Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1899)
Z T H E TORCH O F REASON, SIL V E R T O N , O REG O N , JA N U A R Y 12. 1899. called “ sp iritu al science,’’ for it is th6 exact antipodes of classified knowledge—it is unclassified igno rance. We m ean every word we have said, but, like our opponent, or ra th e r our fellow searcher after tru th , w’e do not wish to quarrel with an v , and cede to all perfect liberty of thought. C u r m other is a C hristian and we would tru st her with our life. 5 Now the question is, does the Bible guns in this greatest o f wars, and very present help in tim e of need favor or enjoin polygam y? Mr. we are happy to believe th a t next (in case of shipw reck, for instance) R oberts says it does. H is oppos year, our building having been fin and will not let us drow n, when we ing religionists say it does not. So you see th a t in the last analysis ished, we will do such execution as call upon him , sam e as a wooden the question resolves itself into a will m ake the very walls of old su god does. question of Bible in terp retatio n : perstition shake to th eir founda- Says Dr. R asm us, “ The vital nothing more, nothing less. Now’, tions. H elp us plan the campaign! question of this age is dead ch il even though I believed l»oth the dren, wasted opportunities and Bible and the Book of Mormon, the The R everends’ M istakes. blasted lives. To m eet this despair grounds are too narrow for a liber there is but one. C hrist the son of al m an to stand upon. But as I do BY D. PRIESTLEY. not believe in the inspiration or in G od.” fallibility of either, you can readily W hy did he make this a world of The O regonian of M onday, Dec. see the u ntenable, not to say the despair? W hy did he not help the ridiculous position in which I would 26, has a page devoted to C h rist W hy does he not Besides, to be consist mas services in the P ortland world ages ago? T h e W a r is G e ttin g In t e r e s t in g . be placed. ent, it w ould be necessary th a t I churches. Not one of the clergy help it now? W hy should we ex X Never before in the w orld’s histo should believe th a t the Bible con said a w’ord about any historical pect help from priests and preach ry hsa old superstition been driven dem ns polygam y, and frankness proof th a t Jesus ever lived. Some ers who have only added burdens impels me to say th a t I do not be into the d ark corners as in the clos grievous to be borne? They give lieve th a t it does. If the Bible is of them m ixed the Jesus m yth with ing scene of the nineteenth centu right, polygam y is right. One of other m yths, but no one tried to us superstitions instead of facts— ry. The F reeth o u g h t papers and the principal reasons why I cannot show th a t the C hrist m yth had a d when we ask for bread they give us those who read and profit by them , accept the Bible as my m oral guide vantage over an y of th e others by wind. is because it teaches polygam y. So the F reethought societies, the con W hy docs not God help us now? being am enable to historic proof. I cannot join issues with those who tentions in the orthodox cam p, the Dr. R asm us said, “ The Jehovah If C hrist is ru n n in g th is world and stand on the Bible to accuse Mr. contact of the U nited States with Roberts for taking w hat I consider of the Old T estam ent is the Jesus he is Jehovah, you m ight as well C hristian Spain and the success of a rational in terp retatio n of the Bi of the New’.” Then th a t fixes the send us to the relentless savage the Liberal U niversity are putting ble. In other words, the only rea reputation of the loving Jesus. He who has brained our children as to the C hristian soldiers to flight or son why M ormons are any worse is th e one th a t drow ned all the the Jehovah who inspired D avid to th an M ethodists is because they enlisting them in our glorious cause warble, “ H appy sh all he be th a t stick closer to th e Bible than do the world with a flood; th a t inspired by the thousands. Then m any re M ethodists. To prove th a t Mor the bears to tear in pieces the forty taketh and d asheth th y little ones ligious questions are being forced mons do stay closer to Bible teach and two ch ild ren ; th a t sent the against the stones.” upon our governm ent which will ings th a n do o th er denom inations, F inally, Dr. R asm us says, “ T he plagues upon Egypt, and converted perm it me to call atten tio n to this, never be settled u n til they are set all the d u st of th a t country into last ch aracteristic of the C hrist d e in the epistle of Jam es: ‘Is any tled right. One of these questions lice; th a t ordered the slau g h ter of m anded by th is age is one who re sick am ong you? Let him call for is explained by th e recent words of th e elders of the church; and let tne M idianites, the A m elekites and w ards and blesses service.” a well known sain t who has been them pray over him , an o in tin g him B u t Jesus only rew ards and all the in h a b ita n ts of C anaan and acting as chaplain sn our arm y,the with oil in th e nam e of the Lord. not to spare old men or m aidens, blesses priests and preachers, and And the prayer of faith shall save Rev. Sam Sm all: infants or sucklings. He is the one he does th a t a t the pecuniary ex the sick and the Lord shall raise “ The ch aplains are a sort of sop him u p ,’ etc. Joseph Sm ith tau g h t who com m anded his chosen people pense of the people, who have to to the church sentim ent w ithout the same doctrine; so did P resident to m urder every one they could get perform good secular labor to get much substance to them . They Y oung, a n d so do they all, and, in roach of, through a long succes the money, all the same as C h in a ju s t take a m inister and p u t a u n i w hat is more, they practice it to m an when he buys wooden god. form on him with a silver cross on this day. So p ersistently do they sion of generations, until they had the shoulder, pay him $200 a practice it th a t a doctor friend of become as merciless as wild beastR. W hen the serv a n t of Jesus goes m onth and tu rn him loose on 1,200 m ine once said to me th a t ‘U tah W hen he came into this world him- w ithout food he starves; if he is de men w ithout any of th e im plem ents is the dam nedest place on earth in self, under an o th er nam e, he prived of w ater he will perish with of the scrip tu ral w arfare to fight which to practice medicine, for if threatened to send all who did not th irs t; if he falls in the fire he will with. I ’ve been disappointed. the p atient gets well, p ray er cured b u rn ; if he gets his head Under wa W hen I get out I ’m going to sug him; if he dies, the doctor killed agree w ith him into a lake of fire an d brim stone, where they should ter he will drown. Jesus, if he ex gest th at they do aw ay w ith the h im .’ ist, is u tte rly powerless, or entirely chaplains. I suppose there m ay be “ Again, suppose th a t it was heav wail and gnash th eir teeth forever. indifferent. S anta Claus fills the a howl, but it is better to face the en at w’hose gates B rother Roberts He is the one who com m anded th a t i issue and have the whole system was asking ad m ittan ce, instead of men should be stoned to death for ! ch ild ren ’s stockings with goodies; revised.” the United S tates congress, and he gathering a few sticks on the sab Jesus begs their pennies for the Then the seating of the Mormon should be refused on the grounds bath day. The an ti-clim ax was heathen. congressm an-elect is bringing facts of being a polygam ist; and he th a t when he settled in his own S u p erstition . should appeal the case to a jury to the notice of th e pious ones th a t composed of D avid, Solomon and country he could not keep his own will do the cause of F reethought A braham , w hat do you th in k would sabbath, and his chosen people, Today no intellig en t m an be very much good. T he following, be his chances for a seat? T hink whose ancestors he had so carefully lieves in the existence of devils— clipped from one of our exchanges, of A braham refusing B rother Rob educated in cruelty and m urder, no intelligent man believes th a t shows th e people th a t the Bible is erts a place in his bosom on the killed him! evil spirits cause disease — conse ground th a t he is a polygam ist! not a safe guide and th a t it has Dr. R asm us says, “ T he C hrist quently no in tellig en t m an believes Eh? How do you think th a t would been a defense for a great wrong look? Now, candidly, if B rother which this world needs is one who th at holy bones or rags, sacred hairs th a t perhaps has never before been Roberts is good enough to enter can meet and answ er the erv of de- or pieces of wood, can d d v e disease * heaven, to recline on A b ra h a m ’s spair of the hum an h e a rt.” brought to th eir notice: out, or in an y way bring back to bosom, and to play on h arp s of Yes. W h a t the world needs is the pallid cheek the rose of health “ P ro testan ts and M orm ons alike everlasting glory, is he not good believe, to a greater or less degree, enough for congress? I th in k so.” som ething helpful. If we have any In telligent people know th a t the in the inspiration of the Bible. god w’e w ant one who can do some- bone of a sain t has in it no greater M ar v of the people who are propos The appointm ent of a C atholic th in g all by him self—one who is a virtue th an the b o n e o f any anim al. ing to fight Mr. R oberts believe, or arch-bishop, by P resident M cK in present power in this world. We T hat a rag from a w andering beg claim to believe, th a t the Bible, ley, to fill a very im p o rtan t posi w ant a god, if we have any, th a t we gar is ju st as g o o d as one from a from ‘kiver to k iv er,’ is the in sp ir tion is also causing m uch discus ed word of God; th a t it was given can find ourselves, w ithout in te r saint, and th a t the h a ir of a horse sion am ong we “ little fish,” and if bv in sp iratio n ; th a t it is an in falli vention of priest or preacher. If will cure disease ju s t as quickly and ble m oral guide; th at it lays down we can just keep the thing rolling, we have a god who can not build surely as the h air of a m artyr. We proper rules of faith and practice; the United S tates will not only do him self a house, we w ant one who now know th a t all the sacred relics th a t its precepts are good, and th a t as F rance has done, take “ In God is not fool enough, when we build are religious ru b b ish ; th at those its injunctions are binding in every we tru s t” off the coins of the realm , p articu lar. These people insist th at him one,to set it afire with lightning who use them are for the most p a rt the Bible opposes polygam y, and but will take this m iserable super or destroy it by a cyclone. One dishonest, and th a t those who rely for th a t reason they oppose it. Now stition from th e m inds of our peo who is a t least self-supporting — 1 on them are alm ost idiotic. if these sam e people could be m ade ple. We are proud to be in this who can pull one end of a cross-cut This belief in am ulets an d to believe th a t the Bible enjoin saw when we are tired , and who is | charm s, in ghosts and devils, is s u ed, or even endorsed, polygam y, fight for liberty and tru th . We believe the Liberal U ni not im pecunious enough to beg perstition pure and sim ple.—[R . they would favor it; it would be sacrilege for them not to do so. versity to be one of the greatest pennies of children. One who is a I G. Ingersoll.