282 THE UTOPIAN COMMUNIST
The father in view of his long record as an enemy of organized
religion was particularly concerned about what to do in the matter
of religious instruction for the children. As a lad, he had been
reared in the Catholic faith by his maternal grandmother. His
wife was born and reared a Lutheran and occasionally attended
services of that denomination, though she was never a member
of any church in this country. Weitling apparently never went to
church. Yet, as he pondered his responsibility to his growing
family, he readily acknowledged that his strict, Catholic upbring
ing to his twelfth year had strengthened his character and enabled
him to withstand many temptations, including those of sex. "I
know of nothing that has had a better or stronger influence on the
development of my emotions and my intellect than the religious
instruction I received in my youth," he wrote in the late 1860's.
"This conviction has remained with me through the years, though
I cannot accept what is in the religious books, nor the miracles and
fables that have grown up around them.... But of one thing I
am sure," he added, "and that is that whatever schools or churches
the boys may attend, and whatever religion may be chosen for
them as their support in life, my wife and I will be in agreement. 1
am afraid—or I hope—I am still uncertain—that the result will stir
up surprise and enmity among my friends." At the close of 1869,
when his first-born was thirteen, he recorded the statement:
"Wangansky has become a good boy without religion. He neither
lies nor steals because he regards that as unprincipled." The chil
dren attended Protestant Sunday schools, and Terijon became a
Presbyterian.
Weitling believed that no child should be taught a religion that
conflicted with his reason and powers of understanding. He would
have welcomed a new book which reconciled and combined the
teachings of Jesus and the best of the Bible with the progress made
in the sciences; disposed of the old myths and miracles, but "with
out mockery"; and inspired the reader with a sense of humility be
fore the higher mystery which he could not comprehend. In an
editorial entitled "Comfort in Sorrow," one of his most beautiful