RELIGION IN THE UNIVERSITY

"Natural beauty and an artist's creative instinct are gifts of God," declared Professor R. C. Cabot '89, Chairman of the Department of Social Ethics, in his talk on "The Need of Religion" at Phillips Brooks House yesterday.

"The presence of so much natural beauty in the world, in the sky, in the fields, in the flaming radiance of a sunset makes an aesthetic man thoughtful. Beethoven called a sunset "Nature's praise to God.' The spectacle of an artist's life is almost as remarkable as a sunset and just as divinely inspired."

Love of God Pervades Life

Professor Cabot divided his talk into four parts, treating in turn "Work," "Laughter," "Beauty," and "Gratitude." He showed that these four essentials in human life were all dependent upon a religious feeling and were inevitably pervaded by a love for God.

"All the work that we do is never repaid, except in giving us mental satisfaction. Progress in the individual life is the achievement of mental satisfaction. Without the knowledge that there is a divine power and without the inspiration that this knowledge gives us, we could not enjoy the work that we have in the world and be content.

God Affords Emotional Outlook

"One should be ultimately grateful to God for the gift of appreciation and of individuality. Religious worship affords an outlet for the personal gratitude one feels for life. Without this emotional outlet or without the solace of artistic creation, humans could not endure their own pent-up gratitude.

"Laughter that is exultant and rejoicing is possible only to the untroubled spirit the Christian spirit."