The Spread of Scepticism.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3582, 19 June 1880, Page 1

The Spread of Scepticism.

No. 2.

The cause and effect are the subjects which it is my intention to enquire into in the present article on the above subject. As I bare said in my previous letter scepticism in one form or another has long existed. The learned men who bare from time to time published ideas antagonistic to orthodoxy, and in some cases denying the truth and tenableness of the Christian faith, hare been to a great extent the means of unsettling the religious tenets of the mass. By exposingl the weak arguments, and ignoring the strong points, the lecturer or writer on the subject overcomes the belief formerly held by those who listen to him and converts- hundreds of adherents to the church to his own ideas whether atheistical, deistical, or polytbeistical. The mind of the multitude, untutored as to the reliable facts of Christianity, listens with a feeling of awe and regret, as an able orator ana philosopher parades the weak side of their belief before them. In many instances it is to be regretted his remarks are interspersed with irreverent comparisons and ribald similes which, however revolting to the unprejudiced thinker are nevertheless of great service in decoying unthinking or illiterate people from their pristine faith. Although the opinions ho expresses are in the main plausible, they are not dispassionate, and when any point of the prevailing belief occurs that seems wholly indefensible, the dissertator often forgets the gravity of the question, and permits common-place arguments and ridicule to sully his productions with a more or less scurrilous tint of profanity. To these may be attributed the spread of scepticism, although that wave has been materially assisted in its onward course by calm, deliberate disbelievers, who have never been guilty of profanity, but have considered religious questions on their merits. These have devoted years of labour and sometimes a v» hole lifetime to the subject, and have care* fully weighed the opinions and evidence of divines and philosophers, and have given the result of their deliberations forth to the multitude for their approval or condemnation. Although the questions they raise do not tfke root at once in the mind of the public, they do not pass through'it with* out leaving traces of its existence, which crop up in the mind for consideration and reflection in after time. Besides these sources an important one yet remains to be told. The spread of scepticism is often tlie result of the rhapsodaic utterances of bigots, and men whose solo . ciaim_ i _tp__lhe ; name of divines lies i» their dogmatic assurances—the result of ignorance. Many of the ecclesiastical people of the present day are addicted to what is commonly known as intellectual spoonfeeding^ and are apt to sermonise their congregations, consisting of men and women, in the same manner as they would an assembly of children. They take texts from the Bible and preach sermons on those texts, which might be "swallowed" by an infantile gathering, but which appear unworthy of a clergyman to the thinking mind, which reviewing the dictates set forth, is convinced of the incompeleucy of the church dignitary, and is sometimes driven to harbour doubtful opinions as to the church creed, when such infidelity would never have been dreamt of, bad not the bigotted or dogmatic utterances of their pastor instigated them to query the ; infallibility of their belief. Besides these causes there are many outside assistants to the spread of scepticism. Extemporaneous writers and speakers who are no less ignorant than bigotted uphold scepticism, and by their incoherent, rambliuga and writings increase the flood of disbelievers. These are the main causes. Before entering into the effect on society let me briefly Jsay what effects it has on members of the church. There are men who go regularly to a place of worship, who heartily enter into the service, and who form a reverential, portion of the congregation. These, happy individuals! do not trouble themselves about religious mat*

ters, and attend their churches and chapels with a feeling of respect for their pastors. In a moment of uncertainty they take up a work criticising their creed, and on closer observance "find out that they are compelled to own themselves to a certain extent entertaining an erroneous belief. They still attend their ohurches, but the gist of what they have read comes up before their imagination as they sit listening to the sermons of their spiritual leaders, aud they cannot help comparing the orthodoxy of the preaGher to the heterodox ideas put forth in the work they have perused. These comparisons either add to their abandonment of their church and creed, or to their faith being partially shaken. As each Sunday morning enriches them with hashed up orthodox opinions so does every Monday morning with increasing unbelief. With the Church of England the effect is much the same, except that in place of deserting their church they only go occasionally when they most often forget themselves by falling asleep during the oration. The voice of the preacher propounding the scriptures in the old fashioned style, acts upon them as soft music, and in the jnidstof a thunderstorm of fire, brimstone,

desolation and annihilation the God of Sleep takes them, refugees, to his bosom, and only leaves their presence when the sermon is at an end. Tired of listening to stories told hundreds of times, and to expositions more "in keeping with the seventeenth than the nineteenth century, the ohuroh-goers are disappointed, and are no wiser of their creed after years of patience^ than if they had never entered the Church of God. The sample of services held in the Church are not satis-

factory to men of thought, and to that fact may be attributed the usually small | attendance in Church. The members of Lsuoh are often of opinion that they can Ij^ship the Creator better, by beholding works, as seen in Nature, than to a dreamy exposition of BKSlical subjects, long since disbelieved in by them, and so stay away. Thus so many creeds spring into existence—from , Mormonism to Calvinism, and the result * of the multitudinous beliefs is the spread of dissent and-the expression of opposite opinions. The clergy are not so much respected, and the Church emoluments are unwillingly allowed. The effect on society is equally apparent. People who "before went to church with a devout feeling, now only go "to see and be seen," and a far less regard for spiritual matters is felt. The example and teaching of ministers are so much at variance with their every-day life that the faith of the congregations is shaken in them, and that feeling often degenerates into one of disrespect. The demoralising effects of scepticism has made a marked impression on Christianity, and through favouring opinions averse to a belief in a Divine Saviour has materially injured the Christian faith. There is of course what is termed Christianity, but it is not in keeping with the teachings of its originator, and is both as opposite to his teachings as it obnoxious to calm theologians. In the place of the true Christianity a false one has come into existence, which, when analysed, proves to be no Christianity at all. The teachings of the Church are much at variance with those of the greatest spiritual leader the world has ever seen, and the doctrines of the established creeds themstelv.es cause their downfall. Society, before this mixed kind of worship was introduced, was farmore strongly joined in friendship than it now is, and one of the main causes of the differences among individuals is undoubtedly scepticism. Every year adds to the number of creeds believing in Christianity, tends to the demoralization of the mass, brings forward fresh advocates of unbelief, and weakens the power of churches adhering to orthodox beliefs. In my next I will say a few words with regard to the action of the clergy in the matter. PtATO JUNIOE.