T H E TORCH OF REASON, S IL V E R T O N , OREGON, AUGUST 23, E. M. 300 (1900.) A C h r istia n L a d y ’s C riticism R obert G. In g er so ll, and Our A n s w e r . of Much as the Cosmist declares ed so and to, th a t he said so and so, C hrist did not exist, th a t the ac th a t he was too ju st for so and so; cepted date of his b irth is th e ac but when we consider the accounts cepted dating of the governing as priests’ stories, the whole thing E ditor T orch of R eason : countries of a world, is an arg u loses its reality, the whole scheme “ The K ing of D eath,” by R. G. m ent which needs no statem ent of salvation drops to pieces and we Ingersoll, is a m isnom er, as, ac other th an the fact. T h at C hrist begin to look for som ething better. . . . IS A BOOK OF . . . cording to the sense of the article, is worshipped, loved, im itated, In regard to bis curing the sick and the title should have been, not the m illions of m en’s lives attest. H is perform ing the other act» attrib u ted R uler, but the “ Conqueror of self-nam ed mission was the con to him , there is not the slightest D eath .” As the wife of an old quering of death as it refers to a proof. friend of Mr. Ingersoll’s—Gen. le tte rin g of life, and his greatest Religious trad itio n s are not con Geo. E. Speucer, /U. S. S enator com m andm ent, “ Thou sh alt love sidered au th en tic history by m odern from A labam a, I have frequently, the Lord thy God with thy whole historians. If B ancroft would give On the following and a t his social receptions, debated h e a rt,” etc., was im m ediately de the trad itio n s of th e races of men as kindred Subjects : with Mr. Ingersoll, not because I fined by “ the second is like unto real history, he would be ignored by S e lf C o n tro l wished to differ from him , but be the first—and thy neighbor as th y every intelligent stu d en t in the cause, in ethics, as well as in re self.” T his was p art and parcel of the world. T h at such a people as the S e lf R e s p e c t ligious ideas, I believe th a t Mr. practical m orality, the intelligent Mormons exist and that one Joseph W h a t is M o ra lity ? In g erso ll’s prem ise was, according m inistry, of the greatest teacher Sm ith was a leader am ong them a t W h a t is Ig n o ran ce to accepted stan d ard s, wrong. th a t ever sought to raise m ankind. one tim e is good history. T h at he Fraud a C rim e As the widow of Gen. Spencer, I For who knows w hat love of God was mobbed and believed to b e a H a b it, 2 n d N a tu r e find myself again confronted by an means? But all know the regard great prophet by thousands of peo P o liteness incorrect premise of the m aterially for one’s own comfort, the effort for ple, can be easily believed; but th at dead R. G. Ingersoll; for while, ac one’s own advance, the protection he found such plates of gold as his W isdom cording to my ideas, if spirit exists, of one’s own life and property, followers claim ed he did; th a t he E tc , e tc ., e tc . One of these chapters is it finds its expression in form — which come under the nom encla perform ed wonderful miracles; th at W orth more to m a tte r—an d I am unable to su b ture of instinct, so in h eren t is this God revealed to him th a t polygam y Young and old than the Price of the book. s ta n tia te w hat species of m atter — the love of self; therefore the is the proper thing, etc., etc., is too . . IT SHOULD BE IN . . follow’s the changing of this earth ly com m and, “ Love thy neighbor as absurd to e n te rta in , and is not con physical form, I m ust, for the sake thyself.” sidered good history, excepting by of convenience, accept the term , Im perfectly, persistently, with the religious fanatics— his followers. and receive a the m aterial death or change of R. m any discouragem ents and much The fact th a t belief in Joseph Sm ith n e a tly c lo t h - G. Ingersoll. failure, still persistently is man has lived is no proof th a t M orm on b o u n d c o p y , p o s t p a id . A sking pardon for this prelude, striving for the betterm ent of self, ism is really true. And so it is A G E N T S W ANTED. perm it me to take up the printed which attain in g , becomes bet with C hrist and C h ristia n ity . T h a t --------A D D R E SS-------- tho u g h ts of Mr. Ingersoll, which, term ent of all the world and the m any men for m any years believed T o r c h ©f R e a s o n well worded, as were his usual acceptance of the brotherhood of in w itchcraft is a fact, but there S il v e r t o n - O regon . thoughts, have not yet changed m an. In this weak, faulty effort are no witches. The belief in th eir m aterial form. is the w orship of th a t C hrist whose C hrist as a divine being does not .F o r s t n e r ’s . 1. C h rist never claim ed the do character made historians like J o even prove th a t he ever existed. ing of m iracles. His assertion was, sephus and Renan single out his And again, we m ust never forget “ I come to establish the law .” He life for their highest homage. th a t it pleased the great rulers, who IS INVALÜABE TO was too ju st to have accepted, had fn th e early days accepted this A believer in Jesus C hrist, the offering been m ade, the suspen “ religiou of love,” I > force this be C arp en ters a n d Jo in ers, for m ortising, M rs . G eorge E. S pencer . such as letting in locks, as it takes tl»e sion in his favor of any law, and lief upon th e doubters and th eir place of chisel and gouge; to OUR ANSW ER. far too in tellig en t to have believed innocent babes, by the cruel agen C abinet M ak ers, for inlaid work, dow th a t an y law of an y w ell-regulated W ith due respect for the C h rist cies of dungeon, rack and fire. el ling, patching, removing splits and m achine could be, by an y m achin ian lady, whose real acquaintance knots. In fact, no To be sure, when lowly people ist, for an in sta n t suspended w ith with m odern saviors like R obert G. come in contact with our “ C hris W agon or P a tte rn M ak er m anufactur out d istu rb in g , not only the h a r Ingersoll, saves her from more than tian n atio n s,” th eir own crude er of pianos, organs, sewing m achines, • agricultural im plem ents, sash, blinds, m onious working of th a t m achine, her im aginary acquaintance with a su p erstitio n s are often laid aside, furniture, nor but also d istu rb in g the m achine it Jew who is supposed to have lived and by the great influence of Secu e r W o o d w o rk e r, sh o u ld be self. Therefore, he worked with some two thousand years ago, we larism , which is in our co u n try in A n w y ith O o th u t it. th e laws, not ag ain st them . T h a t kindly offer her a few suggestions re spite of its superstitions, they are he cured the sick an d performed lative to her ideas of the above-men broadened—raised to a higher AS A MACHINE BIT IT IS UNEQUALED. the various acts a ttrib u te d to him , tioned saviors. We think th a t Mr. plane of life. They do not neces Il <s the only round bit in the world th a t will bore a SQUARE HOLE m ust have tr u th — fact—as the Ingersoll’s name for Jesus, “ K ing of sarily become C hristians, however, and do all th at any other basis of such acts, is more proven D eath,” is better than “ Conqueror in th is their passage from darkness bit will do. th a n any facts of or in any other of D eath,” for, while Jesus rules to light. The Religion of Science PRICE historical record. For, despite the quite a kingdom of subjects who and H u m a n ity does it all. C hris Set of five, different sizes,postpaid.. $2.60 terrible crim es com m itted by u n in are “ over there” in thought instead tia n ity , in urging the “ snake Single bit, postp aid ................................go telligence un d er the nam e of C hris of using their m ental force here stories” onto the poor heathen, 02016273 tian ity , an d following the leader where it is needed, he never con only hinders his progress, but, of Address, LIBERAL SILVERTON OREGON. ship of the various C hristian sects, quered death in any w a y The course, w hether he ever believes C h ristian ity an d belief in C hrist priests, years after C hrist is sup the old stuff or not, C h ristia n ity have lived. W hile the various posed to have lived (even taking alw ays takes the credit for his civi other religious teachers, holding C hristian statistics as evidence) lization. T« e W e have not alw ays taken th eir followers who claim wonder wrote the account of his life and ful deeds as the corner-stones of teachings; and ifan y o n e will th in k , C h rist’s b irth as a startin g point SILVERTON, OREGON. th eir various o ther religions, while he or she will not fail to see th a t in our datin g . T h a t was forced Founded on Science and H u th e believers therein m ay num ber Christ him self had but very little upon the world u r d e r severe m anity. The Only Institution of the Kind. Write for An more th an the C hristiaus, yet when to do with the acts or doctrines a t p en alty by a C hristian ruler. Secu nouncements. T he T orch of brought in contact with the C hris tributed to him. They were taken larists now use th e b u rn in g of R eason is a weekly journal of tian (so-called) countries and laws, from other older religious teachings, Bruno as their s ta rtin g point, but __ Progressive, Moral Secularism. Sample copy free. finding them selves opposed to an put into C h rist’s dead m outh and th a t does not prove th a t B runo was average higher intelligence, are have been used by the priests to divine. Jesu s may have been a great generally influenced by this in telli keep up th eir confidence game ever K A M P I F c o p ile o f 100 d iffe ie n t Leading teacher for his tim e, but th e words O n m l L L NcwHpnpPo and Magazine« sent to gence, only the higher surm ounts since. any add rea* apon receipt of 10 cent« to pay for m ailing. U . S H u b h c r ip t io N A o bk cy , 126 N . the lower. Our friend says th a t Christ claim Concluded on 6th page. Liberty St, Indianapolis, la d . RIGHT LIVING I * S ix ty E x c e lle n t C h a p ter s EVERY HOME! LIBERAL § UNIVERSITY