IS RELIGION REASONABIE?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1456, 3 June 1912, Page 4

IS RELIGION REASONABIE?

TO MEN MARK'S;^: 'Tho monthly service formori only wa«Kv held in St. Mark's Church, Susses Square.^;: oa Sunday afternoon, when there was . a'jS; largo congregation. The vicar'(the Bev.-J-v: C. P.-Askew) delivered an address.on. th«.t question.■ "Is Religion Reasonable ?.'■; Hoj. ; ■;. commenced by stotiiig why. they:.were;coii-' / sidering this 'question when'.thoyV.beiievcd. : .; that f-religiou ...was a*;X: Clii'istiaiisvhad'ifouiubibso by.'s practical, ;.- .es!Kiricnco.:'x? It:fwas:;becauso;;the r tinie,/.;; iliustvco'me* v.hcn" llicy; would have to give;; 'i 'nrirea'sonablo, defencn of their faith;; aiid : -v" 'for:.that evcfllnality tliey must have their?:?,; .'minds prepared:■'•. 'It was possible that aii?... Christiaiis they might be accused of being,.'''; biased in tho matter. .They could not bo'fQ .untruthful, and surely.; they must 1» <H '.lioncst- in.dealing with the-facts. ~ Why, ;::i then, did they believe iiv GodP :=-. Almost's/ without exception from the beginning otji;--. the world nations had believed in a Su-;':;-' premc Being. The early Faxons beUcved"-:>; in a Supremo Being, tho immortality of>-f. the f<iui, and a reward after death.-r-. Thfl';,':i; Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese" andvv the tribes in remote parts of tho-.earths"'.; had. their Supremo Being., This'wasi'anSl instinctive belief.. What, then, was tlm.l, reason for'belief in God P";--There worov 1 ,.- three reasons, to the . preacher's raiiid.vf: They wow. nature, witness,.and experi-;>-; ence,-'--. In nature they saw the 1 wanders-.£ of the World in the sky and the sea, and : :.; man knew well that Sheso were not tho'C .works of his-own hands.- ■■ Being a'reas-'.' ''; onablo being,, he reflected, -and-.- ; aeknow : „; ■ Icdgetl ■ them as the work of a Supreme'.'*'; power. ' ■ This was not the sentimental;;"?;' view of a few people," but the opinions well-known scientists. Tho second wasonftfe was ihat of the witnesses, who included'!;!' many of. the greatest men of tho An argument that migbt be used ,againsti;:'i this was.that the recent religious eonsug;;.? showed a small percentage of Christianas i]i?;Enslaud. , What proportion of men'.& were there interested in music, art, and■;>:,' literature? ' Only about twenty per cent., but. this.- Was, no argument, against-|: art or literatures Lastly, he would refer •'! to experience'.'' Men could be found who J would say that:? their whole lives had : & changed-from evil to rood when they had "■', acknowledged Jesus Christ. ■ These' were y not isolated eases,, but .typical of tliou-.^;' ' Purins tho. course of the meeting Mr.'--Hueston, one of the churchwarden?, ren- :l dered the solo "Nearer, Mv God, to. ! TllDC."'-!."'. '"