Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1897)
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1897. have only to subtract that figure from 4iX)4 which give us the year 2y47 R (, and 6(X) years iater it pajfj flood came on. Now sup- posing we make the mistake of add- these last two numbers together ¡n p,ace of subtracting the lesser could be no other side to it where struggle between church and state Abraham could live, or lie taken is evident to even the casual E ditor T orch of R eason : In the from. observer. One great writer says, “ I • T orch of R eason of April the 8th The question then is, where was see an irrepressible conflict between was an article entitled I he Exodus Abraham born and what ¡.lace did the Christian and the modern of The Jews by H. D. Burrows he come from? In Genesis 11: 31 world which has got to I,»* fought wherein I found some mistakes it says, “ami lerab took Abraham’s out here in America. There is a which I thought at the time wore [ ^he larger, we would then have bi- son, and Lot the son of Haran 1 a h < n .r ,d to be cut r I J A . • •*'< * 4 avc.de.,ta.. .My corn el,,,,, me an c,.,.„r of 12W) year.. Below 1 bis son’s ,• son, ami c Sara bis daughter | —the absurdity of maintaining a same appeared in (he T orch of May gj„e b()Ib ()ftheM.. recordg with bibie in law, his son Abraham’s wife; 6th, and in the T orch of May 20th references, and they may be com ami they went forth with them from despotic religion in a free country. Shall the natural law of reason, appeared another article hv Mr. pared by the readers of the T orch Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the or the arbitrary one of Christianity Burrows entitled “A Defense” in of R eason . land of Canaan; and they come un govern?” Another one lias said, which he still claims that accord If any should w ish to compare to Haran, and dwelt there. “The question will have to be t< st- ing to the bible, Abraham was born the above with the bible account, The land or country of Chaldees ed, which is the real governin' nt and lived before the flood. He goes they can do so by reading the fifth is d* scribed to be situated along the of the people—the republic or the still further and claims that accord chapter of Genesis from the third to river Euphrates, (on both sides of church. Will this great repuhl c ing to the bible, Jacob’s household the twenty eighth vers»* inclusive it) and between it and the river survive the contest? The issue i- entered Egypt .50 years before the —from Adam to the flood—, and Tigris for a distance of from there the life of the nation.” Then we flood. from the flood to Abraham see Gen to four bundled miles from their would ask are the mouths of our I will not take up space to go esis 11, 10, to 20, mouths, and now in general sense great independent thinkers, of over friend B’s figures, as any reader One more point in Mr. Burrow’s t he country is made to include Bab students of knowledge, teachers of of the T orch can refer to them. “Defense;’’ h»* says “Mr. Johnson ylonia. The soil is Nile-like, low truth, of naturalists, of scientists, My object in writing this article is says Abraham did not live before and fiat and was annually over to be closed by the ignorant, super only to give a full statement of the the flood, but the bi ble says he did,” flowed, ami hence the designation, stitious believers in a false and chronological and genealogical re and places the bible and God on the “the other side of the flood,” or as degrading religion, and that with cords as they appear in the bible, the witness stand in support of his we would say, on the other side of out any resistance? We think not. with such explanations, that any case.” That’s right, friend Burrows, of the readers may see and judge call them back for cross examina th<* land that is annually overflow We will go to work and organize; ed by water. In some of the Euro build a beautiful Liberal Univers for themselves. If I had done so tion. Joshua 24: 2, 3, “and Joshua in the first place I would have had said unto all the people, thus saith pean languages that I know a river ity building in which nothing but is designat'd by the name of flood. truth in all its beauty shall be no occasion to write this time. the Lord God of Israel your father Dear reader of the T orch , I have taught to the rising generation, and In some bibles we have both the dwelt on the other side of the flood presented as much evidence as I that unmixed with any theistic genealogy and the chronology. The in the old time, even Terah the think necessary, and examined it pagan or sectarian teaching, and first is made bv those who wrote the bible, and the other is to be found , father of Abraham, and the father of pro and con; and without further keep the church and state forever in bibles having marginal refer- Nachor: and they served other gods, argument I leave you to be the separate. This is a grand move cnees. The genealogy commences And I took your father Abraham judges in the matter discussed. I ment and one in which every lover hope this will end the discussion on of freethought and human progress my part. With my best wishes for should take a lively interest. An Names and ages Names of The year of The year of the Patriarchs their sue- the world the success and prosperity of the other writer says, “It seems to me before when their sue- f cessors or when they Christ. T orch of R eason and all its readers that you never had so great en cessors were born i otherevents were born and friends, 1 remain fraternally couragement in your reform move yours, Adam, 130 Seth, 130 ments as to day. The whole 3874 Seth, 105 Enos, Michael Johnson, 235 3769 universal church with its mighty Enos, 90 Cainan, 325 June 10th E. M. 297. 3679 machinery already feels the tread Cainan, 70 Mahaleel, 395 3609 Vale, Oregon. of your chariot wheels.” Yes, and Mahaleel, 66 J ared, 460 3544 Jared, we will make her feel that no 162 Enoch, 922 3382 Enoch, Methuselah, 66 687 virtuous uplifting sentiment toward On th e Eve of a S tru ggle. 3317 Methuselah ,187 Larnech, 874 3130 the higher life ever suffers at our Lamech, Noah, 182 1056 2948 hands. It is plain to be seen that Noah, 600 Flood came, E ditor T orch of R eason : 1656 2348 she feels the slow but steady in After flood, 2 Arphaxad, 1659 2345 1 can find time to write you a Arphaxad, 35 creasing march of Freethought on Salah, 1694 2310 few lines and will for I don’t want Salah, 30 Eber, 1724 her borders. Why is it that so 2280 Bro. Moody to accuse me of being Eber, 34 Beleg, 1758 2246 many of her most intelligent and Peleg, 30 Reu, dead in rn.v sins, and afraid to come heretofore faithful ministers are 1788 2216 Reu, 32 Serug, 1820 2184 out and let the people know what just now throwing aside their old Serug, 30 Nahor, 1850 2154 I think and what I want. If I had Nahor, cherished doctrines and coming out 29 Terah 1879 2125 the confidence and faith in prayer Terah, 70 Abraham 1949 on the side of truth and reason? 2055 that Bro. Moody claims to have I Why is it that the most enlightened would spend a good share of my twith the age of Adam, at the birth from the other side of the flood, and ministers of New York are getting --J — — of Seth, 130 years, and so in succes led him throughout all the land of time in that occupation. But never tired of Bro. Moody and his revival sion the age of each is given and by Canaan, and multiplied his seed, hearing asyet, of one single reliable methods? Are they getting enough adding each figure, or age together and gave him Isaac.” The writer record of an answer to a prayer in of his Steamer Spree doctrine and till we come to the special person or of the above slates that God took the history of all the ages, I don’t his declarations that the Steamer’s event recorded, will give the year Abraham from the other side of the think it worth while to spend much Crew’ and all would undoubtedly of the w’orld in which such person flood. That has reference to a cer time in such a useless, inconsistent have been lost bad it not been for was born, or such event happened. tain place, or country, and not to and illogical way. 1 am pleased to his interposition through prayer? The chronology as mentioned above time. Had the writer said before see such grand efforts put forth in And be it said to the credit of begins with the creation of Adam the flood came upon the earth, then the interest and promulgation of many of the clergy that they have with the figures 4004 B. C. That it would have referred to time. In Liberalism, and just now’ is one of protested against the vanity of this is assuming that Adam was created Genesis 7: 19, 20 we read, “And the the most interesting epochs it has man in his assumed intamacy and 4004 years before the birth of Christ. waters prevailed exceedingly upon witnessed in this country. Just This therefore proceeds in a decreas the earth; and all the high hills, the time for every true Liberal to influence with a supreme intel ing ratio, while the other genealogy that were under the whole heaven, be at his post and do what little he ligence. We are often asked why can if it is no more than write a it is, that so many of the heretofore proceeded in an increasing ratio. were covered.” In tliis people sometimes make mis Fifteen cubits upwards did few lines of encouragement to his faithful and earnest believers have takes in comparing or computing the waters prevail; and the moun liberal friends. It will show how lost all faith in prayer. There is his feelings and sympathies mav time. For example Noah was born tains were covered. run, and if he is willing to take a hut one answer to the question. in the year 1057. To find out w’hat According to the above, the flood band in the great work. They allow truth and reason a little year that was before Christ we covered the whole earth, and there That we are on the eve of a great' show, and as soon as they do that D is c u s s io n I C o n tin u e d