pagan and christian creeds-第52部分

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ed　forth　to　urge　the　nations　to　slaughter　each　other　with　every　diabolical　device　of　Science；　and　to　glorify　the　war…cry　of　Patriotism　in　defiance　of　the　principle　of　universal　Brotherhoodsuch　a　Church　can　hardly　claim　to　have　established　the　angelic　character　of　its　mission　among　mankind！　And　if　it　be　saidas　it　often　IS　SAID：　〃Oh！　but　you　must　go　back　to　the　genuine　article；　and　the　Church's　real　origin　and　one　foundation　in　the　person　and　teaching　of　Jesus　Christ；〃　then　indeed　you　come　back　to　the　point　which　this　book；　as　above；　enforces：　namely；　that　as　to　the　person　of　Jesus；　there　is　no　CERTAINTY　at　all　that　he　ever　existed；　and　as　to　the　teaching　credited　to　him；　it　is　certain　that　that　comes　down　from　a　period　long　anterior　to　'Christianity'　and　is　part　of　what　may　justly　be　called　a　very　ancient　World…religion。　So；　as　in　the　case　of　'Civilization；'　we　are　compelled　to　see　that　it　is　useless　to　apply　the　word　to　some　ideal　state　of　affairs　or　doctrine　（an　ideal　by　no　means　the　same　in　all　people's　minds；　or　in　all　localities　and　times）；　but　that　the　only　reasonable　thing　to　do　is　to　apply　it　in　each　case　to　a　HISTORICAL　PERIOD。　In　the　case　of　Christianity　the　historical　period　has　lasted　nearly　2；000　years；　and；　as　I　say；　we　can　hardly　expect　or　wish　that　it　should　last　much　longer。

The　very　thorough　and　careful　investigation　of　religious　origins　which　has　been　made　during　late　years　by　a　great　number　of　students　and　observers　undoubtedly　tends　to　show　that　there　has　been　something　like　a　great　World…religion　coming　down　the　centuries　from　the　remotest　times　and　gradually　expanding　and　branching　as　it　has　comethat　is　to　say　that　the　similarity　（in　ESSENCE　though　not　always　in　external　detail）　between　the　creeds　and　rituals　of　widely　sundered　tribes　and　peoples　is　so　great　as　to　justify　the　view　advanced　in　the　present　volumethat　these　creeds　and　rituals　are　the　necessary　outgrowths　of　human　psychology；　slowly　evolving；　and　that　consequently　they　have　a　common　origin　and　in　their　various　forms　a　common　expression。　Of　this　great　World…religion；　so　coming　down；　Christianity　is　undoubtedly　a　branch；　and　an　important　branch。　But　there　have　been　important　branches　before；　and　while　it　may　be　true　that　Christianity　emphasizes　some　points　which　may　have　been　overlooked　or　neglected　in　the　Vedic　teachings　or　in　Buddhism；　or　in　the　Persian　and　Egyptian　and　Syrian　cults；　or　in　Mahommedanism；　and　so　forth；　it　is　also　equally　true　that　Christianity　has　itself　overlooked　or　neglected　valuable　points　in　these　religions。　It　has；　in　fact；　the　defects　of　its　qualities。　If　the　World…religion　is　like　a　great　tree；　one　cannot　expect　or　desire　that　all　its　branches　should　be　directed　towards　the　same　point　of　the　compass。

Reinach；　whose　studies　of　religious　origins　are　always　interesting　and　characterized　by　a　certain　Gallic　grace　and　nettete；　though　with　a　somewhat　Jewish　non…perception　of　the　mystic　element　in　life；　defines　Religion　as　a　combination　of　animism　and　scruples。　This　is　good　in　a　way；　because　it　gives　the　two　aspects　of　the　subject：　the　inner；　animism；　consisting　of　the　sense　of　contact　with　more　or　less　intelligent　beings　moving　in　Nature；　and　the　outer；　consisting　in　scruples　or　taboos。　The　one　aspect　shows　the　feeling　which　INSPIRES　religion；　the　other；　the　checks　and　limitations　which　DEFINE　it　and　give　birth　to　ritual。　But　like　most　anthropologists　he　（Reinach）　is　a　little　TOO　patronizing　towards　the　〃poor　Indian　with　untutored　mind。〃　He　is　sorry　for　people　so　foolish　as　to　be　animistic　in　their　outlook；　and　he　is　always　careful　to　point　out　that　the　scruples　and　taboos　were　quite　senseless　in　their　origin；　though　occasionally　（by　accident）　they　turned　out　useful。　Yetas　I　have　said　beforeAnimism　is　a　perfectly　sensible；　logical　and　NECESSARY　attitude　of　the　human　mind。　It　is　a　necessary　attribute　of　man's　psychical　nature；　by　which　he　projects　into　the　great　World　around　him　the　image　of　his　own　mind。　When　that　mind　is　in　a　very　primitive；　inchoate；　and　fragmentary　condition；　the　images　so　projected　are　those　of　fragmentary　intelligences　（'spirits；'　gnomes；　etc。the　age　of　magic）；　when　the　mind　rises　to　distinct　consciousness　of　itself　the　reflections　of　it　are　anthropomorphic　'gods'；　when　finally　it　reaches　the　universal　or　cosmic　state　it　perceives　the　presence　of　a　universal　Being　behind　all　phenomenawhich　Being　is　indeed　itself〃Himself　to　Himself。〃　If　you　like　you　may　call　the　whole　process　by　the　name　of　Animism。　It　is　perfectly　sensible　throughout。　The　only　proviso　is　that　you　should　also　be　sensible；　and　distinguish　the　different　stages　in　the　process。

Jane　Harrison　makes　considerable　efforts　to　show　that　Religion　is　primarily　a　reflection　of　the　SOCIAL　Conscience　（see　Themis；　pp。　482…92）that　is；　that　the　sense　in　Man　of　a　〃Power　that　makes　for　righteousness〃　outside　（and　also　inside）　him　is　derived　from　his　feeling　of　continuity　with　the　Tribe　and　his　instinctive　obedience　to　its　behests；　confirmed　by　ages　of　collective　habit　and　experience。　He　cannot　in　fact　sever　the　navel…string　which　connects　him　with　his　tribal　Mother；　even　though　he　desires　to　do　so。　And　no　doubt　this　view　of　the　origin　of　Religion　is　perfectly　correct。　But　it　must　be　pointed　out　that　it　does　not　by　any　means　exclude　the　view　that　religion　derives　also　from　an　Animism　by　which　man　recognizes　in　general　Nature　his　foster…mother　and　feels　himself　in　closest　touch　with　HER。　Which　may　have　come　first；　the　Social　affiliation　or　the　Nature　affiliation；　I　leave　to　the　professors　to　determine。　The　term　Animism　may；　as　far　as　I　can　see；　be　quite　well　applied　to　the　social　affiliation；　for　the　latter　is　evidently　only　a　case　in　which　the　individual　projects　his　own　degree　of　consciousness　into　the　human　group　around　him　instead　of　into　the　animals　or　the　trees；　but　it　is　a　case　of　which　the　justice　is　so　obvious　that　the　modern　man　can　intellectually　seize　and　understand　it；　and　consequently　he　does　not　tar　it　with　the　'animistic'　brush。

And　Miss　Harrison；　it　must　be　noticed；　does；　in　other　passages　of　the　same　book　（see　Themis；　pp。　68；　69）；　admit　that　Religion　has　its　origin　not　only　from　unity　with　the　Tribe　but　from　the　sense　of　affiliation　to　Naturethe　sense　of　〃a　world　of　unseen　power　lying　behind　the　visible　universe；　a　world　which　is　the　sphere；　as　will　be　seen；　of　magical　activity　and　the　medium　of　mysticism。　The　mystical　element；　the　oneness　and　continuousness　comes　out　very　clearly　in　the　notion　of　Wakonda　among　the　Sioux　Indians。　。　。　。　The　Omahas　regarded　all　animate　and　inanimate　forms；　all　phenomena；　as　pervaded　by　a　common　life；　which　was　continuous　and　similar　to　the　will…power　they　were　conscious　of　in　themselves。　This　mysterious　power　in　all　things　they　called　Wakonda；　and　through　it　all　things　were　related　to　man；　and　to　each　other。　In　the　idea　of　the　continuity　of　life；　a　relation　was　maintained　between　the　seen　and　the　unseen；　the　dead　and　the　living；　and　also　between　the　fragment　of　anything　and　its　entirety。〃　Thus　our　general　position　is　confirmed；　that　Religion　in　its　origin　has　been　INSPIRED　by　a　deep　instinctive　conviction　or　actual　sense　of　continuity　with　a　being　or　beings　in　the　world　around；　while　it　has　derived　its　FORM　and　ritual　by　slow　degrees　from　a　vast　number　of　taboos；　generated　in　the　first　instance　chiefly　by　superstitious　fears；　but　gradually　with　the　growth　of　reason　and　observation　becoming　simplified　and　rationalized　into　forms　of　use。　On　the　one　side　there　has　been　the　positive　impulseof　mere　animal　Desire　and　the　animal　urge　of　self…expression；　on　the　other　there　has　been　the　negative　force　of　Fear　based　on　ignorancethe　latter　continually　carving；　moulding　and　shaping　the　former。　According　to　this　an　organized　study　and　classification　of　taboos　might　yield　some　interesting　results；　because　indeed　it　would　throw　light　on　the　earliest　forms　of　both　religion　and　science。　It　would　be　seen　that　some　taboos；　like　those　of　CONTACT　（say　with　a　menstruous　woman；　or　a　mother…in…law；　or　a　lightning…struck　tree）　had　an　obvious　basis　of　observation；　justifiable　but　very　crude；　while　others；　like　the　taboo　against　harming　an　enemy　who　had　contracted　blood…friendship　with　one　of　your　own　tribe；　or　against　giving　decent　burial　to　a　murderer；　were　equally　rough　and　rude　expressions　or　indications　of　the　growing　moral　sentiment　of　mankind。　All　the　same　there　would　be　left；　in　any　case；　a　large　residuum　of　taboos　which　could　only　be　judged　as　senseless；　and　the　mere　rubbish　of　the　savage　mind。

So　much　for　the　first　origins　of　the　World…religion；　and　I　think　enough　has　been　said　in　the　various　chapters　of　this　book　to　show　that　the　same　general　process　has　obtained　throughout。　Man；　like　the　animals；　began　with　this　deep；　subconscious　sense　of　unity　with　surrounding　Nature。　When　this　became　（in　Man）　fairly　conscious；　it　led　to　Magic　and　Totemism。　More　conscious；　and　it　branched；　on　the　one　hand；　into　figures　of　Gods　and　definite　forms　of　Creeds；　on　the　other　into　elaborate　Scientific　Theories　the　latter　based　on　a　strong　INTELLECTUAL　belief　in　Unity；　but　fervently　denying　any　'anthropomorphic'　or　'animistic'　SENSE　of　that　unity。　Finally；　it　seems　that　we　are　now　on　the　edge　of　a　further　stage　when　the　theories　and　the　creeds；