Читать книгу The Hearts of Men - Fielding Harold - Страница 2

"The difficulty of framing a correct definition of religion is very great. Such a definition should apply to nothing but religion, and should differentiate religion from anything else – as, for example, from imaginative idealisation, art, morality, philosophy. It should apply to everything which is naturally and commonly called religion: to religion as a subjective spiritual state, and to all religions, high or low, true or false, which have obtained objective historical realisation." —Anon.

"The principle of morality is the root of religion." —Peochal.

"It is the perception of the infinite." —Max Müller.

"A religious creed is definable as a theory of original causation." —Herbert Spencer.

"Virtue, as founded on a reverence for God and expectation of future rewards and punishment." —Johnson.

"The worship of a Deity." —Bailey.

"It has its origin in fear." —Lucretius and others.

"A desire to secure life and its goods amidst the uncertainty and evils of earth." —Retsche.

"A feeling of absolute dependence, of pure and entire passiveness." —Schleiermacher.

"Religious feeling is either a distinct primary feeling or a peculiar compound feeling." —Neuman Smyth.

"A sanction for duty." —Kant.

"A morality tinged by emotion." —Matthew Arnold.

"By religion I mean that general habit of reverence towards the divine nature whereby we are enabled to worship and serve God." —Wilkins.

"A propitiation or conciliation of powers superior to man, which are supposed to control the course of nature and of human life." —J. G. Frazer.

"The modes of divine worship proper to different tribes." —Anon.

"The performance of duty to God and man."

It is to be noted that all the above are of Europeans acquainted practically with only Christianity.

The following are some that have been given me by Orientals:

"The worship of Allah." —Mahommedan.

"A knowledge of the laws of life that lead to happiness." —Buddhist.

"Doing right."

"Other-worldliness."