RELIGION AND MORALITY 145
welfare for liimself — however much he may say he con- siders it moral to live for his ftiniily^ for society, for the State, for humanity, or for the performance of God's will — and however artfully he may pretend and may deceive men, will still always have as his real motive of action simply his individual welfare ; so that, when a choice has to be made, he will not sacrifice his own personality for his family or State, nor to do the will of God, but will sacrifice tliem all for his own sake. Since he sees the meaning of life only in personal wel- fare, he cannot do otherwise until such time as he alters his relation to the universe.
And, similarly, one whose relation to life consists in the service of his own family (as is the case with most women), or of his clan or nation (as among members of the oppressed nationalities, and among men politically active in times of strife)— no matter how nmch he may declare himself to be a Christian — his morality will always be family or national, but not Christian, and when anv inevitable conflict arises between family or social welfare on one side, and that of his personality, or the fulfilment of the will of God, on the other, he will inevitably choose the service of the group for whom, in his view of life, he exists : for only in such service does he see the meaning of his life. And in the same way a man who regards his relation to the world as consisting in fulfilling the will of Him who sent liim hither — however much you may impress upon him that he should (in accord with tlie demands of his personality, or of his family, his nation, empire, or all humanity) commit acts contrary to the Supreme ^V'ill of which the operation of the reason and love where- with he is endowed makes him aware — will always sacrifice all human ties rather than fail to comply with the Mill that has sent him here : for only in such com- pliance does he discern a meaning for his life.
Morality cannot be independent of religion, for not only is it a consequence of religion — that is, a conse- quence of the relation in which a man feels that he stands towards the universe — but it is implied (im-
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