5 T H E TORCH OF REASON, S lL Y E R lO N , O REGON , TH U R SD A Y , M ARCH ‘24, 1898. Scientific Wisdom LIBERAL UNIVERSITY Subscription Per Year (50 copies m onthly) $1. 1 f ELIZA MOWRY BU V E N , Per Month 150 copies), 10c. I I Sec y Tract Society. Brooklyn. Conn. P b lish ed M o n th ly by th e L ib e ra l U n iv e rs ity C o m p a n y . , s , £CfCO AT T H E ® > -V E R T O N . O R EG O N P S T O F F IC E AS S CO O -C L *S S M » T T E R NO. 5 SILVERTON, OR., MARCH, E. M. 298. VOL- I- __ _______ _ D o es B e lie f in M ir a c le s B e n e fit? r b le s begin with m iraculous creation. After c re a tin g the w orld, ac- T H E O N L Y S C H O O L OF T H E K IN D , Ved is Suprem e B rahm a m ade Adami and Heva. plac- • ' r X m on beautiful island, which he forbade them to leave, l ’ n.ii soon became restless. The devil produced a mirage. Adami I.' ‘rmined to visit the beautiful land, and persuaded H eva to accom- 1 im \fte r crossing a narrow isthm us, it sank, leaving them on i la n d .' Suprem e Brahm a pronounced a curse w boll,. Adami '¡H ared it was Ids fault; he alone should he cursed. But Heva stood i ¡m i n d said: “ If thou wilt not spare him, spare neither me. I do ' t X ’h to live w ithout him . I love b in ,.” B rahm a s a i d ,- I will spare „ both and watch over von and your ch ild ren .” Con,pa re lh,s from India's sacred book with the Jew s’ account of Adam, Eve and ilie ser- Pupils are Given Every O p p o rtu n ity to Learn W itlio u t Being H am pered by S u p erstitio n s and Goginas. pent, 4000 vears later. Fgvptians believed in one invisible, overruling, self-created god, an- ¿tinn of th io ueny. u u u created r# w u dbilation the e wicked, absorption ot of tue the goon good m into deity. u God . - , .1 • _ ‘L., A _z-v- »A a., .,1 A.ctot ,/UlQ " r g,'da regarded hv the priests as attrib u tes or m an ifesta,ions, Hilt hut l,v th e people as separate gods. The priests were the o n ly » „ 'th e ,n a ti- z s 0 0 (1 . ,A „s scieniiNii-, scientists, law They and eians, la« yers vvi.-, and physicians. i ~------- , ♦ ruled , , the hv.np rr , were 'supposed supposed to open and shut the gates pates o f eternal bliss. They 1 hey pos­ pos- _ _ J I m m o t i c o n n w e r and wealth. 1 I J I 1 v j L sessed immense power and wealth. . M oham m edans believe th eir prophet split the moon in two; from hm finger tips flowed springs; stones and trees ran to meet and salute him; A Splendid Corps of Teachers and flood F acilities for •i mutton chop warned him it was poisoned; m ounting his ass, Alboraeh, Teaching. Lor inform ation, address be went in one night from Mecca to Jerusalem ,hence by a fiery ladder to J. E. HOSMER, Ph.D ., B .S D , President, the seventh heaven and bad an interview with Alla. SILVERTON. OREGON. In C h ristian ity ’s bible, serpents and asses talk ed ; Joshua stopped the Min- rain’s bom s prostrated strong walls; a fountain flowed from a ja w -( bone; she bears obeyed a pro p h et’s curse; Jonah lived m a whale; a r virgin became God’s wife and m other, etc. • B arb aro u s people, like ch ild .en , guess at causes and invent m arvel­ ous stories about everything. E x trao rd in ary inventions were repeated, DEALERS IN- became legends, m iracles, religions, which the ignorant believed, caus­ ing fear and worship. The effective in all religions are »oracles; these mingled with history and practical m axim s, seem real. 1 he m iracle of future life, the priests inserted because the people wanted it; thereby priestcraft easily tyrannized them into sacrificing e v e n thing the priests Corner Main and W ater Streets, and kings wanted. „ , W hv teach children th a t “ Arabian N ight’s E n tertain m en t , ghosts, ci i V r i m nu k fairies, fables, S an ta Claus and dime novels are not true? Because lieving leads to idle dream ing*, dissatisfacthm with surroundings, n«ed- less fears, m isleading hopes, follies, disappointm ents, trouble, an« pre­ vents acquiring and using practical knowledge and enjoying realities. Is not belief in miracles sim ilar? . . DEALERS IN Manv C hristians shirk responsibilities by belief in miracles. I bey think, “Oh, le a n t; God will stop poverty, crime and disease in Ins own good tim e.” Miracles are im aginations. Scientific work is the ef­ fective reformer. Causes are natural; hence, cures must be n atural A G R IC U L T U R A L IM P L E M E N T S Self-reliant doubters accomplish more than g«»d reiving believers. If the W. C. T. U. and P rohibitionists would teach more woman sut rage, Fishing Tackle, Cutlery, Sporting Goods, Etc., Etc. justice and hygiene, and pray iess, our country would sooner be saloon- f, ’ .. ’ ' F re e from S u p e rstitio n S tric tly N o n -S ectarian a LO C Q tlO O I I £ fl 111 1 1111, S O C ie t> ( lO( . M o d e ra te . C c is d te r & D a v e n p o r t ERCHANDISE Hicks & Ames H ardw are, t inw ai'e, S to v es, f S I L v E K l G bible? I sincerely lr-lieve it would I he a confusing task io produce a Suppose th a t some au th o r of to- p renc^ noVHi containing more dis­ iv should issue a book containing gusting or degrading language than , les as ludicrous and absurd as the can be found within the chapters of ajority of th e biblical myt h s ! th a t book which has he« n set apart liich have been handed down to from a |j o,h ( rs fand it surely ought < as “ inspired'’ literature, and a vj,,w? they tell us, to ippose the au th o r should assure | rnake rnankind better. « th a t golden crow ns and elevated There never was, nor will there irones awaited those who would | a degrading sentim ent dieve his hobgoblin stories and W| B jcj, ^ ou]d tend to make m ankind eehoods,and j h e so-called wise men of ----- J----- if we did not believe e tales be originated and invent- the bible had not the slightest , , we would be punished in a most knowledge of w hat m orality meant, uel and relentless iiinuiKit m anner. x Now 'o or r if tht?v they hnu had tncir their u biblical teach-I vi diiu h h i v i i i ivnv«» nk ar.d reflect — how m any in- . greatly belie them . But pbil- ink ligent people of today would we ogOphers of today are viewing d who would not consign such a thil)gg differently, an«l will accept >k to the fate of the flames in only which is m orally and ‘gust? If an au th o r of today be physically the best for their fellow Id in contem pt and scorn because men. N atural laws,properly under- bad issued cruel and d i s g u s t ^ stood, will ^ - a . ^ - n k , N , U l t E tit . About the Bible. Secularists Or anybody SEND US YOUR JOBWORK W e W ill Do It For You Neatly, Quickly, and For Less Money Than You can Get It E lsew here. We — Print anything A sehoods, why snould an intern Love, unselfishness and nt person be expected to accept ^ru jh a re the principal factors i n ________________ __________ ___ ____________________________________ om moet disgusting and < iroel founding and promoting the relig- l a e h c d a fro m .he ancient authors ,„n ,,f hum anity the so-called inspired book, the , T r V t h e T O T C h IO T J O 0 W O T K .