god the invisible king-第8部分

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〃'It　is　to　the　priest；　and　to　the　priest　only；　that　the　child　must　　acknowledge　his　sins；　if　he　desires　that　God　should　forgive　him。'

〃I　hope　and　trust　the　person；　the　three　clergymen；　or　however　many　　there　were；　did　not　exactly　realise　what　they　were　writing；　that　　they　did　not　mean　to　say　that　a　child　was　not　to　confess　its　sins　to　　God　direct；　that　it　was　not　to　confess　its　sins；　at　the　age　of　six；　　to　its　mother；　or　to　its　father；　but　was　only　to　have　recourse　to　　the　priest。　　But　the　words；　to　say　the　least　of　them；　are　rash。　　　Then　comes　the　very　obvious　question：

〃'Do　you　know　why？　　It　is　because　God；　when　he　was　on　earth；　gave　to　　his　priests；　and　to　them　alone；　the　Divine　Power　of　forgiving　men　　their　sins。　　It　was　to　priests　alone　that　Jesus　said：　〃Receive　ye　　the　Holy　Ghost。〃　。　。　。　　Those　who　will　not　confess　will　not　be　　cured。　　Sin　is　a　terrible　sickness；　and　casts　souls　into　hell。'

〃That　is　addressed　to　a　child　six　years　of　age。

〃'I　have　known；'　the　book　continues；　'poor　children　who　concealed　　their　sins　in　confession　for　years；　they　were　very　unhappy；　were　　tormented　with　remorse；　and　if　they　had　died　in　that　state　they　　would　certainly　have　gone　to　the　everlasting　fires　of　hell。'〃　。　。　。

Now　here　is　something　against　nature；　something　that　I　have　seen　　time　after　time　in　the　faces　and　bearing　of　priests　and　heard　in　　their　preaching。　　It　is　a　distinct　lust。　　Much　nobility　and　devotion　　there　are　among　priests；　saintly　lives　and　kindly　lives；　lives　of　　real　worship；　lives　no　man　may　better；　this　that　I　write　is　not　of　　all；　perhaps　not　of　many　priests。　　But　there　has　been　in　all　ages　　that　have　known　sacerdotalism　this　terrible　type　of　the　priest；　　priestcraft　and　priestly　power　release　an　aggressive　and　narrow　　disposition　to　a　recklessness　of　suffering　and　a　hatred　of　liberty　　that　surely　exceeds　the　badness　of　any　other　sort　of　men。

8。　THE　CHILDREN'S　GOD

Children　do　not　naturally　love　God。　　They　have　no　great　capacity　for　　an　idea　so　subtle　and　mature　as　the　idea　of　God。　　While　they　are　　still　children　in　a　home　and　cared　for；　life　is　too　kind　and　easy　　for　them　to　feel　any　great　need　of　God。　　All　things　are　still　　something　God…like。　。　。　。　The　true　God；　our　modern　minds　insist　upon　believing；　can　have　no　　appetite　for　unnatural　praise　and　adoration。　　He　does　not　clamour　　for　the　attention　of　children。　　He　is　not　like　one　of　those　senile　　uncles　who　dream　of　glory　in　the　nursery；　who　love　to　hear　it　said；　　〃The　children　adore　him。〃　　If　children　are　loved　and　trained　to　　truth；　justice；　and　mutual　forbearance；　they　will　be　ready　for　the　　true　God　as　their　needs　bring　them　within　his　scope。　　They　should　be　　left　to　their　innocence；　and　to　their　trust　in　the　innocence　of　the　　world；　as　long　as　they　can　be。　　They　should　be　told　only　of　God　as　a　　Great　Friend　whom　some　day　they　will　need　more　and　understand　and　　know　better。　　That　is　as　much　as　most　children　need。　　The　phrases　of　　religion　put　too　early　into　their　mouths　may　become　a　cant；　　something　worse　than　blasphemy。　Yet　children　are　sometimes　very　near　to　God。　　Creative　passion　stirs　　in　their　play。　　At　times　they　display　a　divine　simplicity。　　But　it　　does　not　follow　that　therefore　they　should　be　afflicted　with　　theological　formulae　or　inducted　into　ceremonies　and　rites　that　they　　may　dislike　or　misinterpret。　　If　by　any　accident；　by　the　death　of　a　　friend　or　a　distressing　story；　the　thought　of　death　afflicts　a　　child；　then　he　may　begin　to　hear　of　God；　who　takes　those　that　serve　　him　out　of　their　slain　bodies　into　his　shining　immortality。　　Or　if　　by　some　menial　treachery；　through　some　prowling　priest；　the　whisper　　of　Old　Bogey　reaches　our　children；　then　we　may　set　their　minds　at　　ease　by　the　assurance　of　his　limitless　charity。　。　。　。　With　adolescence　comes　the　desire　for　God　and　to　know　more　of　God；　　and　that　is　the　most　suitable　time　for　religious　talk　and　teaching。

9。　GOD　IS　NOT　SEXUAL

In　the　last　two　or　three　hundred　years　there　has　been　a　very　　considerable　disentanglement　of　the　idea　of　God　from　the　complex　of　　sexual　thought　and　feeling。　　But　in　the　early　days　of　religion　the　　two　things　were　inseparably　bound　together；　the　fury　of　the　Hebrew　　prophets；　for　example；　is　continually　proclaiming　the　extraordinary　　〃wrath〃　of　their　God　at　this　or　that　little　dirtiness　or　　irregularity　or　breach　of　the　sexual　tabus。　　The　ceremony　of　　circumcision　is　clearly　indicative　of　the　original　nature　of　the　　Semitic　deity　who　developed　into　the　Trinitarian　God。　　So　far　as　　Christianity　dropped　this　rite；　so　far　Christianity　disavowed　the　　old　associations。　　But　to　this　day　the　representative　Christian　　churches　still　make　marriage　into　a　mystical　sacrament；　and；　with　　some　exceptions；　the　Roman　communion　exacts　the　sacrifice　of　　celibacy　from　its　priesthood；　regardless　of　the　mischievousness　and　　maliciousness　that　so　often　ensue。　　Nearly　every　Christian　church　　inflicts　as　much　discredit　and　injustice　as　it　can　contrive　upon　the　　illegitimate　child。　　They　do　not　treat　illegitimate　children　as　　unfortunate　children；　but　as　children　with　a　mystical　and　an　　incurable　taint　of　SIN。　　Kindly　easy…going　Christians　may　resent　　this　statement　because　it　does　not　tally　with　their　own　attitudes；　　but　let　them　consult　their　orthodox　authorities。　One　must　distinguish　clearly　here　between　what　is　held　to　be　sacred　　or　sinful　in　itself　and　what　is　held　to　be　one's　duty　or　a　nation's　　duty　because　it　is　in　itself　the　wisest；　cleanest；　clearest；　best　　thing　to　do。　　By　the　latter　tests　and　reasonable　arguments　most　or　　all　of　our　institutions　regulating　the　relations　of　the　sexes　may　be　　justifiable。　　But　my　case　is　not　whether　they　can　be　justified　by　　these　tests　but　that　it　is　not　by　these　tests　that　they　are　judged　　even　to…day；　by　the　professors　of　the　chief　religions　of　the　world。　　　It　is　the　temper　and　not　the　conclusions　of　the　religious　bodies　　that　I　would　criticise。　　These　sexual　questions　are　guarded　by　a　　holy　irascibility；　and　the　most　violent　efforts　are　madewith　a　　sense　of　complete　righteousnessto　prohibit　their　discussion。　　That　　fury　about　sexual　things　is　only　to　be　explained　on　the　hypothesis　　that　the　Christian　God　remains　a　sex　God　in　the　minds　of　great　　numbers　of　his　exponents。　　His　disentanglement　from　that　plexus　is　　incomplete。　　Sexual　things　are　still　to　the　orthodox　Christian；　　sacred　things。　Now　the　God　whom　those　of　the　new　faith　are　finding　is　only　　mediately　concerned　with　the　relations　of　men　and　women。　　He　is　no　　more　sexual　essentially　than　he　is　essentially　dietetic　or　hygienic。　　　The　God　of　Leviticus　was　all　these　things。　　He　is　represented　as　　prescribing　the　most　petty　and　intimate　of　observancesmany　of　　which　are　now　habitually　disregarded　by　the　Christians　who　profess　　him。　。　。　。　　It　is　part　of　the　evolution　of　the　idea　of　God　that　we　　have　now　so　largely　disentangled　our　conception　of　him　from　the　　dietary　and　regimen　and　meticulous　sexual　rules　that　were　once　　inseparably　bound　up　with　his　majesty。　　Christ　himself　was　one　of　　the　chief　forces　in　this　disentanglement；　there　is　the　clearest　　evidence　in　several　instances　of　his　disregard　of　the　rule　and　his　　insistence　that　his　disciples　should　seek　for　the　spirit　underlying　　and　often　masked　by　the　rule。　　His　Church；　being　made　of　baser　　matter；　has　followed　him　as　reluctantly　as　possible　and　no　further　　than　it　was　obliged。　　But　it　has　followed　him　far　enough　to　admit　　his　principle　that　in　all　these　matters　there　is　no　need　for　　superstitious　fear；　that　the　interpretation　of　the　divine　purpose　is　　left　to　the　unembarrassed　intelligence　of　men。　　The　church　has　　followed　him　far　enough　to　make　the　harsh　threatenings　of　priests　　and　ecclesiastics　against　what　they　are　pleased　to　consider　impurity　　or　sexual　impiety；　a　profound　inconsistency。　　One　seems　to　hear　　their　distant　protests　when　one　reads　of　Christ　and　the　Magdalen；　or　　of　Christ　eating　with　publicans　and　sinners。　　The　clergy　of　our　own　　days　play　the　part　of　the　New　Testament　Pharisees　with　the　utmost　　exactness　and　complete　unconsciousness。　　One　cannot　imagine　a　modern　　ecclesiastic　conversing　with　a　Magdalen　in　terms　of　ordinary　　civility；　unless　she　was　in　a　very　high　social　position　indeed；　or　　blending　with　disreputable　characters　without　a　dramatic　sense　of　　condescension　and　much　explanatory　by…play。　　Those　who　profess　　modern　religion　do　but　follow　in　these　matters　a　course　entirely　　compatible　with　what　has　survived　of　the　authentic　teachings　of　　Christ；　when　they　declare　that　God　is　not　sexual；　and　that　religious　　passion　and　insult　and　persecution　upon　the　score　of　sexual　things　　are　a　barbaric　inheritance。　But　lest　anyone　should　fling　off　here　with　some　hasty　assumption　　that　those　who　profess　the　religion　of　the　true　God　are　sexually　　anarchistic；　let　stress　be　laid　at　once　upon　the　opening　sentence　of　　the　preceding　paragraph；　and　let　me　a　little　anticipate　a　section　　which　follows。　　We　would　free　men　and　women　from　exact　and　　superstitious　rules　and　observances；　not　to　make　them　less　the　　instruments　of　God　but　more　wholly　his。　　The　claim　of　modern　　religion　is　that　one　should　give　oneself　unreservedly　to　God；　that　　there　is　no　other　salvation。　　The　believer　owes　all　his　being　and　　every　moment　of　his　life　to　God；　to　keep　mind　and　body　as　clean；　　fine；　wholesome；　active　and　completely　at　God's　service　as　he　can。　　　There　is　no　scope　for　indulgence　or　dissipation　in　such　a　　consecrated　life。　　It　is　a　matter　between　the　individual　and　his　　conscience　or　his　doctor　or　his　social　understanding　what　exactly　he　　may　do　or　not　do；　what　he　may　eat　or　drink　or　so　forth；　upon　any　　occasion。　　Nothing　can　exonerate　him　from　doing　his　utmost　to　　determine　and　perform　the　right　act。　　Nothing　can　excuse　his　failure　　to　do　so。　　But　what　is　here　being　insisted　upon　is　that　none　of　　these　things　has　immediately　to　do　with　God　or　religious　emotion；　　except　only　the　general　will　to　do　right　in　God's　service。　　The　　detailed　interpretation　of　that　〃right〃　is　for　the　dispassionate　　consideration　of　the　human　intelligence。　All　this　is　set　down　here　as　distinctly　as　possible。　　Because　of　the　　emotional　reservoirs　of　sex；　sexual　dogmas　are　among　the　most　　obstinately　recurrent　of　all　heresies；　and　sexual　excitement　is　　always　tend