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==PAPER 102: THE FOUNDATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FAITH==

==PAPER 102: THE FOUNDATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FAITH==

102:0.1 To the unbelieving materialist, man is simply an evolutionary accident. His hopes of survival are strung on a figment of mortal imagination; his fears, loves, longings, and beliefs are but the reaction of the incidental juxtaposition of certain lifeless atoms of matter. No display of energy nor expression of trust can carry him beyond the grave. The devotional labors and inspirational genius of the best of men are doomed to be extinguished by death, the long and lonely night of eternal oblivion and soul extinction. Nameless despair is man's only reward for living and toiling under the temporal sun of mortal existence. Each day of life slowly and surely tightens the grasp of a pitiless doom which a hostile and relentless universe of matter has decreed shall be the crowning insult to everything in human desire which is beautiful, noble, lofty, and good.

102:0.1 To the unbelieving [[materialist]], man is simply an [[evolutionary]] [[accident]]. His [[hopes]] of [[survival]] are strung on a figment of [[mortal]] [[imagination]]; his [[fears]], [[loves]], longings, and [[beliefs]] are but the [[reaction]] of the incidental [[juxtaposition]] of certain lifeless [[atoms]] of [[matter]]. No display of [[energy]] nor [[expression]] of [[trust]] can carry him beyond the [[grave]]. The [[devotional]] [[labors]] and [[inspirational]] [[genius]] of the best of men are [[doomed]] to be [[extinguished]] by [[death]], the long and lonely night of [[eternal]] oblivion and [[soul]] [[extinction]]. Nameless [[despair]] is man's only reward for living and toiling under the [[temporal]] [[sun]] of [[mortal]] [[existence]]. Each day of life slowly and surely tightens the grasp of a pitiless [[doom]] which a hostile and relentless [[universe]] of [[matter]] has [[decreed]] shall be the crowning insult to [[everything]] in human [[desire]] which is [[beautiful]], [[noble]], lofty, and [[good]].

102:0.2 But such is not man's end and eternal destiny; such a vision is but the cry of despair uttered by some wandering soul who has become lost in spiritual darkness, and who bravely struggles on in the face of the mechanistic sophistries of a material philosophy, blinded by the confusion and distortion of a complex learning. And all this doom of darkness and all this destiny of despair are forever dispelled by one brave stretch of faith on the part of the most humble and unlearned of God's children on earth.

102:0.2 But such is not man's end and [[eternal]] [[destiny]]; such a [[vision]] is but the [[cry]] of [[despair]] uttered by some [[wandering]] [[soul]] who has become lost in [[spiritual]] [[darkness]], and who [[bravely]] struggles on in the face of the [[mechanistic]] [[sophistries]] of a [[material]] [[philosophy]], blinded by the [[confusion]] and [[distortion]] of a [[complex]] learning. And all this [[doom]] of [[darkness]] and all this [[destiny]] of [[despair]] are forever dispelled by one [[brave]] stretch of [[faith]] on the part of the most [[humble]] and unlearned of [[God]]'s [[children]] on [[earth]].

102:0.3 This saving faith has its birth in the human heart when the moral consciousness of man realizes that human values may be translated in mortal experience from the material to the spiritual, from the human to the divine, from time to eternity.

102:0.3 This saving [[faith]] has its [[birth]] in the [[human]] [[heart]] when the [[moral]] [[consciousness]] of man [[realizes]] that [[human]] [[values]] may be [[translated]] in [[mortal]] [[experience]] from the [[material]] to the [[spiritual]], from the [[human]] to the [[divine]], from [[time]] to [[eternity]].

==102:1. ASSURANCES OF FAITH==

==102:1. ASSURANCES OF FAITH==