9
T H E TORCH OF REASON, SILV ER TO N , OREGON, TH U R SD A Y , MARCH 21 IF08.
things! Let us lav our hands up­ honest, earnest conviction.
It is
RIDDED OF GOD.
on our hearts and say we are not the purifying and organizing work
I ’m ridded of God —
We are utterly at a loss to con­ hypocrites; th a t we defraud no one of science; it is her protecting, “ev­
T hat p rie s ts’ im position
Ami mocker at sorrow ;
jecture why persons who have th a t w’e are aw are of; th at we have erlasting a rm ” th a t enables these
T h at m ak er of strife!
I
’m
free in m y stre n g th —
m inds independent of the bible ch arity to give and charity for the men to meet and say aloud th at
O h, glad separation
From p hantom s and fakirs
should be so averse to expressing shortcom ings of our fellow men. they do not believe in the in sp ira­
To find my tru e life!
When we advocate and practice tion, dam nation and redem ption
themselves on the subject.
we
Since ridded of G od,
these noble sentim ents, what downy theory of the theologians (Episco­
should be brave and fearless in
My h e a rt has ceased a-diin-
pillows we lie on at night! We are p al)-
I stan d m ore th an v ictor;
honest convictions. Cowardice in
I ’ve vanquished the foe:
better satisfied, honest, forsaken
The present bishop of M aryland
these things has been and is re ta rd ­
I know my own stre n g th ,
Infidels, than insincere church said in a sermon preached in the
And fear of God breaking,
ing the progress of Freethought, it
Much lessens life’s anguish,
members.
We
hope
they
will
all
city
of
W
ashington,
I).
C„,
“
The
m akes the few who are brave, pow­
And halves th e g rav e’s woe.
learn to value our views, and that sacrifice of Christ him self as an
erless.
We mean in this priest-
Not driving by m asters,
ridden p art of the country. But we will all learn todiscrim inate be­ atonem ent was the thought of God
But selfhood unfolding,
tween
the
really
good
and
the
real­
before
creation
began.”
.Must
m ake mv life com plete
we are pleased to sav that it is not
By
n
a tu re ’s own law s;
ly
bad
in
everything.
If
we
ever
The Episcopal creed says, “ Jesus
the case everyw here; for we know
T hus being my own self,
Not a n o th e r’s m olding,
th a t as people become enlightened do this, we will, as the great Inger­ C hrist, the only begotten son of
I
work
my salvation
soll
says,
“
meet
as
m
an
and
m
in
”
.
God. B egotten of the father before
on the subject they become more
In m a n k in d ’s best cause.
to leran t of the views of F reethink­ And not un til then will this great all worlds; begotten, not m ade.”
J ohn P rescott G uild .
Was the* sacrifice of this son as
ers: and if we could only get them difference of opinion be settled.
Lowell,
Mass.
I am very anxious to see the Lib­ an atonem ent to propitiate the self-
to read up on this subject, Free-
thought would soon be a popular eral U niversity com pleted, and sin­ imposed w rath of the father, the!
Y outh is H appy—Age Should be
sentim ent ami people would not be cerely th in k th a t all who are in a father's thought before the son was
H appier.
condition to aid in its completion begotten?
W hat does logic say
asham ed of it.
If I thought anybody could feel should do so. I hope to be able to about it ?
In childhood the dew drops
M rs . M. M. T urner .
justified in slighting me on account help some m yself in the near fu­
sparkle as diam onds, while foi age
D allas, Tex.
of my unbelief, jn other words, if I ture. T he low price of cotton, I
they suggest red cough syrups.
have
no
doubt,
has
precluded
lots
were asham ed of it, I would change
M an’s careless, reckless life changes
my belief, for this I could do if I of able help. I know it has in my
A T alm ag e Tale R etailed.
them from ornam ents to medicines
case.
I
think
the
Liberal
U
niver­
had neither bravery nor will pow-
for broken down constitutions. Age
,er. We care not w hat others m ay sity is the grandest institution th a t
“ For many things I have ad m ir­ should not change the merry war­
say or think of us, so long as we ever was on foot, and th at the men ed Percy Shelley, the great E ng­ ble of the groves’ choristers to the
find ourselves trying to do right. and women who are working so lish poet, hut I deplore the fact wierd “ caw, caw ” of the crow. Har­
I love the society of honest-m inded earnestly for it deserve a great deal th a t it seemed a great sweetness to monies should not lose their melo­
people, and as I have to associate of praise, and th a t their names will him to dishonor G<>d. The poem, dy nor pleasure its joys. Centuries
with myself more than any one be am ong the brightest on the pages ‘Queen M ab”, has in it the m align­ do not dim the stars nor weaken the
else, I try to avoid hypocrisy so of history in the years to come.
W ith best wishes for your u n tir­ ing of the deity. Shellev was im- su n ’s rays.
th at I may have a true and brave
Life is not a dull dream , a dead
ing efforts for the cause I love so pious enough to ask for Rowland
associate.
H ill’s Surrey Chapel th a t he m ight sleep, hut an active reality. Covet
We m ust confess th at we are m uch, I am fraternally and sincere­
denounce the C hristian religion. wisdom, for it is leverage power.
asham ed of any people who are ly yours,
He was in great glee ag ain st God W aste not those youthful days,
M rs . R. A. B ell .
ashamed to have people know th at
W askom, Tex.
and the tru th . But he visited Italy, when am bition is struggling to re­
they are F reethinkers. A ndon the
and one day on the M editeranean veal itself, when the noble desire is
other hand, we are proud of those
T h o u g h ts from Texas.
with two friends in a boat which asking for an outw ard and endur­
who will boldly declare themselves.
was tw enty-four feet long he was ing expression. We hear no moan
We feel th at they can he trusted in
“ Your best thoughts are v alu a­
corning towa"d the shore when an more heavily, burdened with sad­
everything th at is possible for them ble. Jo t them down as best you
h o u r’s squall struck the water. A ness than age weeping over a mis­
ninety-nine times out of one hun­
can and send them to the T or h oe gentlem an
standing on
shore spent youth, filled with lost oppor­
dred. There is nothing underhand­
through a glass saw m any boats tunities, em pty of all those riches
ed about them. We would not be R eason .”
In com pliance with this, I send tossed in this squall, hut all out­ which youth alone can give to age.
afraid to tru st them with any
rode the storm except one, in which As the springs fill the sea, so should
am ount of m o n ey — would not be the following.
Shelley and his two friends were buoyant youth em pty its treasures
afraid th a t wre would not get every
Mr. M. W. Sevier spoke a t the
into hoary-headed age.
As wis­
dollar of it back. We are always F reeth in k ers’ Association on S u n ­ sailing. They never came ashore,
but the bodies of twTo of the occu­ dom increases and the vision is ex­
advocating honesty, truthfulness; day, the 27th. His subject was,
p ants were washed up on the beach, tended, new beauties rush into
in fact everything which has a m or­ “ Since the First C entury of the
A funeral sight, and life rises as on the wings
al tendency; and when we prove to C hristian Era there has baen no one of them the poet.
of a bird. The youth is not mov­
the world that we arc try in g to put T rue Church in Organized Form .” pvre was built on the seashore by
into practice th a t which we consci­ He endeavored to sustain this con­ some classic friends, and the two ing away from happiness, but into
entiously believe to be the only re­ tention by quoting texts from the bodies were consumed. Poor Shel­ deeper joys. The world is full of
ligion (if you choose to call it a re ­ New Testam ent and the statem ent ley! He would have no God while music, every wind is perfumed with
ligion) th a t has ever benefited the of the fact that each of the num er­ he lived, and I fear had no God a fragrance, and earth and sky
painted and penciled with the most
hum an race, we feel th a t if there is ous denom inations into which the when he died.”
W ith the years
such a being as the C hristians ad ­ bible has divided the intellectual,
This absurd story is from T al­ brilliant tints.
vocate, th a t we can please him moral and financial capital of the m age’s latest serm on. It is one should come increased capacity to
com prehend these unlim ited sourc­
more by acts of justice and l>e- countries, claim s th a t the others are
which he years ago worked into a es of happiness.
Dive as deep as
nevolence than by all the faith we not true churches in an organized
book called “ T he P athw ay of Life” , man can, soar as high as he may,
can possibly assume. We have no form.
They are nothing hut de­
hut which m ight better have been journey as far as his strength and
faith in the impossible nor the un­ nom inations.
years will perm it, yet unfathom td
reasonable, and we are not asham ­
Each new theory based upon the entitled, “ T alm age’s R epertory of
ed to own it, because the testim ony unprovable teachings of the bible Lies” , and this one, like the others, joys lie beyond.
My young friends, neglect not the
the C hristians bring up to su b stan ­ makes a hole in the arm or of theol- has often enough been shown to he
golden opportunities th a t lie'around
tiate their belief is entirely too °?y* Each hole lets in a beam from
false to have such a reader as T al­ you. Feed vour m ind with noble
doubtful. Our m inds cannot accept the torch of science, purifying and
mage know it. Shelley m ust have thoughts, and the joys of youth will
it. W hen we are told not to ex­ organizing hum an life, helping to
press our unbelief, and hear people eradicate faith, the product of ig­ been an awful vexation to poor not w ane with the years, but
God to make him take so much brighten with age.— [E x.
say, “ Oh, d o n ’t say an y th in g ,” how norance, fear and credulity.
do we know th at they are not of
The F reethinkers' Association of trouble to drown the godless poet.
th e same opinion as ourselves?
Dallas, Texas, is a large one, led Possibly it is Shelley’s shade which
If you desire aseistanee, atten<
Oh, let us be sincere in these by men of culture, intelligence and inspired what follows:
the Liberal U niversity, and we wil
Love th e B rave and True.