THE DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3059, 23 February 1892, Page 2

THE DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

TO THE RDITOK. Sir,—'The main teaching of Christ as regards man's duty to tnan is to return good for evil, and to do good to those who spitefully use yon. This doctrine is defective, and is so in this way, that if such were put into practice, the world, as far as man is concerned, would cease to exist. Christ's own life and death is a proof that such would be the case, fcr what happened to Him individually would happen to all, if all were to act as He acted. History has never produced another man who returned good for e.vil as Ha did ; history has never shown another whose whole being was love for His fellow creatures with such a love as He had ; and what return did He get? He was nailed to the cross, and died a death of great suffering. The teaohing that good should be returned for evil is defective in this way, that such teaching is not adapted to man as man is constituted. It may be said, who am I that I dare to take the sayings of Christ to task. That taking to task I cannot and never will do. My great love for the never-to-be-equalled lover of mankind, who died a martyr for His teachings to benefit the human race for ever and ever would keep me from daring to take any of His sayings to task. What I say is, that Christ's sayings, as they are handed down to us, were so said by Him, but we do not know what was said before and alter these sayings. This leaves us great room us to the construction to be put iipon the sayings as abridged to us. Mr Editor, it may be said that I should not write such, for by doing a) I am sapping the foundations of Christi- ' anity and teaching infidelity. They are poor observers who would say so. To ine it appears that if prog-ess in religious thought is stopped, in a very short distance of time we would all become infidels. Observers cannot help seeing that the religious thought of the past cannot and will not be accepted in the future. It therefore follows that either we will have no religion, or else we must have new religious thoughts adapted to the progress of man. It may be said have faith, but to such I would say man cannot have faith at his own option. Man cannot believe what he does not believe, no matter if he wished to do so ; in fact, believing or not believing is not in man's power. What is wanted is that the beautiful life of Christ should be properly understood, and a pr jper construction put upon His sayings—a construction which is compatible with the existence and benefit of man. If religion is to exist, all dogmas and creeds must be relegated into oblivion, and it must bo understood that goodness is the creed of all creeds. —Yours truly, Habafepe.