VII The ‘Religion’ of the Modern Age

VII The ‘Religion’ of the Modern Age Introduction “Complete scepticism,” observes Julian Huxley, “is not practicable. Religion of some sort is probably necessary.” But by his lights the religion of the modern age will be a godless one, without revelation. The absurdity of this contradiction in terms is patent, yet, as a concept, it is backed by a long-standing philosophy which has not failed to have its influence on the modern mind, so that not only anti-religionists, but also many religionists—whatever other differences of opinion they may have—subscribe currently to the view that guidance through revelation is an impossibility. They prefer to believe in human discovery in this realm as in all other sciences. “The next great task of science,” said Lord Morley, “is to create a religion for mankind.”1 Of the ‘humanist’ group, even those who pay lip-service to religion, do not use the latter word with the traditional connotation of an appreciation of reality through divine revelation. They tend to treat it as just another intellectual art, in which there has been a transfer of the seat of power from God to man. That is why this modern ‘religion’ is termed humanism. Dr Alexis Carrel (1873-1944), a French surgeon and physiologist, who won the Nobel Prize in 1912, attempted in his book, Man, The Unknown, first published in 1935, to elucidate this standpoint. Although this work cannot be said to be representative of the majority of these thinkers, it is probably the most exhaustive book