. Are our
institutions such as will aid the highest character? The best way
to develop character in individuals is to clean out society.”
p165 |
| • |
“Kingdom of God historically means social righteousness.
Social repentance. End of oppression. Strife. War. Reorganization
of society on the ethics of Jesus. Is this impossible? Righteousness
= Right relationship.” p184 |
On the Church
| • |
“The church is an organization or association of
persons who focus their combined energies in an effort to establish
the Kingdom of God on earth.” p37 |
| • |
“Because organized service is most effective, Church
must be a force for righteousness.” p38 |
| • |
“The functions of the modern church must be as
broad as the expanse of human need.”p40 |
| • |
“The churches have preached jingoism. Asked our
men to enlist. I challenge them to be more patriotic. It is an indictment
of the strongest possible character against the institution bearing
the title Christian, that it has placed human life at a lower value
than corporation profits.” p66 |
| • |
“The Church should be prepared to die for her principles,
but she is not.” p73 |
| • |
“The church can never build up a morality on empty
heads and empty stomachs.” p102 |
| • |
“An unemployed church looking for a job. Let the
church be its own notice board. Make it indispensable to the life
of the community by service and people will patronize. If not, it
ought to go.” p144 |
| • |
“Our practical religious program: Unite people
of different opinions upon an ethical and humanitarian ground. No
economic system which perpetuates poverty can be ethical or humanitarian.
A political system which exists chiefly for its own sake must go.Must
take direct action.” p189 |
| • |
“We need to be taught that we are not here to make
money, but a life—character. That what the church at her best
has stood for, is worthy of our attention yet.” p223 |
| • |
“The need for an all people’s
church. The new age. Each age made its own picture of the highest
and best and called it God. Our time has come. We must make new bottles
for new wine. It requires a great new faith to see the supreme good
in a world of so much suffering.” p231 |
| • |
“Lead to the practical work of humanizing civilization.
What a power an All people’s
church might become. Rev. W. A. Sunday. Hundreds of thousands flock
to hear him preach Hell. $60,000 in one collection. This for what
is error to us. Have we got nothing worth endeavour and sacrifice?”
p234 |
On Religion, Christianity, and Socialism
| • |
“Orthodox Socialism is as much out of date as orthodox
religion.” p73 |
| • |
“I am a Christian and a socialist even if they
both reject me. Let human happiness or welfare be the basis of our
Economic and religious efforts, and it is possible to work together.”
p73 |
| • |
“Thus the ruling class by fraud and superstition
exploited the hero of history [Jesus]—the friend and champion
of the poor.” p77 |
| • |
“Moses the first labour leader.” p78 |
| • |
“Oppression, slavery, humanity—common to all
people.” p78 |
| • |
“This great man [Jesus] combined imagination and
practical leadership with a passionate religion and stands as one
of the first to rebel against slavery.” p79 |
| • |
“Recognized economic crime. Forgave a fallen woman
but not a rich young ruler.” p80 |
| • |
“It takes 2/3rds of Canada's natural resources,
and the service of all the people to make 23 successful men, yet we
are told that their brains took them there. I would like to see them
do it again. Tomorrow we shall have but two great classes—the
possessors and the dispossessed.” p101 |
| • |
“The church wants to make men moral. The trade
unions and farmer organizations are in the front trenches. Social
and moral reform leagues are an auxiliary of the Church. There is
a lack of cohesion. Each faction is riding its hobby to death like
a heap of sand. May someone come with a pot of glue! We have not enough
cohesiveness to elect one member to legislature.” pp102-103 |
| • |
“Self realization and socialism meet. We know that
the type of individual and social character we want cannot grow in
our present environment. No matter what you believe, we are challenged
to save the world.” p113 |
| • |
“Are the interests of the individual
and that of the social organism necessarily antagonistic?” p236 |
On Jesus
| • |
“Whatever preference we may give Him, we do not
limit ourselves to Him. There are many who stand with Jesus in suffering
and death.” p24 |
| • |
“We must strive to be Jesus.” p32 |
| • |
“A great soul hampered by limitations. Who sees
most suffers most. His agony—shattering of dream—fear for
his disciples.” p81 |
| • |
“Because Jesus was God, and God loves every body.
God is Love. Love is God. If God is love everyone who loves is God
to the extent that he loves.” p92 |
| • |
“Jesus was a great lover because he was a great
discerner. He could penetrate through all false covering to the real
self.” p93 |
| • |
“Jesus was a wonderful teacher. He
knew men. Eye could penetrate to the depths of human nature. Tactful
and masterly. Our teachers would be better if they knew men and conditions
more and classics and methods less.” p104 |
| • |
“A Christian is a person whose life is guided by
the spirit of Jesus’
life. It is not so much what you believe as what you do. A Christian
is a person who makes the same sacrifice as Jesus.” p116 |
| • |
“Chirst is the great Universal Reality in human
experience—not only the basis but the very soul of character.
Christ is a quality. What do we worship? Is it power? Is it vastness?
Is it mystery? No it is infinite love. Gentleness, humility, incredible
patience, fathomless pity, all-forgiving mercy, victorious courage,
purity, gladness.” p176 |
On the Bible
| • |
“The religious ideals expressed by the explanation
of these accounts are not ideals for all time.” p30 |
| • |
“Jesus life is a protest against this antiquated
creed.” p32 |
| • |
“Nature is our Bible and all phenomena its content.
No book ever has, or ever will contain it all.” p110 |
On multi-Faith
| • |
“Life is the greatest of all arts. He who has learned
the art of living is the greatest artist. Why have the masses of mankind
followed the Buddha? Confucius? Mohammed? Christ? Because they show
the art of living.” p24 |
| • |
“It is regrettable that Jesus has been given the
monopoly of the Christ. This mistake is back of all the tragedy of
Church history.” p34 |
| • |
“All the high ways of the spiritual life have the
same end: [to] meet.” p34 |
On religion and science
| • |
“Religion stands as a fact in human history and
consciousness. Science must treat it with the same reverence as any
other fact.” p2 |
| • |
“The function of science is not to explain but
to describe the wonders of life.” p7 |
| • |
“Science does not try to relate facts of experience
to ultimate reality.” p7 |
| • |
“Neither religion or science can claim to be the
only way to the truth.” p7 |
| • |
“Faith alone can never lead to Knowledge. We must
summon Reason to the aid of Faith.” p9 |
| • |
“Modern invention [is designed] to conquer nature
by using her properly. Nature is not a monster to be feared but an
ally. This new outlook manifests itself in human character: Materialistic
… Utilitarian. Things as instruments for human ends.” p
132 |
| • |
“The passion for truth is nothing less than a dim
and partially developed act of worship toward the God of Truth.”
p167 |
| • |
“Science can work only on what is supposed to repeat
itself, that is to say, on what is withdrawn by hypothesis from the
action of real time. Anything that is irreducible and irreversible
in the successive movements of a history, eludes science.” p169 |
On the nature of Heaven, Immortality, and Salvation
| • |
“If we might not better seek to make a Heaven for
ourselves here on earth.” p10 |
| • |
“If you change your mode of life when you think
there is no hereafter you are not fit for it if it were.” p14 |
| • |
“Heaven will become a reality when we cease to
try to get into Heaven, and begin to try to get Heaven into us.”
p15 |
| • |
“How can there be joy without conflict—or
happiness without tears? There is no heaven where there is no struggle.”
p15 |
| • |
“The conditions which rob Earth of its Heaven:
Premature death; the death roll of industry; the death roll of the
battle field; poverty. All can be prevented or eliminated.” p15] |
| • |
“If the orthodox idea of sin be false, their system
of salvation must go with it. Sin is a psychological fact, made possible
by natural human limitations, not an accidental historic tragedy.
Escaping punishment due to sin. Jesus taken as a substitute. The something
you get for nothing is not worth much. Immoral. Highest manhood cries
out against it. Must substitute development for Salvation. We have
divine potentialities.” p164 |
On religion and democracy
| • |
“Our social and economic structure together with
our political life is a reflex of our collective intelligence and
Morality.” p99 |
| • |
“A people with a sacred ballot in their hands must
be held responsible for corruption in public life, and social and
economic injustice so long as they allow them to remain.” p100 |
| • |
“We have created certain conditions that make politicians
and individuals as helpless as babes. Our only hope lies in Democracy.
We must inaugurate a great collective movement, the soul of which
shall be a moral passion for righteousness.” p100 |
| • |
“Moral cowardice is the weakness of this age.”
p100 |
| • |
“Money-archy is void of both mind and soul.”
p100 |
| • |
“A railroad magnate has more direct power than
all the people of Canada. Their strength consists of our weakness.”
p102 |
| • |
“The first enemy is partyism. The first step is
to break up the combination of party politics.” p103 |
| • |
“Party politics do not represent a healthy difference
of opinion [they are] corrupt … and maintain [themselves] by
fair or foul means. The ambition is to win. This is the outcome of
a patronage system.” p118 |
| • |
“A spirit of unrest needs guidance, not suffocation.
This is the great and supreme task of the church, to educate the public
consciousness. Its aim: A God-redeemed democracy.” p120 |
| • |
“There was a time when it was dangerous for a man
not to have a master. Was liable to pillage at any time and no one
would claim the right to defend him.” p148 |
On progress
| • |
“If there is any rational content in the word progress
it consists in that degree in which human intelligence has been able
to remove obstacles.” p21 |
| • |
t“These are times when great things are being done.
Ultra conservatism, politically, socially, economically, and religiously
have dammed up the river of progress. It cannot be stopped flowing.”
p43 |
On feminism
| • |
“What does war mean to women? We have no official
record of this. It is a curious fact that women hold such a small
part in the recorded history of the world. Proof that there is no
real history of the race. Brute force predominated, men had more force.
From history one would think that nothing but man ever lived and all
that they ever did was to fight. If I were a woman I would feel the
sting of this insult. The real facts cannot be entirely hid. Realize
that women in all ages have borne the drudgery, sweat, hunger, and
pain in a world's strife and struggle.” pp47-48 |
| • |
“Who ploughed the fields, made clothing, fed the
children, protected the home? Who helped to pay the cost of war? Who
cared for the wounded? Who replenished the decimated ranks of battle?”
p48 |
| • |
“Why do not Women go to War? Some answer that it
is not women's work. But what is? Wash, scrub, bake, nurse. Rest on
a falsehood. Sex occupation. Vocation knows no sex. Dividing line
artificial. Plea for the ulitmate and fundamental equality for the
human ego. To be recognized in every sphere of life.” p50 |
| • |
“When women through environment and heredity has
developed in similar degree the powers of generalization, initiative,
invention, and logical deduction which characterizes man, and when
man has evolved those powers of intuition, psychological analyses,
spiritual refinement, patience and unselfishness which distinguish
women, Then and only then will they become companions.” p52 |
On war
| • |
“Women will make war on War.” p51 |
| • |
“The biological argument for war is false. Look
at the monsters of intiquity. They were equipped by nature with 30
ft long armoured heads, 12-14 foot tusks, clawed feet or mouths with
4 rows of teeth. Where are these now? Horses, cows, sheep. Goats;
monkeys still survive. Force is a failure everywhere.” p61 |
| • |
“The world is at war because it was better prepared
for war than for brotherhood, internationalism, and peace. Capitalism
and Militarism are still the twin enemies of labour.” p127 |
On co-operation
| • |
“Victory lies in mutual understanding—that
all can get nearer to what they want by co-operation than by strife.”
p210 |
| • |
“Brotherhood is the extension of the home spirit
into the affairs of life in the broadest and deepest sense. Here we
see the ideal state in miniature. The home was our first lesson in
living together. Humanity has had in the home a long course of training
in the brotherhood spirit. We lost our false notion of superiority.
Felt our oneness with that unity. Rejoiced in the sweet influence
hallowed by the years. Felt the pull of common responsibility. Learned
something of the art of harmony. Spirit spread from family to group
to clan to nation, outgrowing these forms. Need to be baptised by
the spirit.” p211 |
| • |
“Better farming. Better Business. Better living.
(So as to equal city life.) This is the meaning and the aim of the
cooperative movement.” p226 |
| • |
“What cooperation is? An organization for joint
trading, originating among the weak, and conducted always in an unselfish
spirit on such terms that all who are prepared to assume the duties
of membership may share in its rewards in proportion to the degree
in which they make use of the association.” p227 |
On the nature of the Criminal
| |
Irvine describes the stereotype of the criminal and
society’s tendency to hold the criminal entirely responsible for his
acts. pp 67f |
| • |
“History of criminology shows imprisonment the
surest way to establish offenders in crime.” p68 |
| |
He calls for a system that provides dignity, education,
and rehabilitation. He proposed a bill to eliminate capital punishment.
p69 |
| • |
“The criminal is as much an effect as a cause.
Society has been the chief unconscious cause of crime. A society which
maintains slums, and over-crowding poverty due to mal-distribution
of wealth. Unemployment, starvation wages, licensed saloons, brothels,
ignorance—has no right to punish any on. Our first duty is to
remove the cause.” p172 |
| • |
“No man chooses crime for its own sake. Seeking
more abundant life. Self-expression. Seeks it in wrong way. Our prisons
are the greatest enemy to society. Shame is written all over their
walls. Rob men of dignity and honour. Solitude and unkindness breeds
crime.” p173 |
|
