ings of Christ that his reflex actions should accord with those teachings.
One more thing which he expects of a religion is that the religion should become formative or determinative of the social group. He believes that those who follow the same religion belong, or should belong, to the same society; and those who forsake that religion should be considered as outside that society. This notion is being gradually forsaken to-day, and at present specially in America there seems to be an attempt to make other things than religion the prime determinant of the social group. Political allegiance, and race, appear to tend more and more to displace the religious considerations, in the determination of a social group.
Religious excommunication to-day does not mean a social exclusion. Still even to-day religion is a factor not to be ignored. When people wish to make a reference to that social group consisting of peoples in Europe and America, they call that group Christendom, and this group is, connected by a strong bond of sympathy because of Christianity. The word “heathen” is still full of meaning to the American people. This word conveys to their minds a notion of unspeakable savages or semi-civilized people. Still it does not connote to them the negro in that country. A Chinaman appears before their vision when that word is uttered.
All this religious system with its ethical ideals, its sacraments, and sentimental fervour and devotion towards its institutor and his teachings, is considered as a preparatory requirement to attain heaven or some kind of eternal bliss, for creatures possessed with souls, which according to the Christian belief are human beings only.
