FALSE RELIGIONS.

Thames Star, Issue 3540, 30 April 1880, Page 2

FALSE RELIGIONS.

To the Editor of the Evening Swb.

Sih, —I have been waiting for sotaa time for someone to give a reply to the article in the Evening Stak on false religion. I think such a one as the^Bev. Mr Neal is better qualified thanl'ain; but as no one comes forward to do it, would you allow me to do so P The writer of that article—" Thanks God for a • false religion " —would,be thanking Him for something worse than nothing'—falsity ~ never did and never can produce anything good, and in every instance where there has been neble thought and action, it has been inspired by truth, and goodness, as there has been something good and true in almost ail religions, and it was not produced by the false doctrines that are in them, but by the troth. Most of the religions have five articles in their creed that are true and good—lst, Consciousness and uprightness ; 2nd, Faith in God ; 3rd, Hope in Immortality ; 4th, Veneration of prayer; sth, Love and good* ness. If ; this simple creed was adopted^ instead of the thirty-nujo artiebs or the Church of England, this basis would be broad enough for men of Urge views and pure -hearts, The writer of that article appears to think that it would be of little, moment whether religion be true or false, if we only have strong convictions that it is true—that it is of Tittle "importance whether God existed or not; if we only feel certain that he existed, that would answer the same purpose. This appears to be extremely foolish, and according to this logic- it does not make any difference whether air or food exist or not, only we have strong convictions that they do exist—that would just do-as well. But the soul needs a real living • God to support and. strengthen it. There are thousands that do not know that there is animal magnetism in existence, but that does not alter the fact that they could not exist without it; and. there are thousands; that do not believe in the existence of God, but that does not alter the fact that they could not live a moment without Him. . Although we cannot see God with our bodily eye, nor find him out by analysis, there are other things that we have known to exist that we never saw. and cannot find them by analysis; I mean that mysterious thing, life—vegetable life, animal life, and human life; no one denies. its existence, but we never, saw it nor handled it. The evidence of the existence of God to the spiritual mind is equally strong, but tße vision of the wicked cannot see it; they are blind; it is the pure in heart only that see God. Swedenborg, that great philosopher and profound thinker and good man, says that life is derived and supported from the miserable world, and there is no argument, to overturn it. The apostle says that which is seen is temporal, but that whioh is unseen is eternal? I do hope that we will be saved from cold foreseeing soepti* cism, that says that all religions are false, and thanks God.for it.—l am, &c, J. Hob*. April 29th, 1880.