按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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；