THETORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OKKOON, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1897.
Torch of Reason
Does he know that such messengers occasion, and imagines that th£ tM**, are ,,ow working with a re-
come from God?
Does he know rapid beating of the heart caused newed energy for the true salvation
that there is a
God? Ah, my |,v suppressed excitement, is the °f the world.
THE ONLY SECULAR PAPER PUBLISHED ON
credulous friend lie knows no more entrance of the holy ghost.
If our work was entirely of a de-
THE PACIFIC COAST.
about it than you or I ami we have
A very line ligure, ami one well structive nature, or if we were only
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, BY THE OREGON
not one proof that these things are caculated to deceive, was that of trying to influence or hold in check
STATE SECULAR UNION.
true.
representing Christianity as a plant, tl,e law-makers ofour country, then
One of the anecdotes told by the anti music, painting, sculpture etc, tt might be absurd to call ourselves
Editor.
J. E. HOSMER,
M anager, revivalists was about a certain piper as the branches} hut could not the a church, hut if we wish to teach
P . W. (JEER,
of Ireland that had such power mormons,themohammediansor any and work for the upbuilding of
E ntered at th e postoffice at
Silverton, with his music that the fish came other sect use the same figure? happy homes, if we wish to help
Oregon, as second class m ail m atter.
out on the beach and danced when W e believe that a better illustration each other to learn self-control,
ever he played his pipes. This and would be to let science or philosophy self-respect and to be pure, noble
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
<>ne Year, in a d v a n c e ........
....... «1 o) others similar stories were told as (free!bought) he represented by the men and women we have a perfect
Six Month«, in advance .....................
... 50
_
T h ree Monttw. in advance ....
.............. 25 fables, b u t th e sto ry o f th e an g e lic tree and musie, sculpture, painting. right to call ourselves a Secular
In Club« of ) o r m ore one year, in advance. . 75
.
.
.
Money »hould he sent by retfiaterod lette r or C h o i r C o m i n g
f r o m t h e sklCS a n d mathematics etc. etc. he called the church and feel no pangs of con-
m oney order,
.
.
,
, .
_
Pleaee >-end na the nam es and ad 'ire sse a o f S e c - ¡Singing at the birth Of a god, WHS branches.
Superstition is a parasite science for we will he the true
ulariata woo are not regular ►uhacriber».
told as the gospel truth.
which would destroy the life of the church, the church toward which
No one can estimate the harm tree, and at times has nearly done a^ enlightened people will turn and
THURSDAY, MARCH il, E.M . 297.
that the Christian church is doing so but the pruning knife <»f Secular- help to make a great power forgood,
by these monster deceptions. ismisnowin the hands of humanity
Nearly all of our names are taken
W hich Do You Believe?
Many parents who are not alto- and the tree will live.
from organizations, beliefs and ideas
which are no longer recognized by
At a revival meeting a short gether orthodox seem to think that
civilized people. Should we refuse
time since we listened to a sermon these churches do no harm, and at
T h e S e c u la r C hurch.
to call the first day of the week
that, in its power to capture the the same time they would not al-
Our fr'end, Mr. James R. Allen of Sunday because it is the day on
ignorant and disgust the thought- low their little children to he told
ful, could not he equaled by any of witch or ghost stories or read Cincinnati, Ohio, in his communi- which heathens worshipped the
our local priests or prophets.
dime novels for fear of the had, cation which may he found in this sun? Should we refuse to answer
The tin me was music, and some deceptive ideas that might he im- issue of the T orch asks us to sup- to the name John because it origi-
of the anecdotes were certainly pressed upon the plastic minds of port the idea of calling our organi- nally meant the gracious gift of
zations Secular Churches.
j God or because some people of
worth listening to, hut the reason- the hoys and girls.
ing was very poor,so poor that it
But the moral teachings of the
We hasten to respond, because that name have very foolish ideas?
would hardly answer to the name, church is thought to he good and we honestly believe that it is right The word church does not mean what
Tue smooth oily talker led the therefore many cling to the idea and that it will help our grand it did fifty years ago and if we
mind of the listener up to see how that we could not live without it. work to succeed. There is no prin adopt the name we will soon loosen
beautiful a thing music is, and, by We admit that some ministers of ciple at stake as far as taking the its present hold upon the poor,
stories well calculated to interest the Christian church incidently name is concerned any more than superstitious minds of the ignorant
the devotees, completely captured teach the golden rule given to us there is in callingour school a Liber- and thus do much good that could
them; and now ami then some by pagan philosophers and repeated al University or the school we hold he done in no other way.
wrought-up saint would grunt his by the writers of the new testa- on Sunday, a Secular Sunday school.
The protestants came out from
The orthodox people would like the catholics and called their
approval in such a manner that ment and that many of them are
had it not been for the solemn sincere and working in part for the to rob us of the priviledge of hav organization a church. Protestants
place and hallowed appearance of good of humanity but this only ing any names at all and one chris- have divided hut all have kept the
the man of God, one would have helps to deceive people into be- tian lady wrote an article trying to name church even in the face of
been tempted to laugh “right out lieving the great deception, the ^ ‘ow us that we had no right to opposition. The Unitarian church
in meetin.”
great chimera of the blood atone- have Sundav schools and giving us comes into life and has as much
When the minds of the listeners nient and the promised land beyond what she thought good advice in right to the name as Congregation-
were lead way hack as far as they this life. Let tin Christians teach regard to names. She says, speak- alists or Presbyterians and now
could go in the history of music, they of earthly things and Secular- ing of tie* Secular Sunday school, we certainly have the right, and it
were then told that it originated ists will join hands with them “Why is it called a Sunday school? is to our advantage to keep the
with God. God was said to be the in every good work.
Why not call it a Tom Paine same name and make it mean some-
great musician and all music or-
On the evening mentioned, the school, its rightful name, and a void thing better than it ever has before,
iginated in his mind. How easy a blood atonement was celebrated and deceiving people as the name Sun-
We say good-speed to the First
tiling it is to make such a state- as the devotees with solemn mein day or Sabbath school has until Secular Church of Cincinnati and
ment, but, did it once occur to tin« knelt before the ministers, we could lately had a sacred meaning and heartily congratulate the Secular-
poor, deceived Christians that the not help thinking what a splendid should have no other.”
ists of Ohio in having such a
preacher was making stock of their scheme this is to get people to wor-
Now my Liberal reader can you worker as Mr. Janies R. Allen,
ignorance and that he knew no ship at the ieet ol their priests. The not see the point? If we wish to We hope that every one will im-
more about it than the most ignor- priests of today have not the power knock the sacred, holy, humbug mediately lay aside any little pre
ant among them, they would soon that those of old had and can not ideas out of the church, the surest judice he may have and do what
demand something more than mere get the people to kneel to them di- way to do it is to establish a he can to make the work a grand
statements and would condemn as rectlv and so they use a mystery, church without any of the old success,
we do, such Ixdd-faced deception.
In the background, in the secret mythical ideas in it. If the ortho-
Can S e c u la ris ts S ing?
Truth, sculpture, painting etc. place of the most high, in the holy dox churches were purified of their
were in like manner traced back of holies, somewhere, somehow in superstition and could get down to
Our Methodist brother the other
with many an interesting story, as the poor mind of the worshipper is the work of making this life what it
far as the mind cau go, and then this mysterious thing called god, ought to b**, there would be no nec- oîri, f r' tl ' ,
Infidels can not
°r ^7 ^ve n<)t ^ng to sing
this wise agent of the Almighty christ, ghost; and down he comes essity to organize Secular churches, ,
’
?8 & e” again rot er.
said that they originated in the upon his knees at the feet of the and we could all join their church v
ur emo 1 ns ge away wit your
mind of God; simply letting ignor priest, and, as the priest in solemn, for it would then he secular; but
will not give „t. up ___
the “ghost”
your love for
ance be represented by a mystery. tremulous tones says,
„ , “This is the
___ they
.....................p___
___ ?, nIp . )n -eut*e and
,
r _____!
truth. Infidels
Infidels can sing and
How long, Oh how long will people blood ol Christ who died for
you: until we compel them \ to, so the only
worship at the feet of priests, being this is the flesh ot your saviour way is to
church of our
-rt..
to organize
organize a vumv..
um
rp. , K J 4
. tosm
. ga^out.
, , .
the
best
musicians
of
this city
kept in thrall by superstition? whose precious blood was shed own.
The Secular churches of Oregon
‘hey far out num-
“The angelic choir came down,” that you might have life,” the poor
. much . . debate
.
; hut ber the Christian singers and play-
said the preacher “when christ was awe stricken, mystified one, not were named , after
We siug about our homes,
born.” W hy does lie make such realizing what a falsehood has no one can say that the name , has ere.
,
A. n
,
...
j
.
about
our
mothers’love,
about
liber-
statements? Does he know this to been told him, swallows
the not been an advantage and many .
,
, ,
lie a fact
fact? ? Does he know that
there wine (had example for the young) old warriors who at first thought abott the bea^tî^DVngs^r'arouud
arc ? such things as angelic-singers? and eats the bread baked for the they could not work under the us and the good that we may do.