THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, SEPTEMBER 28, 1899.
,,
•
it is the truth, and truth our own weaknesses; and in order
Off ,WG i 7 4 \ ao H d h L C^ e n r h8urry. alone can finally and fully satisfy to put the children of earth in the
civilized ) world naw
w j
,
_____
ust
way to overcome these, wo
we m
must
¡„g along in the miry path map- the human mmd.
have a truer, a more progressive
The Only Paper of Its Kind.
ped out by bible makers; ever chas
religion than the religion that
JUD
G
E
NOT.
ing the ignis fatuus of a god’s
teaches what its teachers do not,
Published Weekly l;y the L»*™1 Uni-
,
pleasure
or
fleeing
from
the
deliri­
versity Com pany, in the In tere sts
and cannot practice, and holds that
We
are
told
to
judge
not
that
we
C onstructive, Moral S e c u la n t .
um tremens of his wrath. Instead
to believe is to be saved.
of the noble company that the peo- 'be not jadp, and that with what
We judge (and we judge that we
J. E. Hosmer,
P. W. Qeer,..
Torch of Reason
Entered
at the ^o ffice at Silverton,
E ntered at m e
--
Oregon, as second-class m ail m atter.
»""running thia way to follow as well as f
o
r
<<- ever had)
and that, stumbling, quarreling, yet God s only son, i e„ God mam
«
of Humanity will come.
condemning, judging and wasting test in the flesh, the one that is
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
their energies in vain and foolish said to have been in the beginning
»* 1 Q0
TH O UG H TS OF OUR W O RK .
One year, in a d v a n c e ......................... *
endeavors. Christianity is an aw- with God, and God himself,'judged
Six m onths, in a d v an c e ....................
25 ful failure. It has robbed the world certain ministers of his time very
T hree m onths, in a d v an c e ................
Perhaps it was no
Our vacation work is drawing to
In clubs of five or m ore, one year,
75 of its reason and sent it staggering harshly.
in advance.................................•/
more than they deserved, but if his a close, and evente that are very
Money should l»e sent by registered along a path of miracles to a home
of superstitious ignorance. Men doctrine is true he set a very bad important to our University are
le tte r or m oney order.
and women, who have had a spark example for men to follow in ex­ crowding themselves upon us in
of reason left, have been forced to pressing his judgment in such rapid succession. We have a larg­
Notice!
play the hypocrite. The young harsh terms. Hypocrites and a er crew of men working than at any
generation of vipers is what gentle time during the history of the
A h a n d pointing to th is notice denotes have gone into lives of dishonesty,
th a t your su b scrip tio n has e x p ired . dissipation or stupid indifference. Jesus called those who prayed school.
Students have begun to
You are earn estly requested to re ­
standing in their churches and on arrive, Professor Wakeman is ex-
new so th a t you m ay receive th e p a­ This has all been because humani­
per w ithout in te rru p tio n . \ \ e have de­ ty, in its evolution, has not yet the street to be heard of men. He pected on the next train, and every­
cided th a t it is best for all concerned
also went into a church and made thing is hurry and bustle. No one
th a t we do not send papers longer th a n reached a state of mental powei
th e tim e paid for unless so ordered. sufficient to grasp the laws of na­ the delicate followers of Jehovah knows how full of joy we are at the
T his will prevent any loss and we will
ture, and thus, there being a chance climb over the pews in a lively fourth year’s opening of the Liberal
know just where we stan d .
We request you to semi us th e nam es for the most cunning to use our ig­ manner.
University. Troubles that at first
of Secularists who m ight become suh-
We have often wondered what annoyed us, seem to have vanished
ecriliers and we will m ail sam ple copies. norance to their advantage, they
the effect in our time if iand the school will open with a
,,v,u.u be
~~----------
have used it as naturally as a spi­ would
der captures and devours a fly. some one would, in exact imitation . jarge attendance, in a fine, new
with new teachers to assist
But as men evolved more cere­ of Jesus, go into the synagogues j
(modern churches) and chase th e ! ug
tbe grPat and responsible
SE C U LA R ISM ALONE S A T IS F IE S . bral capacity, they questioned the
i work of instruction, and with a
oppressive religions, and some of preachers out with a club.
But Jehovah himself, i. e., the mogt note(j Freethought lecturer,
There are three great and radi­ the bolder ones, taking advantage
cally different ideas struggling for of this, led off, forming other spe­ one that was not in the beginning abje anj willing to do great things
mastery in the minds of the hu­ cies; and, just as species of the an­ with himself—the father seems to jor our peer)egg cause.
What a heaven this earth can be
man family. They are the God imal kingdom, by long separation, judge both his friends and his ene-
idea, the Spiritualistic idea and the jecome orders and branches, so mies, and as we are taught that it maj ej How happy we are in the
our choice, and how con­
Secular idea. The advocates of lave the different religious and re­ is a very desirable thing to be god- , wor^
like, how can we follow the words tented we are with the world and
these different lines of thought have ligious ideas originated.
Under the Spiritualistic branch of the son, “Judge not”? If there everything in it, when we realize
some common ground on which to
stand, and two of them often over­ comes theosophy, the ideas of heav­ is, as the Christians claim, an eter­ that we are, have been, and will
— hell,
----, or any „ kind of eternal ¡continue to be in a state of pro­
lap and mingle, hut in the main en, angels, etc., all having origi­ nal
they are widely separated. They nated in a common stock, way punishment, then God has set us a , greg8ion—evolution. The great joy
He has
has judged
iudsed
have experienced in the last
can not all be right. Many think back in the ages of myth and dark­ very poor example. He
that the truth of their theories est ignorance. That these ideas those over whom he has power and few weeks, with our heads and
matters hut little in compar­ are absolutely false is proven by at least allowed them to suffer a muscles at work with all* their
ison with the question of their the fact that, after years of vain at­ horrible punishment that he could might, is superlative. We are all
benefit to the world.
We hold tempts to prove them true, not one certainly prevent if he is all-power­ in good health; we love and respect
ful. Where
....... is there a human
. be- each other; our aims are high; and
that truth in the long run is always has been really proven. This lack --...........
perhaps, is that we are
of more benefit than falsehood, and of proof is proof enough of their ing, outside of the penitentiary 01
the insane asylum, who would
I
many are born with such a strong falsity.
Secularism originated in pure as cruel as God is represented9
It takes but little to make people
desire for its triumph that they
Would
you,
dear
Christiau
friend,
happy or miserable, and it is a great
would see the whole universe sacri- thoughts concerning the real things
allow
us,
even
if
we
are
Infidels,
to
source of happiness to us to believe
rificed rather than to see ‘‘truth which really do exist and which
thus
suffer
if
you
could
prevent
it
affect our lives. While the God idea
that in a few short years this great
forever crushed to earth.”
by
your
most
earnest
prayers?
Is
With the God idea is generally and the idea of spirits is abnormal,
country will he transformed from a
God
able
to
save
all
men?
If
so,
associated the theory of a son of Secularism is normal and perfectly
selfish, hypocritical, orthodox-cater­
will
he?
or
is
he
a
devil?
natural.
It
leads
its
devotees
to
God, or some kind of a savior. The
ing disunion to a great and glorious
Some
may
say
we
are
judging
Christian religion is one of this search for the truths of nature
union of a happy, progressive, Sec­
God,
but
we
are
not,
for
to
us
there
rather
than
formulating
and
be­
kind, and that it is founded on
ular people; and that we, the
is
no
such
being.
And
if
some
falsehood is very evident to an un­ lieving theories of a supernatural.
founders of the Liberal University,
time,
somewhere,
we
should,
as
bave been a factor on the right
It
is
the
only
plan
by
which
all
prejudiced student of history and
of
divigion Iine May the
science. It has done untold injury mankind can be reconciled and live many believe we shall, meet him,
her or it, we shall have as muc u njverBity and
and the
the principles it
to the people of both civilized and in peace, for it is truth itself.
Dear believer in gods and spirits, right to judge him, her or it as he advocates live long after we pio­
barbarous countries in the past,
present and future. How horrible come to this fountain of life and has to judge us. If he, she or it is neers, its humble servants, have
will ao
do us no ceage(j t0 be> excepting in the rec­
to the Christian mind is the false drink freely. The happiness of the good, he, she or it win
Our thoughts and deeds,
doctrine of Mohammed, of the Brah­ emotions alone is nothing compar­ harm; and as he, she or it as,
—
min priests and of Joseph Smith, ed to the happiness of your whole according to Christian belief, made
but if all or any of the varieties of being, including the highest faculty us what we are we can only as-
Liberality, courtesy, benevolence,
Christianity are built on wrong of reason. The love for gods and sert what we think to be our
principles, why is it not as wrong spirits is akin to the child’s love for rights, and fight the fiend to a , unselfishness, under all circum-
and why will it not do as much itsrag doll, but Secularism satis- finish. The story is false, it is only stances and toward all men—these
harm as the others? The farther fies the faculties of the will, of the a priest’s trick to gain power. qualities are to the world what the
we go on a wrong road the worse emotions and of the intellect. This ¡There is nothing to fear excepting linchpin is to the rolling chariot.