FROM THE BAIRD LECTURES OF 1876

(THEISM= A belief in ONE God (the Deity), the Creator and ruler of the universe. And/or belief in any god rather than many)

Have we sufficient evidence for thinking that there is a self-existent Being, infinite in power and wisdom, and perfect in holiness and goodness, the Maker of heaven and earth or is some antagonistic, some anti-theistic theory true?

Religion to be reasonable, must rest on KNOWLEDGE of its object. This is not to say that it is exclusively knowledge, or that knowledge is its one essential element. It is not to say that FEELING and WILL are not as important constituents in the religious life as intellectual apprehension. Mere knowledge, however clear, profound, and comprehensive it may be, can never be religion. There can be no (true) religion where FEELING and AFFECTION are not added to KNOWLEDGE. There can be no (true) religion in any mind devoid of reverence and love, hope or fear, gratitude or desire – in any mind whose thinking is untouched, uncolored, uninspired by some pious emotion. Any religion includes more even than an apprehension of God supplemented by feeling – than the love or fear of God based on knowledge.

The importance of feeling and will in religion is thus in no respect questioned or denied when it is maintained that religion cannot be a reasonable process, a healthy condition of mind, a healthy condition of mind, if constituted by either feeling or volition (will) separate from knowledge. Some have represented it as consisting essentially in the feeling of dependence, others in that of love, and others in fear; but these are all feelings which must be elicited (draw out) by knowledge, and which must be proportional to KNOWLEDGE in every un-disordered mind.

On this day...

• A Divine and Supernatural Light Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God - 2012
• THE DISCIPLINE OF HEEDING - 2009
• THE INITIATIVE AGAINST DREAMING - 2009
• THE INITIATIVE AGAINST DRUDGERY - 2009
• Facing Uncertainty - 2008
• In My Place - 2007
• Price of Peace - 2007
• ARTIFICIALITY IS A DISEASE Of THE SOUL - 2007
• WE ARE BECOMING WHAT WE LOVE! - 2007
• Our Forgiveness - 2007
• Acts 8:3 - 2007
• Psalm 39:3 - 2007
• IN WORD AND IN POWER - 2007
• Isaiah 3:10 - 2007
• Psalms 22:7 - 2007