Page:Genesis I-II- (IA genesisiii00grot).pdf/20

10 Probably no assemblage of the white race is so unanimously engaged in the work of making money as we are. Our prime, conceit is, that he who has the most money is the greatest man. We value wealth rather than power, and comfort rather than right-thinking and right-doing. We value science chiefly for what it will bring in money and comfort and we make an insidious distinction between that knowledge which we can patent and that which has no immediate pecuniary result, but which in its total effects on our civilization is of immensely greater import, forgetting that theories must be put forth in order to see the tendency of facts. The results are that we have a general low estimate of individual virtue, that our industrial enterprises take the form of monopolies, we are wasting our natural resources, our lands are falling into the hands of fewer owners, and our public schools into the control of ecclesiastics and politicians. We do not keep in mind that the perfection on all sides and the well-being of the individual citizen is to be aimed at, not the triumph of any one school in State or Church. But while we are so engaged in this pursuit of wealth, it is evident that we have less time for other matters, serious reading, serious observation. And so it comes to pass that in our land of political freedom there exists greater religious intolerance than in Germany or France, countries whose political institutions are less liberal than our own. For in this matter of religion we are seen to be thrown more exclusively on the different sects for advice, because we do not take time to attend to its efficient criticism ourselves. We treat religion as a matter of business to which the ministers are paid to attend, instead of a matter, the whole ground and superstructure of which we should feel bound to investigate for ourselves. And so it comes to pass that these things are relegated more entirely to the clergy, and the spectacle is presented of a nation, otherwise active and intelligent, quite dependent for opinions on very important subjects upon a profession which at the best is very conservative and at the worst very backward. The effect of this is felt on both parties. By an artificial protection it lowers the education of the clergy and helps to turn out a mass of