addresses-第23章

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address　ourselves　to　that　most　carefully　and　most　religiously。　　If

my　brother　is　short…sighted　I　must　not　abuse　him　or　speak　against

him；　I　must　pity　him；　and　if　possible　try　to　improve　his　sight；　or

to　make　things　that　he　is　to　look　at　so　bright　that　he　cannot　help

seeing。　　But　never　let　us　think　evil　of　men　who　do　not　see　as　we

do。　　From　the　bottom　of　our　hearts　let　us　pity　them；　and　let　us　take

them　by　the　hand　and　spend　time　and　thought　over　them；　and　try　to

lead　them　to　the　true　light。



What　has　been



The　church's　treatment　of　doubt



in　the　past？　　It　has　been　very　simple。　　〃There　is　a　heretic。　　Burn

him！〃　　That　is　all。　　〃There　is　a　man　who　has　gone　off　the　road。

Bring　him　back　and　torture　him！〃



We　have　got　past　that　physically；　have　we　got　past　it　morally？　　What

does　the　modern　Church　say　to　a　man　who　is　skeptical？　　Not　〃Burn

him！〃　but　〃Brand　him！〃　〃Brand　him！〃call　him　a　bad　name。　　And

in　many　countries　at　the　present　time；　a　man　who　is　branded　as　a

heretic　is　despised；　tabooed　and　put　out　of　religious　society；　much

more　than　if　he　had　gone　wrong　in　morals。　　I　think　I　am　speaking

within　the　facts　when　I　say　that　a　man　who　is　unsound　is　looked

upon　in　many　communities　with　more　suspicion　and　with　more　pious

horror　than　a　man　who　now　and　then　gets　drunk。　　〃Burn　him！〃　　〃Brand

him！〃　　〃Excommunicate　him！〃　　That　has　been　the　Church's　treatment

of　doubt；　and　that　is　perhaps　to　some　extent　the　treatment　which

we　ourselves　are　inclined　to　give　to　the　men　who　cannot　see　the

truths　of　Christianity　as　we　see　them。



Contrast



Christ's　treatment



of　doubt。　　I　have　spoken　already　of　His　strange　partiality　for　the

outsidersfor　the　scattered　heretics　up　and　down　the　country；　of

the　care　with　which　He　loved　to　deal　with　them；　and　of　the　respect

in　which　He　held　their　intellectual　difficulties。　　Christ　never

failed　to　distinguish　between　doubt　and　unbelief。　　Doubt　is　〃CAN'T

BELIEVE〃；　unbelief　is　〃WON'T　BELIEVE。〃　　Doubt　is　honesty；　unbelief

is　obstinacy。　　Doubt　is　looking　for　light；　unbelief　is　content　with

darkness。　　Loving　darkness　rather　than　lightthat　is　what　Christ

attacked；　and　attacked　unsparingly。　　But　for　the　intellectual

questioning　of　Thomas；　and　Philip；　and　Nicodemus；　and　the　many

others　who　came　to　Him　to　have　their　great　problems　solved；　He　was

respectful　and　generous　and　tolerant。



And　how　did　He　meet　their　doubts？　　The　Church；　as　I　have　said；

says；　〃Brand　him！〃　　Christ　said；　〃Teach　him。〃　　He　destroyed　by

fulfilling。　　When　Thomas　came　to　Him　and　denied　His　very　resurrection；

and　stood　before　Him　waiting　for　the　scathing　words　and　lashing

for　his　unbelief；　they　never　came。　　They　never　came！　　Christ　gave

him　factsfacts！　　No　men　can　go　around　facts。　　Christ　said；　〃Behold

My　hands　and　My　feet。〃　　The　great　god　of　science　at　the　present

time　is　a　fact。　　It　words　with　facts。　　Its　cry　is；　〃Give　me　facts。

Found　anything　you　like　upon　facts　and　we　will　believe　it。〃　　The

spirit　of　Christ　was　the　scientific　spirit。　　He　founded　His　religion

upon　facts；　and　He　asked　all　men　to　found　their　religion　upon　facts。



Now；　get　up　the　facts　of　Christianity；　and　take　men　to　the　facts。

Theologiesand　I　am　not　speaking　disrespectfully　of　theology；

theology　is　as　scientific　a　thing　as　any　other　science　of　factsbut

theologies　are



Human　versions



of　Divine　truths；　and　hence　the　varieties　of　the　versions　and　the

inconsistencies　of　them。　　I　would　allow　a　man　to　select　whichever

version　of　this　truth　he　liked　AFTERWARDS；　but　I　would　ask　him

to　begin　with　no　version；　but　go　back　to　the　facts　and　base　his

Christian　life　upon　these。



That　is　the　great　lesson　of　the　New　Testament　way　of　looking　at

doubtof　Christ's　treatment　of　doubt。　　It　is　not　〃Brand　him！〃but

lovingly；　wisely　and　tenderly　to　teach　him。　　Faith　is　never　opposed

to　reason　in　the　New　Testament；　it　is　opposed　to　sight。　　You　will

find　that　a　principle　worth　thinking　over。　　FAITH　IS　NEVER　OPPOSED

TO　REASON　IN　THE　NEW　TESTAMENT；　BUT　TO　SIGHT。



With　these　principles　in　mind　as　to　the　origin　of　doubt；　as　to

Christ's　treatment　of　it；　how　are　we　ourselves　to　deal　with　those

who　are　in　intellectual　difficulty？



In　the　first　place；　I　think　WE　MUST　MAKE　ALL　THE　CONCESSIONS　TO

THEM　THAT　WE　CONSCIENTIOUSLY　CAN。



When　a　doubter　first　encounters　you；　he　pours　out　a　deluge　of　abuse

of　churches；　and　ministers；　and　creeds；　and　Christians。　　Nine…tenths

of　what　he　says　is　probably　true。　　Make　concessions。　　Agree　with

him。　　It　does　him　good　to　unburden　himself　of　these　things。　　He　has

been　cherishing　them　for　yearslaying　them　up　against　Christians；

against　the　Church；　and　against　Christianity；　and　now　he　is　startled

to　find　the　first　Christian　with　whom　he　has　talked　over　the　thing

almost　entirely　agrees　with　him。　　We　are；　of　course；　not　responsible

for　everything　that　is　said　in　the　name　of　Christianity；　and　now

he　is　startled　to　find　the　first　Christian　with　whom　he　has　talked

over　the　thing　almost　entirely　agrees　with　him。　　We　are；　of

course；　not　responsible　for　everything　that　is　said　in　the　name

of　Christianity；　but　a　man　does　not　give　up　medicine　because　there

are　quack　doctors；　and　no　man　has　a　right　to　give　up　his　Christianity

because　there　are　spurious　or　inconsistent　Christians。　　Then；　as　I

already　said；　creeds　are　human　versions　of　Divine　truths；　and　we

do　not　ask　a　man　to　accept　all　the　creeds；　any　more　than　we　ask

him　to　accept　all　the　Christians。　　We　ask　him　to　accept　Christ；

and　the　facts　about　Christ　and　the　words　of　Christ。　　You　will　find

the　battle　is　half　won　when　you　have　endorsed　the　man's　objections；

and　possibly　added　a　great　many　more　to　the　charges　which　he　has

against　ourselves。　　These　men　are



In　revolt



against　the　kind　of　religion　which　we　exhibit　to　the　worldagainst

the　cant　that　is　taught　in　the　name　of　Christianity。　　And　if　the

men　that　have　never　seen　the　real　thingif　you　could　show　them

that；　they　would　receive　it　as　eagerly　as　you　do。　　They　are　merely

in　revolt　against　the　imperfections　and　inconsistencies　of　those

who　represent　Christ　to　the　world。



Second：　　BEG　THEM　TO　SET　ASIDE；　BY　AN　ACT　OF　WILL；　ALL　UNSOLVED

PROBLEMS：　　such　as　the　problem　of　the　origin　of　evil；　the　problem

of　the　Trinity；　the　problem　of　the　relation　of　human　will　and

predestination；　and　so　onproblems　which　have　been　investigated　for

thousands　of　years　without　resultask　them　to　set　those　problems

aside　as　insoluble。　　In　the　meantime；　just　as　a　man　who　is　studying

mathematics　may　be　asked　to　set　aside　the　problem　of　squaring　the

circle；　let　him　go　on　with　what　can　be　done；　and　what　has　been

done；　and　leave　out　of　sight　the　impossible。



You　will　find　that　will　relieve　the　skeptic's　mind　of　a　great　deal

of



Unnecessary　cargo



that　has　been　in　his　way。



Thirdly：　　TALKING　ABOUT　DIFFICULTIES；　AS　A　RULE；　ONLY　AGGRAVATES

THEM。



Entire　satisfaction　to　the　intellect　is　unattainable　about　any　of

the　greater　problems；　and　if　you　try　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　them

by　argument；　there　is　no　bottom　there；　and　therefore　you　make

the　matter　worse。　　But　I　would　say　what　is　known；　and　what　can　be

honestly　and　philosophically　and　scientifically　said　about　one　or

two　of　the　difficulties　that　the　doubter　raises；　just　to　show　him

that　you　can　do　itto　show　him　that　you　are　not　a　foolthat　you

are　not　merely　groping　in　the　dark　yourself；　but　you　have　found

whatever　basis　is　possible。　　But　I　would　not　go　around　all　the

doctrines。　　I　would　simply　do　that　with　one　or　two；　because　the

moment　you　cut　off　one；　a　hundred　other　heads　will　grow　in　its

place。　　It　would　be　a　pity　if　all　these　problems　could　be　solved。

The　joy　of　the　intellectual　life　would　be　largely　gone。　　I　would

not　rob　a　man　of　his　problems；　nor　would　I　have　another　man　rob

me　of　my　problems。　　They　are　the　delight　of　life；　and　the　whole

intellectual　world　would　be　stale　and　unprofitable　if　we　knew

everything。



Fourthlyand　thi