o
THE TORCH OF BEASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1898.
What is
Our Aim and
as Liberals?
Duty him self: W hat is the end and aim rei among them selves
of F reethought? Is ir merely to
continue a kind of half-hearted dis-
B Y C. E LTO N B L A N C H A R D .
approval of orthodoxy, hoping th a t
some day the supernatural creeds
The past of Freethought has tend will he so revised that w ecan hon-
ed to verv little of organization. estly affiliate with the present
1 he liberal, loving his own free c|)Urch ag a socja i organisation?
dom from superstition and ju ris
(>njv end of Free-
than are
Baptists, M ethodists, e'c ; rhat we
can work together fo ra common
good without the f»*ar of hell star-
, ing us in the face; that wecan be en-
thused, aggressive and charitable
without being blessed bv the H«d\
S pirit; that we have a religion for
this life alone. To do good, is that
K eep
Y our
diction, has laughed “in his sleeve n I thought?
religion, and we call it the Religion
at the foolishness of other people.
The purpose of this paper is to of Humanity. This, in my opinion,
He has gone about his task of get­ say NO to this question. Any man is the real end and aim of Liberal-
ting a living, saying nothing. In of good morals, of culture and re- ism,hut we shall probably continue
most cases he has gone to church, finement can see great good in the hitting orthixloxy some hard
because it was a popular place to social side of the present church, knocks, and when the church i*
go, and though he smiled at the To secure this good for themselves funny, we shall doubtless laugh at
preacher’s antics, he caused no and families many who are really it. Orthodoxy is so funny some- ,
trouble to himself by expressing freethinkers are keeping quiet times it is really pathetic,
his opinions. Here and there we about freethought. Let us build a | The Liberals of the United States
have found men who, in a quiet church home for this great class have formulated nine demands, all
way, often have said what they and they will desert the orthodox of which are important and val­
thought. This quiet influence has church. Now it is “Hopkin’s uable, but unless we make new
been like so much leaven in the choice” orthodox church or none. efforts along the lines of construc-
meal, and its work has been felt
wonderfully.
T w e n ty Forerunners.
We have had for some years a
national organization, hut as a rule
£
the work of this organization has g
TO BUILD SECULAR HOME.
fallen upon a few shoulders. Its
&
yearly meetings have not always s
Coolidge’s Brick, Opposite Bank,
been well attended. The business g
iso..
interests of a large per cent, of g
SILVERTON, OREGON.
On d e m a n d , we the u n d ersig n e d prom ise to pay 1 he Lib­
Liberals has more often hindered s eral U niversity Com pany Five H u n d red D ollars ($500)
organization than indifference. A g fo r a n d .in consideration o f a good a n d sufficient w ar ran- - * *
few men have carried on the de­ .'O ty deed fo r one acre o f the tra c t o f la n d ly in g west o f the
L iberal U niversity a n d the c ity off S ilv e rto n , M a r ion Coun­
structive work of Voltaire very
s ty , Oregon, know n as Secular Home, a n d a w ritte n prom -
successfully in the United States. » ise fr o m s a id com pany th a t w ith in n in e ty d a ys a fte r re­
Some have made it a business or s ceipt o f sa id Five H u n d red D ollars [$500J sa id com pany
MPS. C. L. F IL S 'E R , PROP.
w ill com m ence the erection o f a d w e llin g house on sa id
professior as they have a perfect
acre, to cost not less th a n Four H un d red D ollars [$400], said
right to do, and gained therefrom
u ild in g to be b u ilt on such p la n s as th e sa id parties m a y
a living and some beside. But as a b agree
upon a n d to be fin ish ed w ith in s ix m o n th s fr o m
a rule the Liberal lecturer has a 5 d a te o f beginning: P rovided th a t not less th a n tw en ty
...FA SH ÍG N A B LE M ILLINEnY...
6
lean purse. But in spite of all dis­
reliable persons have signed th is contract when said
%
d e m a n d is m ade.
couragements great ability has been
g
S ig n e d ........................... P E T E R R A U C H .
and is now’ devoted to this work.
Signed.
We have seen the wit and sarcasm %
LA TEST STYLES
of Voltaire.
Others have the
L A R G E S T STDCK
priestly style of Renan, but in
P R I C E S R IG H T
If you wish to become one of the T wenty F orerunners , cut out
some shape or another the destruc­
or copy the above, sign it and forward with answers to the following:
tion of orthodoxy has gone on.
The foundations have all been un­ Pour M arne...................................................................................................... SEE THE LOVELY PRODUCTIONS
dermined. The keystones of the .Age..................
F a m ily .............................................................................
..... BY OUK......
arches have been knocked out and R elig io u s B e lie f..............................................................................................
now, if left alone, the old affair
would fall to pieces of its own ac­ A Liberal Church would easily tive organization, our nine de­ Chicago T r im m e r !
cord. But a class of priest-work­ draw to it all this worthy class, mands or any other numlar ofde
men are drawing good salaries all who much rather act the full hon­ mands will he ignored. King Ca
291 Commercial Street,
the time to patch it up, rebuilding esty than to he all the time acting nute, to illustrate his own weak­
-
OREGON
some portions, remodelling others, untruthfully hv associating where ness, commanded the waters of the SALEM
hut using the same old bricks.
they cannot accept the advocated sea to recede. He might have
These earnest people stop now faith.
built a strong stone wall, and thus
Six Tracts to Promote
successfully
commanded
the
waves
and then to protest against our
The time is ripe for such a move­
shots, saying that a certain igno­ ment on the part of Liberals, espe­ of the sea. Are we now makii g I
rant class will be lost without the cially might such efforts he made demands to show our own weak­
hope and fear of orthodoxy. The in all the larger towns. We have ness? Let us build now an organ­
scientific infidel replies: “No, if a duty in the matter. That duty ization which will not only com­
In Place of C h ris tia n ity :
you will hut let the old faith go, gayg. p 0 not |,.t tj,e nineteenth mand the attenXion of the world,
1 Can ins be Forgiven?
these ignorant classes of which you century close without laying the hut its respect and admiration. 2 Does Christianity or Science Promote Civil­
speak will readily learn to obey foundation of a church whose re- We could not meet wrong anti
ization?
the Law that is. They will more ligion is wholly for Humanity and error w ith stronger weapons than 3 Is Religion or Science More Reliable?
gladly obey civil law, since no es- the pre8ent lift*. The time has Science and Reason. The Christian 4 Evolution and ConpariEon of Religions.
Does Belief in Miracles Benefit?
cape is held out to them to free
for Liberals, the possibility Church has sought to overcome J 5 Immortality
or Annikilttion?
themselves from punishment for of PUCceR8 being great, to remove | wrong by superstition and dogma.
y
JU 8 T T H E T H IN G
sin. I hey will welcome the hos- the charge that we have nothing to As a supernatural system it bases
to h an d to your C h ristian frien d s. Send
pitality of a Liberal Church which which we can point that is good, its claims for honor and respect 2 cen ts for 6, or 6 cents for 25 trac ts,
to E liza M owry B livkn , Brook­
will show them the way to better as a social organization; that we upon supernatural origin, a posi­
lyn, C onn., or send 10 cents
living, greater happiness ar.d self have nothing to offer in the place tion easily destroyed by Science. |
for 50, e ith e r kind or as­
sorted kinds, to
Let
us
then
show
to
the
church
the
respect.
of Christianity.
The time has
The time has now come when come to show the world that Lib foolishness of seeking to hold th<*[ THE LIBERAL UNIVERSITY CO.,
Concluded on 6th page.
, S liverlon
•
.
*
O regno
the free-thinker must candidly ask, erals are no more inclined to quar-
OH t i l i s s p i l t ,
The
New
Store
The Paris
S cientific
W isdom