The Agnostic Sermon at St. Mark's
A clergyman challenges the rising tide of skepticism and materialistic 'dogmatism' in 1893 Seattle.
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At St. Mark's Church, the Rev. D. C. Garrett preached on 'A New Dogmatism,' taking his text from the Psalm: 'The fool has said in his heart there is no God.' Mr. Garrett argued against the trend of modern scientific thinkers who, in the name of evolutionary theory, dismiss the necessity of a Creator. He criticized those who use the 'uniformity of nature' to declare miracles impossible, labeling this rejection as a 'dogmatism of the harshest kind.' He asserted that for science to dictate the limits of the spiritual universe is an arrogance that ignores human experience and hope.
“The dogmatism that would, with one blow, destroy all the religious hopes and feelings of multitudes of yearning hearts, is an assumption too apparent to carry weight.”
This sermon captures the anxiety of the late 19th century as Seattle grappled with rapid modernization and the encroachment of secular, Darwinian thought on traditional faith. It serves as an early document of a culture war that continues to define political and social discourse in the Pacific Northwest today.
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