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AMS signed "Leonard Bernstein" and "Bernstein," two pages both sides, 6.5 x 8.5, April 29, 1935. The 16-year-old Boston Latin School student pens some schoolwork in response to the question: "What ideas, knowledge of character, or of institutions or of social custom have you learned? Discuss." In part: "Religion embraces about every phase of human behaviour except character, when religion is spoken of objectively. To write a book, therefore, which deals with the history of inevitable religion in all parts of the world…or, at least, to be able to discuss it intelligently, one must first understand the growth of society, its customs and institutions. In 'This Believing World' I have necessarily learned from Lewis Browne much concerning humanity, from barbarism to advanced civilization.
One point about this book must be made, before all others. Everything written into it is unbiased, unpartial, impersonal thought, and is derived purely from scientific, archaeological, historical, and philosophical sources. How a man like Browne, once a rabbi, can do a thing like this, is a mystery to me. He starts off with a bang about the basis of religion, fear. We find out all about the states of savagery and barbarism, and how fear developed into faith, animism into theism. There is much stress laid on fetishes and taboos, sacrifice and ritual—all of which forms very strange and fascinating reading.
We have yet to come to the great wonders. Every time I read of the great ones—Confucious, Lao-Tze, Gautama, Moses, Jesus—I cannot help thinking that the atheists are losing something great. When I read that the Hindus still honor the tree under which Buddha sat, that people still are influenced by their teachers of bygone centuries, I see that there is no power in the world that can blot out religion. Religion is based on faith—a straw to cling to—and faith is based on fear. Fear will never leave the human heart."
. In fine condition, with some ink smudging on the first page.
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