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THE BRIGHT
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OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 28,1897
do this in a spirit of Pliariseeisni,
If one looks upon the b rig h t side
and do not assume that his belief,
It is sure to be th e right side—
shared perhaps bv millions who are
At least t h a t ’s how I ’ve found it
above reproach, is responsible for
A? I ’ve journed th ro u g h each day.
his shortcomings. Do not put the
And ¡tis q u eer how shadow s vanish,
And how easy ’tis to banish
worst possible construction upon the
From a b rig h t side sort of n a tu re
motives, the acts and the life of an
E very doleful th in g away.
erring fellow-being, however widely
T h ere’s a sensible quotation
his views differ from yours, but on
W hich will tit in every sta tio n —
the contrary exercise the same char-
We »11 know it : "As , the tw ig i, bent.! ¡ty toWard him wtlicf, under „¡m,.
So
so is th e tr e t inclined
in c lin e d .”
i ,
NO. 1 3.
Only by combining with the Extracts from Thom as P aine’s
philosophy of Freethoughl, high
W ritings.
moral teaching, moral enthusiasm
- - .... I I.
and practical moral work, can ‘‘Brave 'C om m on Sense’ the cause of
Freethinkers in this age of moral
lib erty proclaim ed,
agencies and forces, accomplish by The ‘C risis’ won for us th e boon th a t
volum e n a m e d ;
organized effort anything of per
I he ‘R ights of M an’ to ty ra n n y its
manent value. In New York Citv,
* z
d eath -k n ell gave,
Felix Adler has done a great work, The ‘Age of R eason' m ade for bigotry its
far-reaching in its results, because
g rav e.”
he established his society upon an
COMMON SEN SE.
lar
circum
stances,
you
would
have
ethical basis a m i thus emphasized
And th e twigs of th o u g h t w e’re bending,
shown to yourself
“ I h e sun never shone on a cause
I f to ways of gloom we’re tending,
as of paramount importance what
‘Tis not the
Will be p retty su re to tw ist and dw arf
1 he conduct of men and women the churches had merely treated as of greater worth.
And q u ite deform th e m ind.
is generally the result largely of secondary to their theological creeds affair of a ci'v, a county, a prov
ince, or a kingdom, hut of a conti
disposition and and religious services.
$o, mv friends, le t’s choose the b right their inherited
tid e,
tendencies, their early education,
Let Literal societies, where they nent,—of at least one-eighth part
J u s t th e h ap p y , glorious right side,
their associates and surroundings. can do no more, give prominence to of the habitable globe. ‘Tis not the
W h ich will give us h e alth an d sp irits
I heir character is not much changed moral instruction on a natural concern of a day, a year, or an age;
J u s t as long as life shall la s t;
usually by theories and beliefs basis, make their meetings of inter posterity are virtually involved in
And th e sorrow s th a t roll o ’e r us
Shall not alw ays go before us,
which they adopt any time during est and value to the young, and not the contest, and will he more or
If we keep a w atch for blue skies,
their life in place of outgrown and give too much time, before those less affected, even to the end of
Ami will hold its su n sh in e fast.
discarded views in which they were who have outgrown the old creeds, time, by the proceedings now.”
_______ — M ary D. B r in e
brought up. Change of environ to that negative and destructive
“ I am not induced by motives of
Character th e Test of W orth.
ment is much more potent in work, which at other times and pride, party, or resentment to es
Freethinkers have always main- modifying conduct. Many young places is still necessary and im pouse the doctrine of separation
tained that morality is not depen- ,nen who enlisted in the army portant.
B. F. U nderwood . and independence; I am clearly,
dent upon any theological creed, j (^uring °ur War of the Rebellion,
positively and conscientiously per
that it is exemplified in men, aud y°ung men whose lives had been Reason Leads Men to Irréligion suaded that it is the true interest of
in communities of men of widely unstained by vice, returned moral
this continent to he so.”
and to ArheTSTir.
different religious beliefs, 7 ----
and by
J wrecks. The temptations to which
“Oh, ye that love mankind! Ye
individuals devoid of any beliefs ¡they Were subject in camp and
Every man who reasons soon be that dare oppose, not only the
commonly held to be religious; garrison life were such as they had comes incredulous, because reason tyranny, hut the tyrant, stand
that it has a natural basis in man’s not been sufficiently trained, in irig proves.to him that theology is forth! Every spot of the world is
a
constitution and relations to the most cases, to guard against, and hut a tissue of falsehoods; that re overrun with oppression. Freedom
world.
away from home influences and ligion is contrary to all principles hath been hunted round the globe.
It does not follow, of course, that feeling no longer the social re of common sense; that it gives a Asia and Africa have long expelled
Freethinkers have claimed for them straints of civil life, they yeilded to false color to all human knowledge. her. Europe regards her like a
selves, as the clergy have claimed vice which destroyed the innocence The rational man becomes incredu stranger, and England hath given
for Christendom, a monopoly
X * of of youth before they * had acquired lous, because he sees that religion, her warning to depart. Oh, re
virtue and goodness. No person ' the full strength of manhood
far from rendering men happier, is ceive the fugitive, and prepare in
fully realizes in life his highest
The Freethinker who is true to the first cause of the greatest dis time an asylum for mankind.”
moral ideals, and many people who! himself and to his principles will orders, and of the permanent
CRISIS.
are “up to heaven’s gate in glory” hve the rational, moral life. Asso-! calamities with which the human
“These are the times that trv
are “done to earth’s dust in' prac- ciations of Freethinkers made up of race is afflicted. The man who
men’s s o u ls . The summer soldier
tice.”
those who appreciate the moral as seeks his well-being and his own
and the sunshine patriot will, in
The moral standard of the Free- well as the philosophical aspects of tranquility, examines his religion
this crisis, shrink from the service
thinker is as high as that of the their thought, cannot be indifferent and is undeceived, because he finds
of his country; hut he that stands
Christian. Christian people would to the character of their meniber- it inconvenient and useless to pass
it now deserves the love and thanks
not consent to have their religion ship. Freethinkers make charac- his life in trembling at phantoms
of man and woman. Tyranny,
judged by the moral failures of its ter instead of creed the test of a which arc made hut to intimidate
like hell, is not easily conquered;
adherents, they point rather to the man’s worth, and therefore, to he silly women or children. If, some
yet we have this consolation with
moi al ebb tide of their religion, as consistent, they must insist upon times, libertinage, which reasons
us, that the harder the conflict the
evidence of its merit. The mis- character, upon moral wholesome- hut little, leads to irréligion, the
more glorious the triumph.”
takes, the follies, the crimes even, ’«ess, upon honest and clean living, man who is regular in his morals
“To argue with a man who has
of lielievers in Christianity are a" pre-eminent above everything can have very legitimate motives
never considered a valid argument else, J f they do not do this they for examining his religion, and for renounced the use and authority of
against the teachings of the sys- are > ho far, unworthy the noble banishing it from his mind. Too reason, an<l whose philosophy con
tern.
cause for which so many have weak to intimidate the wicked, in sists in holding humanity in con
Yet it seems to be quite legiti labored, suffered, and died. Above whom vice has liecoine deeply tempt, is like administering medi
mate with average Christian believ- all, the representatives of Free- rooted, religious terrors afflict, tor cine to the dead.”
AGE OF REASON.
ers to assume that if the position thought should he men and women ment, and burden the imaginative
of the Freethinkers is true, every of character without a vulnerable minds.
“I l>elieve in theequality of man;
Freethinker must live up to its stan- spot through which the spear of If souls have courage and elas and I believe that religious duties
dard, and that if he fail to do so, the enemy can make its way. ticity, they shake o ff a yoke which consist in doing justice, loving
it is proof of the fallacy and falsity Such only can have more influence they hear unwillingly. If weak or mercy, and endeavoring to make
of freethought This is poor rea- for good than for evil. Such only timorous, they wear the yoke dur our fellow-creatures happy.”
soning. Criticise the conduct of a should l>e accredited or recognized ing their whole life, aud they grow
“The most formidable weapon
man, if you will, lx? he Christian or by an association as exponents and old, trembling, or at least they live against errors of every kind is
anti-christian, whose life is marked representatives of its principles and under burdensome uncertainty.
Reason. I have never used anv•r
by mistakes and follies, hut do not purpose.
J ean M esliek . other, and I trust I never shall.”