FIRST MEETING
Why Are Our Religions Unsatisfying, and What Shall We Do?
I. Conditions To-day:
a. Religions destroy religion. If you are wrong, I might be wrong.
b. Men cling to traditional, half-conscious belief, or build up an ethic or agnostic faith, because man must live by faith.
II. Historic Reasons for Present Conditions:
a. Initiated and popular religion in history:
1. India; castes and the Brahmans.
2. Egypt; secret priesthood, annexed beliefs, and interpretations of myths.
3. Greece; Rome; early Catholicism; the priests.
b. Analysis of initiated and popular belief:
1. Myths of Orpheus; of Moses and the Burning Bush; of the divine parentage of Jesus.
2. The initiated is the religion of poetry and prophecy, of symbols. These, taken literally by the people, become a religion of idols and prose. One is a moving spirit, the other a graven image. Words can be idols.
c. The modern trend:
1. Democratic spirit (since Reformation) destroys initiated religion, keeps popular religion.
2. Science destroys popular myths.
III. What Must We Do To-day?
a. Scientific knowledge destroys popular myths, but does not replace religion:
1. Every scientist has a philosophy or faith.
2. Science fosters new popular delusions, built on its literal facts, such as atheism and scientific superstitions of half-knowledge.
b. There is absolute religious knowledge:
1. Its record in history: Moses, Jesus, etc.
2. Its testimony in our own selves:
(What do we know?)
c. In a democracy every one must attain this knowledge; each must be initiated; every man shall be a prophet.
IV. What Does Each One Believe Concerning God?
(Question for next week.)