THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER
R , 1896.
man is inspire« I just liecause bis word understood, the world becomes Dry under two years of age. It was a
followers say so? Are we to sutler M paradise.”
remarkable and most cruel event,
throughout eternity liecause we 'fake courage friends of liberty, but the other three knew nothing of
think if any prophesy ever came although every man who has dared it, or if they did, did not deem it
true tliat it was ma<le to come true to oppose this slavery of the mind worthy of mention. The four writ-
l»y interested parties <»r th at
the has had his reputation blackened ers do not agree as to the time when
guesser made a good guess ? <), and his efforts ridiculed, yet there Jesus entered Jerusalem. They do
the base of the brain are sufficiently
awake to act aud produce their im-
preosions, one may dream he is a
murderer, or tiiief, or capable of
committing almost any crime, aud
he is practically in a condition such
as he would be in if his moral and
u^.. w ithdraw
our are m anv coining .to. the
front not agree as to the < rot. ¡fiction, a* iiiteBeciual fAenhiev-wnre
badly
from these errors and ready, if need be, to sacrifice all for to the inscription that was placed represented in the brain as to leave
ijtv jrieu il- let
support
support institutions of modern the love of truth. For ages we
thought. Let us teach the children have been taught to stop our ears
something more elevating than the to everything tending to rob the
fear of a vindictive god who will ppjest or preacher of his revenue or
send bears to destroy those who power. We have been taught to shun
ifre naughty, and the older children the works of such meu as Thomas
some better motive for doing right Paine and we dare say that outside
than the fear of an awful hell or of the clergy that nine-tenths of
the promise of great reward.
his enemies never read his works
Dr. Cooper says: “If the people or know of his patriotic devotion
do not keep the clergy under control to his country and to the cause of
they will bring the people into truth.
abject slavery. In every nation
In speaking of this noble hero a
upon earth they have done so; preacher, not long since, thundered
what should change their charac- from his pulpit words to this effect:
ter here?”
“His carcass was not fit to he buried
There are but a few thinking hi a Christian land and so his rot-
people wdio believe this superstitious ten, stinking bones were dropped
religion and if disbelievers would hito the sea:” but we say unto you
withdraw’ their support, the old that Thos. Paine’s noble words and
rotten structure would fall of its works will live and be loved and
own weight, but thousands of dol- respected long after the rotten the-
lars are given for effect; many are °logy of certain preachers has been
slaves to fashion; others give for buried deep in the sea of oblivion,
praise, some through fear, and
Kind reader, do not misunder-
others because they go to church stand us. \\ e condemn no’ one for
and think it no more than right to his mintakes, and have none but
pay for their entertainment: so the die kindest of feelings toward all
church at home is supported and men. We all make mistakes and
the poor heathen wa v over in the in our judgment there is no greater
dark continent is taught to believe mistake than vindictive condern-
or be damned, but if the poor hea- nation, be it found in man or in the
then believes all the contradictory gods. What is needed is more love
doctrines taught by contending f°r all mankind and to this end let
churches he is certainly foolish ns investigate, and fear not to give
whether he is damned or not.
our honest opinions on these ques-
Liberty is what we want and as dons which affects us all, and we
4
• , greatest
. . orators
.
may
one „ of r America’s
„ J be sure that
. the dark clouds
x
.
of error will disappear, the bright,
says, the most important thing .
.. ,,
.
,,
.
beautiful sun of truth will finally
in this world is liberty:
,
,
.
, ,
More nn-
. ,,
. . . . .
shed its life-giving rays over the
portant
than food or clothes, ’ more whole earth, and the world . will
... In
,
r
important than gold or houses or free from the deadly hate which
lands, more important than art or comes from stupid superstition and
science, more important than all re iguorance.
ligions, is the liberty of man. With
J E S U S O F N A ZA RETH
out it there comes suffocation, deg
radation and death. Liberty is the
We need not cite the great num
condition of progress. Without ber of discrepancies which exist be
liberty there remains only barbar tween the statements of the four
ism. Without liberty there can be evangelists touching the story of
no civilization.
Jesus, but they inevitably shake
Without freedom of thought no confidence in their accuracy and
human being has the right to form truthfulness. Matthew, in giving
a judgment. It is impossible that the genealogy of Jesus, and to show
there should be such a thing as real that he descended from David, men
religion, without liberty. \\ ithout tions 27 persons through whom the
liberty there can be no such thing descent came, beginning with
•
I
as conscience, no such word as jus- Joseph. Lukein attempting the
tice. All human actions—all good, same thing, with the exception of
ail bad—have for a foundation the the two ends of the line David and
idea of human liberty, and with- Joseph, gives an entirely different
out liberty there can be no vice line of descent, and gives 42 names
and there can be no virtue. With of forefathers, in place of 27. One or
out liberty there can be no worship, the other must be wrong and if
no love, no hatred, no justice, no Joseph was not the father of Jesus,
progress. Take the word lilierty both are utterly preposterous. In
from human speech and all the living the genealogy of Jesus,
other words would become poor, i 1’“? of ,Jo8eph’ if„ not h'8
_______i
father, can have no possible connec
withered, meaningless
sounds; i hut . tion.
Matthew mentions the des-
with that w’ord realized, with that troyingof all the infants in thecoun-
upon the cross. They do not agree little but animal propensity and
as to the place of his aseention.
selfishness as the basis of his char
H. D. B
acter; he would thus have a strong
( to be continued .)
tendency to he a thief aud a ruffian
really. Sometimes in a dream one
D R E A M IN G .
rises to an ecstacv of benevolence
Dreaming or incomplete sleep is and kindness; his aspirations are
an instance proving that the mind angelic, for then that part of the
is not one separate faculty or power, brain is active through which those
for if it were so, it would he either elements are manifested, and the
all awake or asleep at the same selfish or sensual part of the nature
time. Dreams are inconsistent, ill- is hushed in sleep; as an organist
ogical, and as all the faculties he- would say, a man is working with
come awakened and fully conscious, a peculiar set of stops drawn, or
the dream which seemed real iscor that the mind was working its up
reCtly estimated. As the organs in per register.—Heads and Faces.
You W an t
a neat X m as p re se n t call
at C ity P h a rm a c y .
You
will find an up-to-date
line.
G uiss & Son
O T T O W E T T S T E I N ’S
P o p u la r F re e th o u g H t
B adge.
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W ould grace th e b reast of S h e b a ’s q u e e n ;
And will lend grace (now a n d ) in com ing tim e
To queens of Iteauty m ore su b lim e .”
Should he worn by every man and woman favoring
the cause of Ereethouglit and reform. See design
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O tto W e tts te in ,
The Liberal jeweler and writer, Designer of the O tto
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............................................. 1896.
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