T H E TORCH OF REASON, SILV E R T O N , OREGON, TH U R SD A Y , A P R IL 7, 1898.
vantage of them , or perhaps she
herself is ignorant.
BY J . ED W IN JOHNSON.
\\ ho persecuted Galilei», if it was
not the church?
Who disputed
The people of Vale and vicinity
H arvey’s theory of the circulation
have been enjoying a led hot re-
t j|e 5j0()(p> W ho burned Bruno
T h o u g h ts a t a R evival.
sufficient eloquence to induce peo-
pie to listen to me, I would devote
the most of my tim e to the work of
spreading the gospel of tru th ; and
w hether I hctu red or not, to do all
in my power to lift the veil of ig-
do not think it a bad example
Some reply, “ Oh, well, it was
taught me when I was youm\ and
I see no harm in it.
You know it
is an old custom.”
I agree it is an old custom that
vival, conducted by God
Co., the for proclaim ing a fact th at every norance ami credulity from a su- originated in superstition and
Co. part consisting of a lady evan- schoolboy now knows? Who con- pei stition-eursed people so t h a t ; a |j o ther superstitions, should
gelint and her daughters. I don’t demited the p rin tin g press as the they m ay see the torch nf reason abolished. Il'w e have presents f,’r
th in k any of the audience saw (inti, instrum ent of the devil and oppns- and walk fearlessly In its light.
the c h jidren wc can give then) frf)rn
but they were assured that the lady ed every new invention and scien-
Lil-erals, we must bestir our- our own hands. Don’t look them
w a s w ork inc for and assisted hv lific tl,e*,r.v - 11 “ " ils " ,,t the * hrl”‘ “ Ives; we must counterbalance the in their honest eyes and tell a glar-
was working tor and
« } tian church?
evil influences of these m onstrous ing u n tru th . It is not necessary to
him .
Being n atu rally som ewhat
.
.
, .
. ,. , . .
, ,
. a s . , , ,
,
-
.
.
A few m isrepresentations m ight doctrines.
Do not Be content to tell them th a t an old man from
“ depraved”, I was im pious enough i
overlo0ke<lf hut all the super- think th a t a few are doing their F airy lan d brings the presents in
to note some im perfections in the | n a tu ra | doctrines of the eeclesias- best, perhaps giving their entire order for the children to appreciate
good lad y ’s discourses, and will en- tical fratern ity are had, and I lives up to the work.
W e c a n and the gift. They will appreciate it
deavor to make some comments.
think th e whole hatch should be must contribute som ething toward j ugt as much if they know you gave
A sa preparatory m ovem ent, our dum ped, and th a t without fear of it ourselves
it to them , and w hat’s more, they’ll
evangelistic friend, in order to get destroying much valuable property, j Vale. Oregon,
appreciate you more when they find
her hearers worked up to the proper \\ hat I consider about as ba 1 as
that you have been honest with
pitch of reasonless emotion, intro- an y th in g preached is. th a t respect-
them.
W hen parents tell their
5 a n t a C laus S to rie s.
duced the cheerful subject of d eath -! able people, no m atter how good
children such stories they will nat­
BY M. P . G IF F O R D .
beds and portrayed, with ordinary they are, unless they have the as
urally believe, but when they get
m inisterial regard for tru th , the sistance ol .Jesus, are no better th a n
older and find th at they have been
Some
time
ago
I
noticed
in
the
Let
horrors of an Infidel death. She the in h ab itan ts of th e slum s.
grossly deceived, will it not have a
T
orch
of
R
eason
an
article
copied
represented Thom as Paine as re- us take a look at the situation, -
XT
x- , ,,
.
. . . tendency to m akethem feel at least
from
the
New
)
ork
bun,
in
which
e
canting at the last mom ent, callin g ' W hat is the most potent factor in
...
• , i i- i,.
•
o . uncom fortable and u n happy to
, . , , .
,
1 ’ J
on God to forgive him for w riting ¡the reform of m ankind?
Is it not a little girl asked if th e , re n is , a S a . n ta think
th eir parents have purposely
her th e re
,
the Age of Reason. Voltaire and the exam ple set by the better class, C lau s, , a n d ttie e d ito r tells
ii-
.i___ deceived them ?
Men and women
other prom inent F reethinkers were a desire to em ulate the good quali is and for her not to believe those should drop such silly tales, he
ties of those whose moral stan d ard wh<’ tel1 ^ er th ,‘ contrary. ( «mid rnen and W(ane„ and teH the truth.
treated in a sim ilar m anner.
• . ! •
.
i i
i .
- . i .o
u - I a an
h in
ore rid
ic u lo u s f The
I he
in tr g be
he m
more
ridiculous?
Such trash makes one “ tired” ; it is acknowledged
to i he t high?
W e n \ y t th
I her«* is no one with a spoonful of
idea
of
the
editor
of
the
New
York
seem sto me they should try at le a s t! m ust have some incentive to ad-
b rain s but know s there is no Santa
to im itate the tru th . If any one vancem ent, some goal in the <li>-i S « " telling at. innocent, inquiring , ins.
has a reason to fear death I would tar.ee, some superior moral sta n d ­ little child what he knows to he an
Reforms, as well as charity, be­
like to know who it is — the C hris­ ard to try to reach, or we will nev­ absolute falsehood. For such im ­ gin at home. So I would say, men
tian or the Secularist; one who be­ er im prove; we are more likely to postors there is no excuse.
Does anv m an believe th a t a lie and «’"m en, begin this year to re-
lieves th a t «hath is only a tra n si­ retrograde. There is no such thing
is more beneficial than the tru th ? form th e old S anta Claus stories.
tion into an o ther life, cither of con­ in nature as standing still; every­
Does any man believe that to tell
Ben ,,ext hristm as comes don t
sum m ate j o y o r indescribable hor- thing must either move forward or
th a t which he knows to be false is
your children th at Santa ( laus
ror, or one who believes th at death backward. It is like a boat being
,
Ll n
,
i
i
.
i
«
J
ii
i
i
.i
conducive
to
m
oralitx9
Docs
the
bro«g»‘t
the
presents,
but
be
bon­
is sim ply a complete and perfect propelled u p stre a m — whenever the <-°uouciv«
m »«ano. i . m e ,
.
.
.
editor
of
the
Sun
believe
th
a
t
his
I
e6t*
By
doing
this
a
gigantic
false-
rest, one who believes that if death propelling power ceases, the beat
docs end all pleasure it at the same goes down stream . There are some, infam ous lie will never he found hood will he obliterated and a shin­
time ends all pain.
For my part, a m ’r.ority party, who are alw ays ou,;* Surely no m an believes these ing tru th will take its place.
Council, Idaho.
give me an assurance of com plete ¡in advance, and who by their ex- things,
and perfect rest in preference to an am ple lift up and improve those
By and by the little girl will find
uncertainty, either in regard to m y-j who are m«»rally and intellectually out the tru th , and what will be the Li the above, from one of our
self or any of my friends. I am ' th eir inferiors.
It is not so hard effect? How can we expect to be- most active young Secularists, if we
sure I could never be happy with to lead the weaklings and improve conic more civilized? How can we substitute the word God
for the
the thought th at perhaps some them if they will give any i ssist- expect our children to advance and word S an ta Claus, the excellent
friend of mine was suffering the tor- ance themselves; hut when a man become m o re intelligent when such
article serves a double purpose.
m ents of hell on account of incur- thinks be is good enough it is a m onstrous stories are told them ?
ring the displeasure of a m eiciful(?) more difficult task, if not an impos- As long as such talcs are inculcat-
God’s J u s t Law s.
creator. I believe th a t the m o s t' sible one. W h a’, then, is the effect cd, as long as parents tell their
hideous doctrine ever preached to on those whose m orals are not of children fairy stories for tru th , just
BY J . A. W ILSON.
credulous h u m anity is that a person the highest degree of excellence that long will we be rocked in the
can be happy in heaven while a (an d there are few in whom there is cradle of superstition.
The law of the Lord is perfect. .
relative is suffering the to rtu re of no room for im provem ent) ot the
The responsibility for such sto-
. The statu tes of the Lord are
h d l liie. V hat a barbarous doc- belief th at they are good enough, ries does not rest altogether with right. . . .
I he com m andm ent
trine for nineteenth century men th a t being good is not as essential the editor of the Sun, for I know of
the Lord is pure.— [P salm s xix,
and women to hi li«*\«-!
as faith in Jesus, and th at they scores of intelligent people who tel,
The reverend lady made one " ill enter into eternal glory sim ply their children this sam e Santa
Let us exam ine some of the bible
break th at was Very am using to By believing a lot of fables and fish Claus story. Not long ago I was
god’s “ perfect” laws and see if
one acquainted with history. She stories? I do not believe in teach- speaking to a little boy on this sub-
there is any justice or mercy in
said the church is and has always ing total depravity, but I do believe ject.
He was telling me about the them .
been the friend and supporter of >n teaching that none of us are per- nice things S an ta Claus had left
Thou shalt not eat an y th in g that
science. She cited such incidents B’Ct, and in trying to improve our- him. Said I, “ Do you believe there <Jieth of itself; thou shaft give it to
as the persecution of Galileo, H ar- selves and everybody with whom is a Sai ta C laus?” And the little the stranger ’ th a t is in th y gate,
fellow replied, ‘‘I know there is.” th a t he may eat it; or thon mayest
vev and others, and then asked im ­ we come in contact.
B u n to the alien. [Deut. x i\,
pressively, “ W ould the theories ad-
Ever since I have l»een old Then I asked, “ How do you know?”
vanced by these men have ever enough to take an interest in Free- He replied, “ M amma says there is.”
been accepted and become popular thought work, it has been mv inten- There you have it. The little fel- M hosoever doeth any work on
w ithout the support (»f the church?” tion to become a lecturer and work
believes bis m other, but by and t *“‘ >aBBath day, he shall surely
In the way of brass, I thought th a t for thecauae,but as I listened to the By he will find out th a t there is no
‘-at • [Bx. xxxi, 15.
capped the clim ax, hut 1 think she
knew th a t a good share of her hear-
era were ignorant ai d credulous
enough to believe her, and took ad-i
false assertions
and harm ful doc- Santa Claus, and th at his m other is They found a m an th a t gathered
trines preached bv this revivalist, a liar.
sticks^up«m the Sabbath day • •
my intentions became a strong re-
1 have talked to a great m any on h jm w ithout the^canip an d stoned
solve. I vowed th at if I possessed this subject, and asked them if they him with stones, and he died, a-