2
TH E TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, DECEMBER 13, E. M. 3U0
world requires the developm ent of an atm osphere of duplicity and de- m aybe you can never learn the re- fishness; th at there is no royal
intelligence, the acquisition of ceit, th a t, whenever discovered in lation of the different m embers of way by which a m an can cheat a c
knowledge. Even the old doctrine m an or women, ought to insure the solar systems to each other, but o ther w ithout cheating
him self
of innate ideas has been rejected, in stan t expulsion from the innocent this is the way it is dem onstrated. more; th a t there is no injury m an
He comes sim ply, as the w itty doc- presence of the child.
In the de- If you cannot leai n it for yourself, can do his fellow man in igi orance
tor called him, a m arsupial possi- velopm ent of m ind nothing is so if you cannot see it to be true, if and blindness or in wilful p la n
biiity, and the teacher is necessary necessary, so im p o rtan t, so large in you cannot m ake the d em onstra ning w ithout th a t injury reacting
in order th a t he m ay realize him- its returns, as absolute honesty, in tion a part of your intellectual inevitably upon him self; th a t the
self.
T h at is the aim of the tellectual fearlessness, m ental cour- equipm ent and assum e for yourself only sensible way to live in this
8fhoolhouse. It has to do with the age. There is more religion, more an original and individual relation world is to square oneself with
th in g s of this world.
Its realm is m orality, more of the uplift, that to th a t problem , then you can nev him self and his fellows as far as he
in the known, with facts or hy- comes from w hat we call the spir- er know it and you dont have to can.
potheses th a t are w arranted by itual influence in the stern, open believe it.”
I am prepared to say th a t the
facts.
I t has nothing to do with eyed, unapologetic Infidel than
As fast as work becomes d ru d g present state of society indicates
fate, nothing to do with religion, there is in the hesitating, halting, ery, duty irksom e, toil wearing, the result of the teachings of the
nothing whatever to do with the apologizing, half-baked orthodox and we rebel against it. no m atter churches. They are entitled to it;
unknow n.
believer.
what it is or in w hat realm our we give them credit for it and hold
My
position
is
th
a
t
in
this
world
This work of the schoolhouse
work may be, we can no longer do them responsible for its failures and
where
we
know
so
little,
in
this
confining itself to the things of the
our best, we cannot do even pass m istakes. For nineteen hundred
world
where
we
stand
yet
only
upon
present world brings it into direct
ing well.
The aim , then, of the years the church and society have
the
shore
of
the
illim
itab
le
ocean
of
and everlasting antagonism with
schoolhouse being to ad ju st m an ’s grappled with problem s as if newly
knowledge,
in
this
world
where,
as
the method of religion and of the
relation in this world, it follows sprung, and yet which have been
far
as
we
know,
there
is
every
church.
There is not, .there can
th a t w hatever progress m ankind in existence am ong men from the
where
and
in
all
things
absolute
never be, harm ony between the in
makes th a t progress will he coinci very dawn of organized society.
rectitude,
and
the
fidelity
of
eternal
stitu tio n founded on faith and the
dent and coextensive with the in- The church would change the heart
laws
th
a
t
cannot
be
broken
or
sus-
fluence of the schoolhouse.
in stitu tio n sworn to be loyal to
So far of m an; but let us change his brain
pended,
or
evaded
in
tnis
world
of
facte. T heir m ethods are essenti
as the world has ascertained, no let us enlarge his intelligence, let
ours,
which
we
fancy
to
be
the
ex
ally different; their aim s and their
revelation from beyond has helped us persuade him th a t he was horn
pression,
the
out-flowering
of
a
purposes forever and forever d i
any in the solution of problems to intelligence and th a t m orality is
great
and
universal
intelligence,
a
verge.
The church needs to care
that now are. So far as the theo good sense. In this world of ours
man
cannot
find
moral
health
u
n
little for this world, it is the other
ries of the church go they lie d i there is room for work, happiness,
less
he
is
dow
nright,
upright,
in
world th at it is concerned about;
rectly across the way of the prog and well-being for every one. I will
T h a t is the ress of the moral and intellectual
the schoolhouse needs to care little tellectually honest.
believe th a t n atu re intended th at,
And th a t is w hat the wellbeing of m ankind. Il has been
for the other world; it is this first step.
and is grieved, if she is capable of
world th a t concerns it.
The a t school aim s at. The schoolhouse is for niueteen centuries tau g h t that feeling, at our ills, our pains, and
tem pt to p ut education under the itself in the a ttitu d e of a learner under a su p ern atu ral plan, exploi our injustices; th at they are all u n
influence or control of the religious It does not represent an authority led by a su p ern atu ral church, necessary; th a t they are burdens
principle or the religious idea has outside of itseif. It can give the there m ight he a break between acts laid upon us because we have had
alw ays and m ust ever fail.
There child nothing except w hat it can and their consequences.
too much religion.
persuade
the
child
is
true.
It
has
can be no such th ing as religion
After nineteen centuries of the — When we have spent nine
no
divine
au
th
o
rity
.
It
does
not’
and science, there car. only be the
old teaching the world has settled teen hundred years looking to the
threaten
nor
coerce
nor
repress
or
religion of science.
Any garb, or
alm ost nothing.
Society is yet school room, we shall have a new
bully
the
in
tellect
of
toe
child.
robe, or gown th at proclaim s and
chaotic, governm ent is yet in the order of things, a nenw civilization,
The
church
does
all
of
those
things
proffers any religion is out of place
experim ental stage.
There are new liberties, new justice, new h a p
The
church
says
we
c
a
n
’t
know
upon a teacher. Any hook th a t by
men who believe th at no society piness, new well-being for all m an
an
y
th
in
g
about
w
hat
is
tru
e
be
prejudgem ent is above the reach of
upon the earth is securely e sta b kind. If the Infinite had been o rd
cause
we
are
carn
ally
m
inded.
criticism , investigation and exam
lished, but th a t there is com ing a aining an y th in g (and I w ant you
There
is
nothing
for
you
to
do
but
ination, has no place in the school.
time of cataclysm , of disaster, of to u n derstand th a t I do not hold
just
to
believe,
it
does
not
make
I t is to the glory of our freethink
destruction, and of an entirely new God responsible for the church, or
any
difference
th
a
t
you
cannot
see
ing men, it is to the everlasting
readjustm ent of the elem ents th a t theology, or any of the plans, devi
that
it
is
true.
Doubt
is
of
the
renown of the founders of this gov
have been throw n into confusion. ces, or ceremonies, or rites w hatso
devil,
and
all
such
questionings,
ernm ent, th a t at the very outset
W herever the church has been s u ev er), but if God had been o rd a in
reasonings,
replies,
and
a
desire
they left religion to the wisdom
preme, in w hatever land it has held ing any th in g nineteen hundred
or
evidence
and
proof
are
hut
the
and the folly of the individual, and
sp iritu al or tem poral power, th a t years ago, I will believe th a t it
said as between the church and evidence of your lost and undone tim e of chaos has come. W herever would not have been an a lta r, nor
the state there shall never be a condition. “ Accept w hat we say; it has been suprem e, people have a shaven priest, nor a divinely
union. The men who today wish we are here divinely a u th o n z -d been reduced to abject servitude
called preacher; it would have been
to put God into the C onstitution, and w ant to m ake known these and helpless poverty.
A m an is some kind-hearted m an or woman
and the men who today would, if »leased tru th s th a t were forever be charged for being born, charged for with a book, and a large patience
they could, determ ine w hat we yond the attain m en t of hum an being christened, taxed again for and a generous love for the race,
should and should not do one day reason in order th a t you m ight not being baptized; toll is levied upon
who should have gone out to p er
in seven are the men th a t belong ne eternally lost.”
him for being m arried, and at last suade men, not of the efficacy of
Any man th a t can for the sake of for being buried, and long, long
to the age when the church wan su
C h rist’s blood, but of the saving
prem e and the schoolhouse did not salvation in this or any world, be years after be is dead, in some
power of intelligence. W hen we
lieve or profess to believe what bis c o u trb s, suprem ely religious, tax is
exist.
shall have had nineteen hundred
It may be fairly questioned reason scorns, why, if heaven is collected from his living friends in
whether a man who is an orthodox made up of th a t kind of in tellectu order th a t as they say, the poor years of the school-house, w hat
m ay not be? I believe in the com
believer is qualified to teach school al m aterial and m ental caliber, dead man may be assisted to swim
If a man believes in the Bible, give me hell every time. The a tti out of purgatory. J Progress has ing of the time when every school-
house shall he a tem ple, and every
reads the story of the creation as it tude which the school teacher as been m ade, hut in spite of religion,
priest a teacher, knowledge the way
appears in Genesis, and swears he sum es to the child is one of equal- not because of it.
There are relig of salvation, and reason the only
believe- it, bow can he teach a ity, absolute equality. No author- ious and even orthodox believers
guide.—[T ru th Seeker,
class in physical geography? If he ity, no spirit of intellectual domi who are kindly and noble men, hut
believes the record as given in the nation.
The teacher says or ini- they are kindly and noble not be
Bihle he cannot believe the text- plies w hat the Bible says and the cause of th eir faith, hut in spite
books of physical geography and church has never found out. “ Come of it.
geology.
If he does not believe now, let us reason to g eth er,” saitb
T his work of the school will VCt T b eab lest publication of the kind in the World
j
i
i
i
« ' Sixty-four pages Illustrated. Published Monthly,
the recoid of the Bible, but says be the Lord.
The teacher says: persuade
the world th a t the only Price »i.ooa year. For twenty - five cents
it will be mailed to any address THREE flONTMS.
does and act- as :f he did, he car- ‘‘Come now, let us reason together; decent rational way to live is to
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