Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1897)
« 5 TH E TORCH OF REASON, SILVER'ION, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1897. S c ie n tific W isdom . TRACT NUMBER TWO. DOES C H R IS T IA N IT Y O R S C IE N C E C IV IL IZ A T IO N ? PROM OTE LIBERAL UNIVERSITY ELIGION deals with worship, supernatural power, mirach s, pray ers and future life. Science deals with facis. human abilities and this life. School books teach facts, hence are sci n ’ific. Negro slaves had religion. Schools and self-dependence teach • em science. Is Christianity or science civilizing them? Miracles will not cook, plant, build, clothe or heal. People do scien- ti work six days. On Sunday tired mill operatives do home work, dean up, visit, drink; religion forbids harmless out door pleasures, iseums, reading-rooms and practical instruction, which science says ¡|,ev need for health, happiness and development. Christianity teaches self-sacrifice, and sinfulness of worldly pleasures, tempting from worship, forfeiting heaven’s everlasting happiness. Christianity also teaches that earthly pleasures and possessions are fleeting; toil and disease are inflicted to teach dependence on God; death is the gateway to paradise or to perdition; “ many are called, hut few are chosen” ; obey the bible, fill spare time with church work, and “no harm shall come nigh thy dwelling ” “From one erroneous idea ten thousand others germinate and become -tock notions of the people.” These church teachings mislead millions into distrust of scientific teachings, retarding reform, development, civ ilization. Science teaches that lightning, drouth and all natural evils harm pious and unbelievers alike; most other evils, diseases and pover ty are due to ignorance, which mankind should overcome. Labor and economy provide “for the morrow”, necessities, health ami enjoyments. Harmless pleasures and possessions are realities; bible promises may he air castles. Christians fear death, instinct and facts outweighing religion. “Justice, integrity, humanity, and the other virtues, have B u ild in g in C ourse o f C o n s tru c tio n . been developed ‘by the practice of comradeship’ through long centuries of social life.” “ Not trusty” ruins business, homes, g o v e rn m e n t. T H E ONLY S C H O O L OF T H E K IN D Civilization is evolution from ignorant, lawless savagery into orderly co-operation for the general welfare, “multiplying the means of culture, enjoyment, progress and achievement.” The world-renowned civiliza tion of pagan Greece and Rome far surpassed that of God-chosen Jeru salem, when science promoted industries, culture and morality. Wars destroyed these and brutalized mankind. Christianity overspread Europe. “ The scarecrow of eternal punishment was the hall and chain , of Christianity” by which priests and kings tyrannized people into sub mission, poverty, ignorance, toil, self-sacrifice, to fatten themselves with wealth, power, luxury, surfeiting, etc. For 1300 years, through the Dark Ages, Christianity’s bloody wars, fiendish persecutions and the Inquisition kept science and civilization bound. Luther, Galileo Pupils are Given Every O p p o rtu n ity to Learn W ith o ut Being H am pered by S uperstitions and Dogmas. and others exposed some church fallacies; science revived; civilization advanced. Modern civilization is due to free schools, printing, inven tions. discoveries, statesmanship, arbitration ami all that hri lgs culture of mental and moral abilities, bringing hygienic enjoyment, recompense, for labor, and obliging people to regard the rights of others. Christians condemn swearing, unlielief and Sunday recreation more than intemper ance, tobacco, and vote-selling. Which harm most? Science teaches salvation from real sins. R F ree from S uperstition S trictly N on-Sectarian L o c a tio n H e a lth fu l S o c ie ty G ood. E x p e n s e s M o d e ra te . Then and Now. A Splendid Corps of Teachers and Good F acilities for the ship comes hack. Teaching. For inform ation, address “ Yours in ye bowels of Christ, J. E. HOSMER, Ph.D., B.S.D , President, “ Rev. C otton M ather .” SILVERTON. OREGON. Such was Christianity 200 years ago, and the church is full of such Q O (X X X X X )< K X X X X > < X X X K > < æ K > < K > (> < > < X X X X X > < X > < X X > < > < X X > < X X > < X X X > < X > û tyrants today, especially among the clergy.—[Freethought Ideal. E. M., 297. Youthful Philosophy. S eptember 15, 1682. “ Y e A ged and B eloved M r . J ohn H igginson .—There he now at sea a ship called the Welcome which has on board a hundred or more of the heretics and malignants called Quakers with W. Benn, who is the chief scamp, at the head of them.. A little child having been told The general court has accordingly that she must not play on Sunday, given secret orders to Master Mala and all the toys being put away, SILVERTON, OREGON. chi Huscott of the brig Porpoise to sat down and watched the kitten waylay the said Welcome slily, as • >■♦■<»----- playing with its tail. Then she re near the Cape of Cod as may he proved pussy for playing on Sun and make captive the said Penn Enclosed find.................................. Dollars to assist in the day, w’hen the mother said: “ It is and his ungodly crew, so that the not wrong for pussy to play w ith its Construction of the Liberal University at Silverton, Oregon. Lord may be glorified and not tail, my dear; God gives it its tail mocked, on the soil of this new Yours for Progress, to play with.” Then the child, country, with the heathen worship clasping her chubby little hands as of these people in prayer, cried: “O Dod, dive me ► “Much sj>oi 1 can be made by sell a tail to play with on Sunday!” I ► . Cut this out, or copy it; enclose ing the whole lot to Barbadoes what you can, and forwatd r where slaves fetch good prices in We will send the T orch of R eas J. E. HOSMER, President, n ’m and sugar, and we shall not on one year to five new subscribers Silverton, Oregon. only do the Ix»rd great service by for $3.75, and the party getting up punishing the wicked, hut shall the club will receive fifty visiting make great good for his ministers cards for his trouble. These cards , 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 t> o o o < x o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o < use, as they have an engraving of and people. the famous Wettstein badge heauti- “ M aster H uscott feels hopeful, ully lithographed at the left of and I will set down the news when the name. Liberal U niversity Company, A A A A A A - A .- A .- A .- J k . A A A , Jk. A . A , Jk. A 4k A A. A A A a a a -a- a a Try the Torch for Job work.