THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



things if it were allowed to continue, because we 

 are encouraging nature study in all our schools ; 

 and yet, unless an explanation of the cruelty of 

 nature is forthcoming, we shall, by means of na- 

 ture study, be making it very difficult for all those 

 who are guided by reason in their beliefs to grow 

 up as religious men or women. Not to put too 

 fine a point upon it, unless a direct and logical 

 connection between science and religion can be 

 established, we shall be in growing danger of edu- 

 cating a nation of atheists and materialists. 



But it so happened that, after many years of 

 thought given to this subject, I had gradually 

 discovered for myself a satisfactory solution of 

 the problem ; and so I found myself able to accept 

 " Freethinker's " challenge, and to undertake to 

 prove that earnest study of nature and true re- 

 ligious belief, instead of being antagonistic, are 

 really inseparable. 



I based my case upon evidence which proves 

 that man alone possesses that gift of conscious- 

 ness which causes him to know when he is happy 

 or unhappy. 



If all animals possessed it, then all plants must 

 possess it, too; because there is no line of dis- 

 tinction between the lowest animals and the lowest 

 plants, while some of the higher plants exhibit 

 sensitiveness, others catch living food and hold it 

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