GOVERNMENT AND SCIENCE 207 



means of promoting party and social strifes by using reli- 

 gious meetings to disguise political intrigue, and so urge upon 

 the religious fanatics the opinions of the political wirepullers, 

 who, under the cloak of religion, create rebellion. And thus 

 the state and religious bodies became antagonistic, whereas 

 the principle duty of religion is to prevent unnecessary politi- 

 cal strife by the institution of sentimental influences working 

 for honesty and justice, and by the encouragement of the 

 performance, by each one of us, of our obligations and duties 

 to God, the state and society. I cannot impress too strongly 

 upon my readers that the primary duty of religion is not to 

 enforce its dogmas and teachings, but to uphold the social 

 customs of the community in which and of which it forms an 

 integral part as one of the propounders of law and order. 



Its principal duty is to promote obedience to the state 

 administration, and so remove the necessity for calling 

 into effect the more cumbersome, expensive and unwieldy 

 action of state legislation. State laws are only applicable 

 when they uphold the will and inclination of the majority of 

 those whom they seek to govern. Religious laws can only 

 increase virtue, obedience and humility when they work in 

 unison with, state laws. The state must prevent crime ; reli- 

 gion cannot. The jail will ever cure more crime than the 

 parson, but the parson, with the assistance of scientific dis- 

 covery, can raise the upper classes of a nation to high ideals 

 that the jail is powerless to enforce amongst the lower classes. 



Try and realise that state government is a far higher 

 development of practical law and order than religious control 

 Religious government is the remnant of control by 

 superstitious ignorance, which is fast becoming a decrepit old 

 man ; for scientific advancement is daily making it more im- 

 possible to rule the masses of the people by superstition and 

 fear. It would be ridiculous to ,say we were to ignore the 

 wisdom and experience of the father because the son promised 

 to be a better man than his father. For centuries yet to come 

 religion will still have to be the most important factor in 

 human progress, while its promising but headstrong sons, 

 Government and Science, are growing into manhood. Reli- 

 gion must be prepared to conform its teachings to the 

 growth of its children, Government and Science, and not to 

 always rule by the rod of intolerant infallibility. Would we 



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