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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1897)
VOL. 1. A B e tte r W orld. SIL V E R T O N , O REGON , TH U R SD A Y , AUG UST 12, 1897. NO. 41 will be found the centuries’ moss, Advance Toward Truth. ditions, disturbances, and general old red sandstone theories, prehis If more would act th e play of life, debility in the anim al undergoing And fewer spoil it in re h e a rs a l; By I »r I.. Buchner. toric silurian. Now, as t«» the sec If bigotry would sh e a th its knife I change,—so also in the intellectual ond p art of the question: The In his adm irable “ Essay on Till good becam e m ore u n iv ersal; If custom , gray w ith ages grow n, views of the church are changing. M an’s Place in N ature,” the celebrat world these m etam orphoses are like Hall fewer blind m en to adore it— Orthodox religion is a kin«l of b o a- ed anatom ist and philosopher, Pro wise attended with perils and dis If tale n t shone In tru th alone. constrictor; a n y th in g it c a n ’t dodge fessor H uxley, com pares the process com forts of all kinds. Therefore, The would be the b e tter for it. it will swallow. The church is of development by which the hum an it is the duty of every good citizen —Selected. bound lo have som ething for sale intellect is constantly ad* a cnig to and p atrio t to aid with all the Ingersoll to The Clergy. th at somebody w ants to huv. Ac- wards tru th , with the periodical • J cording to the p *w dem and will he m oultings of a feeding and growing strength and m eans at his com T ru th Seeker L ibrary. You say th a t I he pews will be em the pulpit supply. In old times grub. “ From tim e to tim e,” he m and, (however sm all they m ay InA pty in the future unless the church the pulpit dictated to the pews. says, “ the old integum ent becomes tow ards the speedy and satisfactory meets the intellectual dem ands of I Things have changed. Theology is too straitened for the growing a n i com pletion of this process or neces- the present. Are not the m inisters now run on business principles. mal, it is therefore burst asunder sary crisis, or at any rate to do of today, generally speaking, much more intellectual than those of a The gentlem an who pays for the and replaced by a new and larger w hat he can to assist in bursting hundred years ago, and are not the theories insists on having them growth. Precisely «he sam e thing ‘•liberal” views in regard to the in suit him. M inisters are intelleclual occurs in tin* history of the in tel and stripping off the old integu spiration «-‘f the bible, th e atone gardeners, and they m ust supply the lectual developm ent of roan. The m ents, and thus give r«x»m ami ment, future punishm ent, the fall m arket with such religious veget hum an m ind, fed bv consant acces- lil>erty to the growing body. of man, and the personal divinity of Christ which openly prevail in ables as the congregations desire. sions of know’ledge, grows too large The Wrong Basis. many churches, an indication th at Thousands have given up belief in for its theoretical coverings, and the church is meeting the dem ands th e inspiration of the bibb , the div (teriodically burst” them asunder, of many people who do not care to inity of C hrist, th e atonem ent idea to appear in new habilim ents.” By .John W ilson. he classed as out-and-out disbe There is an o th er weakness in the and original sin. Millions believe Since the revival of learning in lievers in C h ristian ity, but who theological sanction of m orals which have advanced views on those and now th a t this is not a state of pro the fifteenth centurv. • * there has been bation; that a m an, provided he is a«» abundance of strong food for the the rise of science has created, and other questions? Ks to the first p art of this ques well off, and has given liberally to hum an intellect, the education of which she is destined to increase as tion, I do not think the m inisters of the church, or w h o se wife has been which was indeed com menced hv tim e goes on— viz., the liability of today are more intellectual than a regular a tte n d a n t, will, in the the Greek philos q hers, hut then the m ind tow ards doubt and disbe they were a hum lred years ago; next world, have another chance; suffered the interruption of a long lief in the fundam ental hypothesis that is, I do not th ink they have th a t he will he perm itted to fib* a intellectual stagnation or sleep of of theology. The m oral code—as greater brain capacity, hut I think, motion for a new trial. O ther fourt« en C‘ nt urie-. I will not stop theology puts it— rests entirely on on the average, the congr«‘gations think th a t hell is not as warm as it to inquire, by what influence this the as-um ptiou th a t God i- a m an have a higher am ount. The ainel used to he supposed; th a t, while it stagnation was brought about, a l like being; and its only sanction is ioration or orthodox C h ristian ity is is very hot in the m iddle of the though this is clear enough to the the expectation that this God will not by tin* intelligence in the pulpit, day, the nights are cool; and that, eyes of those who are acquainted reward those who by good conduct hut by the brain in the pews. A n after all, there isn’t so much to fear with trm* history, ami not merely please him , and punish those who other thing: On«*hundred years ago from the future. They regard the with th at substitute for it which displease him by had. It is evident the church had intellectual honors old religion as very good for the has he» n concocted by theologians th at every shade of doubt that to liestow. The pulpit opened a ca poor, and they give them the old and philosophers for their own pur passes over the theological m ind as to th e tru th o f the theological dog reer. N otsonow . There are to many I ideas on the sam«* principle that poses. But this revival of science being mas must dim inish «he efficiency o f avenues to distinction and wealth they give them th eir old clothes These ideas, out at die elbows, out —loo much worldiness. The best at the knees, buttons off, somewhat once set on foot, it was inevitable such a sanction, and th at total dis minds do not go into the pulpit. raveled, will, after all, do very well that a more frequent bursting of belief m ust entirely distroy it. Martyrs bad rath er be burned lhan for paupers. There is a great trade the old integum ents would take Tho.-e brought tip in the belief th a t be laughed at. Most m inisters of of this kind going on now— selling place, ami this process of intellect the foundation of the moral code is today are not n atu rally adapted to old theological clothes to the color ual m oulting m ust h»* frequently the existence of a m an like God, ed people in tl.e south. All I have other professions prom ising em in said applies to all churches. The repeated. And so it was in the and th a t it- only sanction is his ence. There are some great excep C atholic church changes every day. -ixt»*» nth century, by the overthrow pleasure and anger, if this belief l>e tions, but those exceptions are the It does not change its ceremonies; of the old astronom ical sy stu n and once lost, are left w ithout any mo ministers nearest Infidels. Theo- but the sp irit th a t begot the cere the infi'ien«*«* of the Reform ation! tive f<»r choosing good conduct a ml monies, the spirit th a t clothed the <l«»re Parker was a great m an. skeleton of cerem ony with the flesh and at tin* end of the eighteenth avoiding bad. The n atu re of things, Henry W ard Beec h«*r is a great and blood and throb of life and century, by the period of intellect of course, in time corrects this error. But how m any y<»ung people ate man—not the most consistent m au love, is gone. 'The spirit lbat built ual enligh'« nm ent and the infiu in the world— hut he is certainly a the cathedrals, th«* spirit that emp ence of the great French Revol m iserably wrecked before they are aw are of having left the safe and man of m ark, a rem arkable genius. tied the w ealth of ihe world into ution! the lap of Rome, has turn»«! in And now once more the hum an in- i trm* course ,»f conduct! N ature is Il he could only get rid of the idea another direction. Of course the a stern and relentless teacher; those ‘••at Plym outh church is necessary churches are ail going to endeavor tellect has received such a q u an tity who com«* inti» collision with her to him—after th a t time he would to meet the dem ands of the hour. of strong and stim u latin g nourish laws are ground into powder. The not utter an orthodox word. Chapin They will find new readings for the ment by the ex trao rd in ary progress old texts. They will find that “ fiat” of the n atu ra l sciences during the lesson is taught that th»* theological "a s a niUn of mind. I might m en m eant “ a little rounding;” that tion some others, hut, as a rule, the “ six d ay s” m eant “ six long tim es;” last fifty years, th a t a new and idea of the po-sihilitv of breaking the laws o f the universe is a te rri pulpit is not rem arkable for in tell th at th e w orj “ flood” should have great change ami a repeated b u rst igence. The intelligent men of the h «*•• translate«! “dam pness,” “dew,” ing of the old integum ents appears bly false one. In how m any i t - stances «iocs this teaching—th at we "orld don’t ladieve in orthodox «»r “ threatened ra in ;” th a t Daniel in to l»e inevitable. Nevertheless, as Huxley rem arks may act and escape tin* natural ’ hrigtianity. It is today a sym p • h * lion’s den was an historical m yth; th a t Samson ar.d his foxes tom of inu llectual «lecay. The had nothing lo do with this world. in carrying still further his ad m ir c o n s c ie n c e s — involve the individ> ual who accepts it in d estru ctio n ! conservative m inisters are the All these things will be gradually able sim ile, ju«t as these periodical “The m oving Anger write«, and, having writ. Moves on. Nor all jroar piety and wit stupid ones. The conservative pro- explained and m ade t<> harmonize m oultings are not effected w ithout Can lore it back to cancel half a tine. superinducing various diseased con- Nor all your te^re w ipe ont a word of it.” I' ssors are those upon whose ¡«leas with the facts of modern science.