n
For the Torch of Reanon.
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, NOVEMBER, 2-1, 1898.
toms right?” developed to such a that. I actually repeated the Lord’s
was killed and several wounded,
ONE BOY’S EXPER IEN C E.
degree that I became a family nuis­ prayer several times, in the vain
and they finally settled matters by
ance
and
was
denounced
as
a
very
hope
that
it
might
offset
any
re­
A T ru e S tory.
casting votes, as men do nowadays
“fresh kid.” My opponents took mark I may have made derogatory
at church fairs for the purpose of
BY GEORGE RYAN.
the ground that a boy of my age to His character.
electing the most popular or beau­
had no right to investigate, and
Parson Brown, and I can’t dis­
As a boy I believed implicitly in even if I did find mistakes in the associate him from the Rev. C. O., tiful young lady in the parish.
the infallibility of the Bible and in Bible 1 had no right to ridicule came around the following Sundav, Just think of it! a dozen or more
the goodness and mercy of God. I them, as they were holy. That but, owing to the fright be gave me bibles, and men actually casting
| votes to determine which of those
stood in awe of the parson, and for must have made Gabriel roar.
on his previous visit, I made myself books was the inspired word of
a long tim e I believed that he was
About this time I paid a visit to scarce for the time being. He was God! .
in direct communication with the my grandparents, a sanctified old hot on my trail, though, and made
Such things as that ought to con­
Almighty and held the fate of the couple, in the northern part of Illi­ arragements to have me attend
neighborhood in his hand. As time nois. There I became acquainted prayer meeting \V ednesday evening vince any one with a thimbleful of
brains that man made God and the
wore on and I began to take notice with my evil genius, a young min­
with the old folks. On receiving Bible instead of God making man
of things and reason a little, a sus­ ister named Brown, and I am un­
this announcement, my thinker
picion crept into my mind that der the impression that he is iden­ was again put in motion, and I be and the Bible; but there are very
things were not exactly as he rep­ tical with the San Francisco par­ gan figuring on my chances with few Christians that ever heard of
such a council. I have generally
resented.
son of Mattie Overman fame. Bv Him and the parson, but the prop
found infidels better posted on the
Little by little I discovered dis­ the way, how is it that there is osition was too strong for me.
crepancies in his stories, those little such a host of Browns doing such knew’ that I could expect little or Bible and church history than
anecdotes that pulpiteers are in the jeoman service in the army of the no sympathy or help from the old Christians. Perhaps that is what
habit of telling to illustrate a point­ Lord? Witness the Rev. C. 0., San folks, as they had cited several makes them infidels.
The old gentleman talked clear
less argument; they did not amount Francisco; Rev. T. J., late chaplain
cases of heavenly retribution for
to much individually, but collec­ of the Wisconsin state prison, ac­ blasphemy and had often predicted and plain, and his statements
tively they were enough to create a cused of stealing convicts’ money; the gallows, at least, for me, if I were self evident truths, which
only needed his simple language
fair sized doubt in my mind con­ Rev. Samuel F., St. Louis, arrested
did not make a radical change in for me to recognize them as
cerning either his veracity or mem­ for adultery and attempting to poi­
my mode of thought, but this fact such. His ideas appealed to my
ory, and as I grew, the doubt fol­ son his wife, and several other
did not cause them any special un­ reason, while the parson’s preyed
lowed suit, until it had outgrown Browns that I have read of but
easiness; they would have been on my fears, consequently I was
me, two to one.
can’t place just at present.
perfectly satisfied if I had only con­ more than willing to shake the par­
In the meantime the parson’s
I am wandering from the sub­ formed outwardly to the village
son, which I did—but of that, later
son and I had become chums, and ject. To return, this Brown, that customs.
on.
from observing his easy familiarity I have to do with, was apparently
Once I asked grandfather if he
He quoted Thomas Paine: “Any
with things sacred and religious, I an honest,(?) earnest(?) Christian
didn’t feel sorry when he thought system of religion that shocks the
soon lost all fear of the parson, worker, doing his utmost to con­
of how I was doomed to everlasting mind of a child cannot be a true
especially when parson, jr., con- vert the world to his way of think­
fire and brimstone. He replied, system’ ; “No man ought to make
tided such ecclesiastical secrets to ing, believing, in fact knowing that
with a beautiful smile, that was my a living by religion”; “One person
me as that his ‘‘old man" worked his way was the right way and
lookout, not bis; salvation was free cannot act religion for another —
nearly the whole week writing, that all other roads led to hell. In
and if I did not see fit to accept, it every person must act for himself”.
copying from books and papers and some manner he learned that I was
was my own fault—surely be him­ From his own experience he said,
memorizing his Sunday sermon, inclined to be a scoffer, and think
self bad often warned me.
“Religion must be regarded, not as
and that he had never held any ing perhaps he could gain a point
This jolly old couple used to lead a speculative moral supposition,but
communication with the Almighty on satan, he for with presented him­
in prayer and eloquently exhort at as a real moral problem, a thing to
any more than my “old man” had. self to me in his role of sky pilot.
the Wednesday night prayer meet­
He also told mein the strictest con­
He first took soundings and, as I ings, and always touched with pe­ be enacted in every day society,
and not necessarily, not wisely, not
fidence that the “old man” made was not a bit backward in putting
culiar
modesty
upon
the
fact
that
safely compromised with theolog­
him weary with his “old guff” forth my little stock of questions,
about heaven and hell, and the he soon had my depth. I suppose they themselves were without ical dogmas, church rules, disci­
sin. They held their condition pline or observance of any formu­
only difference between ministers he fairly gloated over his prospec­
and other business men was that tive victory. He was an oily quite as a matter of course, so can lated belief in things mysterious,
the ministers lied twice as much for tongued “Holy Joe from the old not be accused of an overweening mythical, speculative or at all out­
half the money, or words to that house,” and the ease with which he egotism. They were confident that side of the practical obligations of
effect. I have since come to the disposed of my stock of goods was for themselves there was a paradise life. All these should be discarded
conclusion that parson, jr., was an horrible. IIow he did explain this, of unending bliss in the world to as non-essential, divisive and injur­
come, and were equally certain
exceptionally bright boy.
that and the other away, and inter­ that most other folks were going to ious, and only that accepted which
actually bonds the intelligence and
Now that I had become enlight­ pret! \\ hy, he could interpret the
perdition;
still
they
claimed
to
be
affections to the whole human fam­
ened regarding the man, I began to wolfish snarls of the anthropophagi
bappy.
ily, Io treat them all according to
be a trifle suspicious about the over their periodical feast and
So
for
want
of
a
better
confidant,
their just demands. There exists
book, and started out on a sort of translate it into a nightingale’s
I told my troubles, past, present in human nature those powers of
still hunt for some one capable of love song.
and future to an old fellow that
enlightening me on that point. I
He would bring up a bunch of so used to go around with a barrel on instinct, reason, sentiment and
emotion which are the sources of
met quite a number that did not called facts to offset one contradic­
wheels,
gathering
swill
for
bis
pigs.
purity and truth, and these are:
believe in all the ghost, fish, snake tion, and then go back and dig up
“1. Approval of what is true and
and Balaam’s ass stories, but at some old prophesy to prove that the The village gossips called him ec
centric,
slightly
demented,
foolish,
just, pure and good.
the same time did not feel safe in one inconsistency was absolutely
"2. Delight in what is beau.iful
disbelieving the authenticity of the necessary in the scheme of salva­ crazy, anti-Christ and infidel, ac­
cording
to
their
capacity
for
recog
and lovely.
whole book. The ideas derived tion. He so turned and twisted
from these kind of people and the words, verses and chapters that I nizing right thinking and right liv­
“3. Disapproval of what is false
ing.
1
he
old
gentleman,
whose
and unjust, ugly and evil.
contradictions and inconsistencies was soon placed hors de combat,
“4. A sense of gratitude for fa­
I had discovered in the little exam­ and he then sermonized for an hour name was Patton, was a veritable
Klondike
for
sympathy
and
en­
vors bestowed.
ination I had given the book, con­ or so, and finally left me with the
Ditto on Bible
“5. A sense of compassion for
vinced me that I was on the right parting shot: “Think! just think of couragement.
myths,
church
history,
evolution,
suffering.
track anyhow, and the habit of the consequences of your unbelief.
etc.
asking such questions as “Who I will see you again soon.’
6. A sense of guilt for failure to
He
told
me
about
the
council
of
cherish and execute any of these
was Cain’s wife?” “Is the earth fiat ' I did think, too. “Here, old
and has it four corners, as the Bi­ boy, I said to myself, “you aie priests, held for the purpose of de­ inborn sentiments or for any other
ble states?” “ Did not God establish i about to get into trouble if xou termining which of the many Bi­ wrong doing.
polygamy, slavery and cannibal-: don’t quit doubting a< d making bles, then in existence, was the true
These are the increated constitu­
word
o
f
God.
How
their
arguments
ism, and is either oue of these cus- , lun of His book.” or something like
tional endowments of human na­
waxed so warm that one delegate ture, and to cultivate and utilize