Religion is only for weaklings




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QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

No. 4

Religion Is Only For

Weaklings

By

Rev. Wilfred G. Hurley, C.S.P.

THE PAULIST PRESS
New York, N. Y.



Nihil Obstat:

Imprimatur

:

Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.,
Censor Librorum.

© Francis J. Spellman, D.D.,
Archbishop of New York.

New York, November 8, 1940.

Copyright, 1940, by

The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle
in the State of New York

printed and published in the u. s. a.
B'^’HE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK, N. Y.



TO THE READER

It is only just and

fitting that by "Religion"

the author has in mind

only

THE CATHOLIC RELIGION



.

_



Religion Is Only ForWeaklings

“Religion is only for weaklings.”

Of all the flippant, thoughtless re-

marks, this one heads the list. It is

rather catchy. It sounds superior.

It implies condescension.

But unfortunately, it does not mean
a thing.

Why?
Because everyone, if he is a hu-

man being at all, has had his weak
moments. Even you

!

Moments when you were below
par. Moments when you did not
quite make the grade. Moments
when you have been caught off bal-
ance, and just then a heavy, crushing

blow came smashing into your life.
You staggered back. Bewildered.

Beaten. You did not know what to
think. You even stopped thinking.
Where was your boasted strength?

Where was your great reserve?
Where was all your poise and power?
You realized then, whether you

like it or not, you were only a weak-
ling. To put it plainly, you were
just a human being. For that mo-
ment, anyway.

Page Five



And nobody knows it any better
than you.

True it is, when the shock had
somewhat abated, when time had done
its healing work, your strength re-

turned and your egotism was on top
again.

And once more you put up a good
front for the world to see. And since
it was over, you tried to forget the
whole thing. Perhaps, you succeeded.

But I doubt it!
If you were successful, you would

not be so quick to speak of others as

weaklings.

For when you flippantly say: “Re-
ligion is for weaklings,” you know
you are bluffing.

It irritates and irks you.

So you try to give the impres-

sion that 'you are above the rest of

humanity. That you are a little bet-
ter than the ordinary run of people.

That you are of the strong and silent

type. That there is nothing weak
about you. You are the old rugged
type. And just when that type was
supposed to have died out.

Why put on this act?
Is it because you think other peo-

Page Six



pie do not have these weak moments?
Then you are certainly fooling your-

self, and fooling yourself plenty.

MEET THE CHALLENGE

Every human being goes through
such trying times. If he is hu-

man and has lived long enough.
Life is a time of trial. Of testing.
All human beings have to fight their
battles. Inevitably some of these
battles bring seeming defeat. Every
man, now and then, at least, has been
bowed down under struggle and
stress.

There is a verse in The Imitation
that sums all this up to perfection.
It goes in this way : “Everyone must
carry his cross.” And the prouder
you are, the heavier the cross that is

given to you to carry.

You cannot get away from it
either. For it is part of the Divine
plan of God to make us worthy of
the Kingdom of Heaven.

Did not the author of the Follow-
ing of Christ say: “As often as I
get rid of one cross, another is given

to me to carry.”
Page Seven



And all learned and thinking men
agree that this author knew men and
knew life, and was one of the keenest
psychologists that ever lived.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Time marches on. Nations rise
and fall. People die and more peo-
ple are born. But we are still the
same, so-called-human race. The
same psychological facts still have
their bitter truths.

“Pride goeth before a fall.” And
the proud continue, one by one, to

become humble.

For God is trying to save man.
Sometimes it seems almost in spite
of himself. Just as He is trying to
save you.

And if it is necessary for God to
force a man to his knees by being
seemingly harsh and cruel, He will
do it. And He will keep on doing it,
right to the brink of the grave. For
in the very nature of things the King-

dom of Heaven is not for the proud.

The Kingdom of Heaven is only
for the humble. Because it is only

for the strong.

Page Eight



For strange as it seems, the real
truth underlying the life of men is
this. It is only the humble who are
really strong. For it is only the
humble who have that strength which
comes through weakness. That is,

they have the strength of God.

Your own words confess this. For
only in the pride of life with only the

strength of men, could you say, “Re-

ligion is for weaklings.” A strength
built on egotism, pride, false courage.

Thus your strength is a false strength.
Masquerading under a brave front.

But nevertheless, a strength that is
rotten to the core. A strength that
will crumble into powder at the first
assault of evil.

Why not be honest with yourself
and admit it?

Only the strength of God is the
strength that will stay with you.

Ennoble you. Enrich your very be-

ing. Give you the strength of ten,

because your heart is pure. Free you
from pride. Give you a conquering
confidence. It is the only strength

that is real, true, and fine.

Page Nine



RELIGION MAKES MEN STRONG

And here is something that may
startle you. It may even make you
think.

You will find this strength only in
religion

!

To put it more plainly, that is one
of the services religion renders to

mankind. It gives strength to the

weak.

So in a way your words are true.
Although not in the way you meant

them.

Probably a truer way to sum it up
is this: “Religion changes weaklings

into strong, super-human men.”

It makes men—immortals.
If you have any doubt about this,

read history.

Not the history of the arrogant,
blustering, cheap, cruel and crafty
rulers and kings. By royal birth or
murder or treachery they may have
gained a certain place in history, ac-

quired a certain amount of notoriety
or dubious fame.

But for that matter, in the same
way have their present-day succes-
sors, the “public enemies No. 1” of

the past decade.

Page Ten ,



They were all of the same stamp.
Craven and cowardly. And when
their time was up they showed them-
selves yellow through and through.
There is nothing strong and super-
human for an armed bully to kill de-
fenseless men, women and children.
But read of men who are real

heroes. Heroes that count. Heroes

loved, admired, and even their mem-
ory cherished. Heroes unflinching.

Brave beyond belief. Men who de-
fied man or devil.
Dying undefeated. Conquering

even in death.

These are the real immortals.

It was they who were the inspira-
tion of the discoverers and explorers
of the New World. Their example
which strengthened the pioneers in

the heartbreaking attempts to estab-

lish themselves in America. It was
these heroes, the memory of whom
encouraged the first Americans in
their fight against overwhelming odds
and nerved them in their hours of
seeming defeat.

The only real heroes. The only
true immortals. The men and wom-
en of God.

Page Eleven



TRULY IMMORTAL HEROES

The only heroes who really live in
the memories of others. For the
heroes of the world perish with their

works. With the passing away of
the empires and the civilization with
which they were identified, their
memories are completely obliterated.
Thus, the great Pharoahs of Egypt.

But the heroes of religion live for-
ever. Because they are of the King-

dom of God, the Kingdom which shall
have no end.

It is unfortunate in this regard

that we have overlooked in recent
generations the first of these great

immortals of the Christian Era. The
Apostles of Christ.

They were real men. For they
faced a task which would have
daunted even the most fearless.

Remember they had a very limited
education. No cultural background
or family tradition to give authority

to their words. They followed the
most humble occupations. They were
of a race, conquered, abject and de-

spised. They followed a Leader Who
had humbly submitted to being put

Page Twelve



to death. A most ignominious death,
by crucifixion.

The task that lay before them was
to bring a proud, richly cultured,

sensuous, depraved and materialistic
world to bow before this crucified
Leader and acknowledge Him as the
Son of God and God Himself.
The passing of the years has only

served to stress the magnitude of
their work. The situation in the
world today, especially in Europe,

would seem to emphasize how hope-
less their task must have appeared.
But they did conquer

!

Because their belief, faith, reli-

gion, call it what you will, made of
them mighty supermen.

There was no place for weaklings
among them.

First they conquered themselves.

Then they went forth and conquered
the world.

A ROCK OF FAITH

For instance, Simon, the son of
Jona. He may have been like you
in the beginning. Blustering. Sure

of himself. Going to show his com-
panions what a real man would do.

Page Thirteen



He would stand by Christ to the
end.

But when the time came! What
a different story. He cowardly de-
nied Christ. When a servant girl
questioned him, he asserted with a
panic-stricken oath that he did not

even know Christ.
But Simon had this in his favor.

He was man enough to admit when
he was wrong. And quickly began
at the bottom to build up his char-
acter the right way.

And he did it, too. With the help
and transformation of the Holy
Ghost.

And then, he was no longer Simon.
For Christ had changed his name to
Peter or “Rock.” And “Rock” he was
going to prove himself to be. A rock
of faith. A rock of courage. A rock
of indomitable love.

From the little upper room where
he had been hiding from fear of the
Jews, he went to the busiest street

corner in the city. There, throwing

discretion to the winds, he preached

to that mob who had just crucified
Christ. Daring them ! Defying them

!

Flinging into their very faces what

Page Fourteen



he thought of them and their evil
deeds.

And this was not for the one oc-
casion. Nor for the one day. But
for twenty-five years he continued in

the same spirit. Every day marking
a new challenge. Every hour noting
new deeds of daring. At the end,
they must put him to death. But he
would die as he had lived?
The world never beheld a more

magnificent scene! They were go-
ing to crucify Peter, the Disciple, as

Christ, his Master, had been cruci-

fied. They dragged him to the Coli-
seum before the tens of thousands
of bloodthirsty beasts of humanity.

Their shouting and clamoring for his
death reached the high heavens. But
he was now invincible in his courage
and love. Into their frenzied, cruel
faces he even dared to fling a last

defiance.

He was not worthy to die as Christ
had died. Crucify him as they
wished, but crucify him with his head
to the ground. That even by his
death he might testify to the world
that Jesus Christ was God.

His magnificent daring awed and

Page Fifteen



stupified even them, as they granted

his request.

THE GREAT ST. PAUL

Or consider Saul, a bullying perse-
cutor of the Christians.

If there was any man in history
who ever had to do a complete about
face, it was this man.
On one of his purging expeditions

the hand of God struck him from his
horse. God spoke to him in ques-
tioning reproach.

But Saul, like Simon, had within
him the makings of a hero. The char-
acter of the man was shown by his
first words: “Lord, what wilt Thou
have me do?”

Saul was no longer Saul. From
then on he began a new life. He be-
came the great St. Paul.
Each day found him performing

feats of incredible heroism. Smash-
ing the difficulties in his way. Rid-

ing rough-shod over all obstacles.

Read his own. statement about the
life he lived.

“Of the Jews five times did I re-
ceive forty stripes, save one.

Page Sixteen



“Thrice was I beaten with rods,
once I was stoned, thrice I suffered
shipwreck, a night and a day I was
in the depth of the sea.

“In journeying often, in perils of

waters, in perils of robbers, in perils

from my own nation, in perils from
the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in

perils in the wilderness, in perils of

the sea, in perils from false brethren.

“In labor and painfulness, in much
watchings, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings often, in cold and naked-

ness.”

Remember St. Paul was not given
to boastings. Seven years of soli-

tude, prayer, and penance in the
desert prevented that. He simply
stated the facts. And the facts were
that even in a world where cruelty,
hardship and suffering were com-
mon-place, his courage, fortitude and
strength stand out. Yet it was not
his strength.

For Paul gave credit to Him to
Whom credit was due. His strength
was the strength of God.

It is so, too, with the other Apostles.

Page Seventeen



DARING ALL! CONQUERING ALL!

So also, with those first Chris-
tians. For three hundred years the
soil of the Roman Empire ran red
with their blood. Persecuted. Taken
away from their homes and loved
ones. Thrown to the wild beasts.
Burned at the stake. Crucified. Sub-
jected to every form of diabolical
cruelty that man could devise. Hun-
dreds, thousands, finally millions suf-

fered death.

And you say, “Religion is for weak-
lings”?

Down through the ages the story
is the same.

Attila, the ravaging hun, sweeps

down over the plains with his Bar-
barian hordes.

Attila who boasts that where his
horse trod grass would never grow
again.

Attila who called himself “The
Scourge.”

Until, finally, he is stopped, con-

fronted, and turned back.

By a gigantic army?
No!
By a single man!

Page Eighteen



By Leo I! The valiant successor
of St. Peter as head of the Church.

Leo goes forth to meet him single-
handed. Alone. His dauntless cour-

age, his indomitable will prevails.

Attila, crafty, shrewd, withdraws his
forces. The strength of man is no
match for the strength of God.

Read of Joan of Arc. Read of
Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit

Fathers. Dominic, founder of the

Dominican order. Francis, the head
of the great and valiant mission-
aries, explorers who proudly bear his
name, Franciscans. Saints all and
heroes all. Overcoming the world
because through their religion they

feared nothing. Daring all ! Con-
quering all! With the Divine
Strength.

THE MARTYR OF MOLOKAI

But you say, what about the pres-
ent age. Then look across the sea to
the lonely isle of Molokai. There

are the vilest of all human creatures
on earth, the lepers. Under a banyan
tree a young priest is stretched on
the ground. His face is buried in

Page Nineteen



his arms. The tears course down his
cheeks. It is his first hour at Molo-
kai. The first day of a long lifetime
of service to these vile unfortunates.

A weakling?
He has dedicated his life to God

in a thankless, merciless task. At
the end, he himself will fall victim

to this dread disease. Preaching to

his congregation he will begin his

sermon, “We lepers.” A human be-
ing with super-human strength.

Was this the strength of a man?
You know it was not.

The strength of man could never
have prevailed.

It was super-human strength. The
strength of God.

Peter, Paul, Leo, Joan, Ignatius

and all those other countless saints

of God. In them also shines this
Divine strength and power.

The story of religion in the final
analysis is the story of their lives.

Today they are on the altars of our
Church. They are religion.

So you think you are strong, while

religion is for weaklings?

How would you have stood up
Page Twenty



faced with the situations and events
which they faced and conquered?

More to the point is the question,
how will you stand up in the future?
In the situations and events which
will come into your life?

Only time can tell us this story.

You probably will never be called
upon for such a display of heroism

because you are probably very, very

far from being cast in a heroic mold.
And God tempers the wind to the

shorn lamb.

However, you will be tried pretty

much up to the limit of your powers.
That is inevitable. For that is life.

Life as it always has been. Life as

it is today.

TAKE YOUR STAND

Nineteen hundred years ago Christ

made that startling remark, “He that
is not with Me is against Me.” And
never before in the history of the

world were His words any more true
than they are today.

In the past it was easily possible
for a man to be somewhat on the side
of righteousness, and yet, to a certain

extent, condone and tolerate evil.

Page Twenty-one



But that is impossible now. As
far as you are concerned today, it
simply cannot be.

Why?
Because never before in the history

of the world has the line of demarca-

tion been more clearly and definitely
drawn between the good and the evil.
Never before have the forces of God
and the forces of evil been so defi-
nitely lined up in battle array. To-
day there is no neutrality for you.
Even belligerent or non-belligerent
neutrality. If there are such neutral-

ities. Today you must take your
stand. Either you are with Christ

or against Him. One side or the
other must have your allegiance and
support. Either you are whole-

heartedly supporting God and His
forces of good. Or the forces of evil
have you named as their ally. Be-
cause this is a battle for supremacy.

You know this by your own expe-
rience! Never before have the good
been any better, and never before
have the bad been any worse.
The proof of this statement. It

is easy! Just look around you at the

world as it is today.

Page Twenty-two



VICE IS RAMPANT

Never before in the history of the
world have heinous crimes against

morality, decency and all that is
basically right in human nature been
so brazenly and flagrantly committed.

Crimes of depravity. Crimes
against little children. “Murder
syndicates” with their unbelievably

cold-blooded killings. Wanton be-
trayal of public trust by graft, even
in the highest offices. Crimes against

sex. Open violations of the marriage
vow. And remember such sins and
crimes, formerly few and sporadic
committed by depraved and moronic
types, have now become universal.

Today, it would seem a deliberate
attempt to increase their number is
being cooly and calculatingly planned
and executed by men of diabolical in-
telligence and reason.

Sexual exhibitionism on the stage

and screen. Although the producers
know only too well this filth is to be
brought before the eyes of impres-

sionable youth. Do not the producers
know? They certainly do! Do they
care what untold harm may follow?
They certainly do not!

Page Twenty-three



Risque radio skits. Phornographic

magazines openly displayed for sale.

And the same with smutty stories
and lewd literature.

On all sides, on the radio, screen
and in magazines the sacredness of
marriage is openly mocked. Contra-

ceptives and birth control openly ad-
vocated and displayed in drug store
windows. Decency is treated as
prudishness. The wildest license is
taken as a simple liberty. While

vice and sin are advocated in nice
sounding words. And if not advo-
cated, then most certainly condoned
and lightly passed over.

At times it would seem that all
decency has been thrown to the winds.
That vice and sin are being openly
encouraged. That deliberately, at
least in our country, an attempt is

made to corrupt as many as possible.
Rich and poor, educated and unedu-
cated, it does not matter. The at-
tack is made on every front.

So common have such vices, sins
and crimes become that you are no
longer shocked or astounded.

Offenses which in days gone by
would have horrified your fathers, to-

Page Twenty-four



day bring no surprise. You accept
them almost as a matter of course.

And as it is with the individual,
so it has become with nations.

You may rant and rave against
such national debauchery. But you
are really not astounded. You may
utter horrified words, but down in
your heart the frightful terror of it

does not strike home. The point is
you accept these terrible and terrify-
ing evils as more or less to be ex-
pected. The bombing of defenseless
cities. The machine-gunning of their
inhabitants. The invasion, spoliation
and dismemberment of weaker na-
tions without even the declaration of

war. All these no longer have an ap-

peal to you as being outrageous and
incomprehensible.

Why is this?
Because, perhaps unconsciously,

you realize that the forces of evil have

definitely amalgamated and aligned
themselves for this battle. A battle
to the finish.

There is a situation that faces you

in regard to the forces of evil in the

world today.

Page Twenty-five



A VALIANT DEFENSE

While on the other hand, you real-

ize also, that never have the good

been any better and more consoling
to the heart of God than they are this
very day.

Never before in the history of the
Church has the Altar railing been
so crowded with monthly, weekly
and daily Communicants.

Never before have the good put
up a more valiant defense or a more
determined onslaught against these

forces of evil.

You know thousands of real fathers
and mothers desperately fighting to

maintain Christian principles and

practices in their homes. Sacrificing

anything and everything to keep

their homes strong in the Faith, and
their children untainted by the filth

and rottenness which surround them.

Young men in business and the
professions, sick at heart at the low

standard of ethics which they daily

encounter, willingly sacrificing op-

portunities for advancement rather

than betray the principles of Christ

or compromise with their conscience.

Page Twenty-six



Are they weaklings? Do you think
so for even a minute? These men
have within them the courage and
the strength of real heroism. They
hold aloft the banner thrown to them
by St. Michael the Archangel.

Should not the same be said of the
thousands, hundreds of thousands of

young women in the world today
foregoing pleasure after pleasure?

Denying themselves enjoyment and
good times evening after evening,

week after week, month after month.
Preferring a humdrum, drab exist-
ence rather than violate decency and
sinlessness? Accepting, time and
time again, cruel disappointments

and heartache because they will not

waver in their loyalty to Christ?

Are these young women weak-
lings ? Is it not rather, they have the

strength of God Himself.

Could and would you do this?

Could you boast of such strength

as their strength? Have you the un-
failing courage and persistent forti-

tude which they possess?

You know you have not! For the
Page Twenty-seven



secret of their strength and power
is their religion.

And is it not the same with the
great army of those who love God?
This great army, which in season
and out of season, unfailingly follow
Christ. With the loyalty that never
hesitates. With the strength that
never fails. With a love that never
falters.

A real heroic love.
Bravely, courageously, proudly,

they love their God. Realizing the

futility and emptiness of any other
definition of love except that of

Christ Himself when He said: “If
any man loves Me, he will keep My
commandments.”

That is real, true love.

And that is real, true religion.

And that is the love and religion
that conquers all evil.

YOU CAN CONQUER

Now as it is with all mankind, so
it is with you. On which side do
you take your stand ? All that is fine,

noble and splendid in you is calling

upon you to follow Christ. To fol-

Page Twenty-eight



low Him loyally, faithfully and well.
To conquer with Christ. To stead-
fastly stand against the forces of

evil without flinching.

Why do you not face reality? With-
out religion you will fail. Without
religion you will probably give in,

adding your name to the casualty list
of the living children of the Living

God who have lost their heritage to
live as beasts.

But with religion it will be a dif-
ferent story. You will realize the
living presence of the Eternal God.

You will remember the heritage of
your faith. That faith which has

come to you through the indomitable,
unconquerable courage and love of

your great and noble forebearers in

the faith.

With religion you will conquer
all evils. No matter how great. No
matter how trying.

Out of the fight for your God,

you will come forth resplendent. In
the glory of achievement. You will
have fought the good fight. You will
have won because you have strength
which is the strength of God.

Page Twenty-nine



There will be other times and other
trials. Make no mistake about that!

There may be the trial of sorrow
and loss. A grave you can never
forget. For a while, life may not
seem worth living.

But with religion you will keep
your shoulders back and your chin
up. Steadiness and calm will be
yours, although the suffering may
seem, at first, as final and conclusive.

MISFORTUNE BUILDS CHARACTER

There may be the trial of economic
disaster. Failure in business. Or
worse still, the efforts of a lifetime

swept away overnight.

Perhaps the pain of treachery and

betrayal. Maybe the loss of faith in
someone or something you valued
more than life itself.

But whatever it is, religion will
bring to you the infinite, unflinching,

unconquerable strength of the Eter-

nal, Almighty God, Whose own you
are.

“Religion is only for weaklings.”

Page Thirty



Do not be a fool. By your own
words you lay bare the secret
thoughts within you. The real in-
stincts of your soul. Admiration for

strength. Love for courage. Rever-

ance for fortitude.

But whether
,
you know it or not

you are a weakling. With only a
weakling’s powers.

Egotistical. Blustering. Bom-
bastic. A strength that must fail at
the first onslaught.

What to do about it?

Begin today to be the real, strong,

courageous, indomitable self you

want to be.

Your first step?

Admit your pride. Humble your-
self. Destroy that false, foolish men-
tal picture of yourself which you

have so carefully painted of yourself.

A picture you foolishly cherish.
Throw it away.

It is worthless anyway. It is not
really a picture of yourself. Certain-

ly no one else would recognize that it
was you.

Destroy it

!

Page Thirty-one



Know yourself as you really are.
That will be the first real test of

courage.

Later on, you may, through God’s
grace, have the courage to admit that
you were wrong.

Then you have really started go-
ing up the ladder of your desire.

You will acquire real strength.

Then, perhaps, you will faithfully
practice your Catholic faith.

Faithful attendance at Mass.
Monthly Confession and Communion.
A member of the Holy Name Soci-
ety. Be that sort of Catholic of
which God and His Church can joy-
fully say: “This is my son.”
A real man. In the eyes of God

and in the eyes of men. And in your
own eyes.

So you see, while you were right

in one way, in another way you were
wrong. Definitely wrong. Abso-

lutely wrong.

Religion is really for the strong

—

the great—the heroic. It is the meat
and drink of the mighty.

CAN YOU TAKE IT?
Page Thirty-two





QUESTIONS
OF THE DAY

SERIES
•

TITLES

Religion Is Only Wishful

Thinking!

Is Religion a Racket?

Religion Is An Opiate!

Religion Is Only for Weaklings!

Religion and the Fifth Column!

All by

REV. WILFRED G. HURLEY, C.S.P.

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Single copies, 5 cents; $3.85 per 100;

$32.00 per 1,000

THE PAULIST PRESS
401 West 59th Street

New York 19, N. Y.

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