“The worth of a belief as a social force, Doctor, must be ascertained from its fruits. The Roman Church has been an age-long instigator of wars, disorders, and atrocious persecutions throughout the world. Its assumption that its creed is the only religious truth is an insult to the world’s expanding intelligence. Its arrogant claim to speak with the authority of God is one of the anomalies of this century of enlightenment. Its mesmeric influence upon the poor and ignorant is a continuous tragedy.”
“The poor and ignorant! Are you unmindful of the Church’s schools and hospitals?”
“No, Doctor. Nor am I ignorant of the fact that the success of Christianity is not measured by hospitals. Rather, their continuance attests the lamentable failure of its orthodox misinterpretation. I have been a priest, Doctor. I do not want to see this splendid country forced into the iron shackles of priestcraft.”
“It can not happen here!” cried Haynerd, pounding the table with his fist. “The time has passed when a man can say, ‘My church, be she right or wrong, but my church!’ and insist that it shall be forced upon us, whether we like it or not!”
“Doctor,” continued Father Waite, “the Romanist has always missed the mark. He prayed to a God of love to give him power to exterminate heretics––those who differed with him in belief. But he prayed with iniquity, hatred, murder in his heart; and God, who is too pure to know evil, heard him not. Prayer is the affirmation of omnipotent good. Is it good to murder one’s fellow-men? The Psalmist wrote: ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.’ That is why the Church’s prayers and curses have failed, and why she herself is a failing institution to-day. I say this in pity, not in malice.”
“I, sir, believe in a religion that can hate,” returned the doctor. “Christianity is as much a religion of hate as of love––hatred of all that is evil and opposed to the revealed Word of God.”
“And thereby your religion will fail, and has failed, for God is love. You, by your hatred of what you consider evil, make evil real. Indeed, the Church has always emphasized evil as a great and living reality. How could it ever hope to overcome it then? Your Church, Doctor, has little of the meekness of the Christ, and so, little of his strength. It has little of his spirituality. Its numbers and great material wealth do not constitute power. Its assumptions remind me of the ancient Jews, who declared that God spent much of His time reading their Talmud. You will have to lay aside, Doctor, all of it, and turn to the simple, demonstrable teachings of Jesus. When you have learned to do the works he did, then will you have justified yourself and your faith.”
While Father Waite was speaking, Carmen had quietly risen and taken her place at the piano. When he concluded, she began to play and sing softly. As the sweet melody flowed out through the room the little group became silent and thoughtful. Again it was that same weird lament which the girl had sung long before in the Elwin school to voice the emotions which surged up in her during her loneliness in the great city. In it her auditors heard again that night the echoing sighs of the passive Indians, enslaved by the Christian Spaniards. Hitt’s head sank upon his breast as he listened. Haynerd tried to speak, but choked. The Beaubien buried her face in her hands and wept softly. The lines about Doctor Siler’s mouth relaxed, and his lips trembled. He rose quietly and went around to where Father Waite sat.
“My friend––” He bent and took Father Waite’s hand. “We are––friends?”