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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1900)
T orch R eason . of ‘ TRUTH BEARS THE TORCH IN THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH.” - ^ VOL. 4. ^ ^ SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, E. M. 300 (A. D. 1900.) G iordano B runo. . NO. 10. At first, the term was taken to ritating error, or the caprice of a wonder. I am aware that the as he a “mask” concealing sinister restless mind, is to be encouraged. BY AUGUSTUS WATTERS. features—a “new name for an old It is necessary to promote inde sumed instinctive belief in God has been used by many persons as an thing”—or as a substitute term for pendent thought—whatever its he last day ! Tomorrow, as the morn doth break, , skepticism or atheism. If impres manner of manifestation—since argument for his existence. But this is a rash argument, as we This breathing, sensient, fleshly sions were always knowledge, men temple— there can be no progress without it. should thus be compelled to believe This weird alxxle of sorrow and of joy— would be wise without inquiry, and A Secularist is intended to be a in the existence of many cruel and Will fall as leaves before the autumn explanations would be unneces- reasoner, that is, as Coleridge de blast. malignant spirits, only a little Well, lie it so. To ripen precious grain, s^yr. The term Secularism was fined him, one who inquires what a more powerful than man, for the That feeds the toiler and renews his chosen to express the extension of thing is, and not only what it is, belief in them is far more general strength, The shining leaves must fall and turn to Freethought to ethics. Freethink but why it is what it is. than in a beneficent deity. The dust. ers commonly go no further than “One of two great forces of Jn far-off, happy days, the blood now shed saying, “We search for truth.” opinion created in this age is what idea of a universal and beneficent «reator does not seem to arise in Will rise again in freedom’s deathless Secularists say we have found it— is known as atheism, which de the mind of man until he has been boughs, And in their shade the ransomed world at least, so much as replaces the prives superstition of its standing elevated by long-continued culture. wrill laugh. chief errors and uncertainties of ground and compels theism to And other worlds, which madmen now He who believes in the advance theology. deny, reason for its existence. The other ment of man from some low organ Will shed a benison upon my tomb. Harriet Marlineau, the most in force is materialism, which shows And yet, to live is sweet. Alas, how oft, ized form will naturally ask, How When Spring hath broken into rosy trepid thinker among the women of the physical consequences of error, does this bear on the belief in the smiles, her day, wrote to Lloyd Garrieon a supplying, as it were, beacon lights And sparrows chirped about the cottage immortality of the soul? The bar letter (inserted in the Liberator, to morality. eaves, barous races of man, as Sir J. Lub Have I resolved that I would fight no 1853) approving “the term Secu “Though respecting the right of bock has shown, possess no clear more. I did not long for what the bigots dream, larism as including a large number the atheist and theist to their the belief of this kind; but arguments A city built of amethyst and gold, of persons who are not atheists and ories of the origin of nature, the With gates of pearl engirt with crystal derived from the primeval beliefs uniting them for action, which has Secularist regards them as belong seas, of savages are, as we have just For heaven did greet me in each sunny Secularism for its object. By the ing to the debatable ground of seen, of little or no avail. Few nook. I asked no comrades but the birds and adoption of the new’ term, a vast speculation. Secularism neither persons feel any anxiety from the flowers, amount of prejudice is got rid of.” asks nor gives any opinion upon impossibility of determining at And brawling streams that leap beneath At length it was seen that the “new them, confining itself to the en the pines, what precise period in the develop And kindly peasants that forestalled my term” designated a new conception. tirely independent field of study— ment of the individual, from the needs. Secularism is a code of duty per the order of the universe. Neither I craved not gold, nor frescoed living first trace of a minute germinal tom bs, taining to this life, founded on asserting nor denying theism or a vesicle, man becomes an immortal Nor hollow joys that stultify the heart. My crowning heresy was to love man considerations purely human, and future life, having no sufficient being: and there is no greater kind. intended mainly for those who find reason to give if called upon, the cause for anxiety because the Because I could not brook tfie fawning theology indefinite or inadequate, fact remains that material influ knave, period cannot possibly be deter The subtle despot and the jibbering unreliable or unbelievable. ences exist, vast and available for mined in the gradually ascending dunce, Its essential principles are three: good, as men have the will and wit organic scale. That weave their meshes to destroy the mind, 1. The improvement of this life to employ them. Whatever may They’d fain give out that I ’m a spotted I am aware that the conclusions by material means. fiend. be the value of metaphysical or arrived at in this work [The De And so, to die is best. For thoughtful 2. That Science is the available theological theories of morals, util scent of Man] will be denounced bv eyes That ope before their time in desert Providence of man. ity in conduct is a daily test of some as highly irreligious, but he wastes, 3. That it is good to do good, common sense, and is capable of who denounces them is bound to Ere toiling suns with fierce alembic ray Have crumbled rocks and touched the hether there be other good or deciding intelligently more ques show why it is more irreligious to savage soul, The way to paradise is through the fire. not, the good of the present life is lion» of practical duty than any explain the origin of man as a dis .’ J ____ good, and it is good to seek that other rule. Considerations which tinct species by descent from some I ertain to the general welfare oper lower form, through the laws of good. Third Stage of Freethought— Individual good attained by ate without the machinery of then- variation and nalura, »election, Secularism. »»plain the birth of the methods conducive to the good of logical creed» and over masse» of than others is the highest aim of man, men in every land, to whom Chris- individual through the laws of BY G. J. HOLYOAKE. whether regard be had to human tian incentives are alien, or disre- ordinary reproduction. The birth, [English Secularism. both of the species and of the indi- welfare in this life or personal fit gar ed. “ Nothing is destroyed until it has ~ vidual, are equally parts of that ness for another. Precedence is been replaced.”—Madame de Stael. therefore given to the duties of this Belief in God Not Instinctive, grand sequence df events, which our eeing this wise maxim in a life. minds refuse to accept as the result paper by Auguste Comte, I Being asked to send to the In BV CHARLES darwin , m . a ., ll . d ., F.R.s. <»f blind chance. The understand asked my friend, Wm. de ing revolts at such a conclusion, Fonveille, who was in communica ternational Congress of Liberal he belief in God has often whether or not we are able to be tion with Comte, to learn for me Thinkers (1886) an account of the been advanced as not only lieve that every slight variation of t He authorship of the phrase. Com- tenets of the English party known as Secularist», I gave the following' ‘'"j. ’’l m."H‘ 9lructure- "'r in structure, ,he the union of each P pair ,p answered that it was the Em explanation to them: I, P the distinctions be- marriage, the dissemination of each peror’s (Napoleon III.). It first "Thp Sppillur i. H i n t , k ‘ a " 4 th e <>Wer "Ppd’ and ° thpr BUCf> «VSntS have appeared, as I afterwards found, in 1 he Secular is fr.Qtr.ri that, u the ♦ i, issues , n iR ’ however ’ 1 im n Po88ir)le, n a « ih lp i. i. a • , nf whinh nan a8 we a jj been ordained for some special the writings af Madame de Stae], of which can he tested by the ex- have seen, to maintain that this nurnose perience of this life. belief is innate or instinctive in ? and more fully expressed by her. S»df- regarding criticism having “The ground common to all self- man. On the other hand, a belief discovered the insufficiency of the determined thinkers is that of in- in all-pervading spiritual agencies Progress is enlightenment. It is ology for ^ e guidance of man, dependency of opinion, known as seem» to be universal, and appar- daylight instead of darkness. En- next sought to ascertain what rules I reethought, which, though but an ently follows from a considerable lightenment is knowledge where human reason may supply for the impulse Of intellectual courage in advance in man’s reason and from once was ignoranoe. It is assured independent conduct of life, which the search for truth, or an impulse a still greater advance in his facul- fact where once was doubt.—fSus- is the object of Secularism. of aggression against hurtful or ir- ties of imagination, curiosity and an H. VVixon. T o tlin w S T ____ a ? ___ ___ « • «