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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1902)
T orch of R eason . “ TRUTH BEARS THE TORCH IN THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH.” — NO. 10. S IL V E R T O N , O R E G O N , T H U R S D A Y , M A R C H 13, E . M. 302 (1902.) VOL. 6. I THE REFERENDUM . ian doctrine, th a t God accepted the How can we account for cancers, blood of his son, and th at after his for microbes, for diphtheria and Why The People Should Have It. BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS STETSON. son had been m urdered, he, God. the thousand diseases th a t prey on W A S c lim b in g up th e m o u n ta in p a th was satisfied, and wanted no more infancy ? BY JO H N CLARK BATES, LL. D. W ith m an y th in g s to do, How can we account for the wild blood. I m p o r ta n t b u sin e ss of m y own RE we to have referendum in A nd o th e r people, to o , D uring all these years and by all beasts th a t devour hum an beings, W hen 1 ra n a g a in st a P re ju d ic e America? If what we mean these peoples it was believed that for the fanged serpents whose bite T h a t q u ite c u t off th e view. by th a t word is the power to this God heard and answered is death ? Nly w ork was su c h as c o u ld not w ait prayer, th a t he forgave sins and How can we account for a world control legislation, the question is My p a th q u ite c le a rly show ed; equivalent to asking whether we are My s tr e n g th a n d tim e were lim ite d , saved the souls of true believers. where life feeds on life? 1 c a rrie d q u ite a load; This, in a general way, is the defi Were beak and claw, tooth and to have democracy in America. A nd th e re th a t h u lk in g P re ju d ic e The self-government we have con S a t all alo n g th e road. nition of religion. fang, invented and produced by in sists more in the power to control Now the questions are, W hether finite mercy ? So I sp o k e to him p o lite ly , the measures th a t the G overnm ent F o r he was huge a n d high, religion was founded on any known Did infinite goodness fashion the A nd begged th a t he w ould m ove a b it, fact ? W hether such a being as wings of the eagles so that their will adopt than it does in the mere A nd let me tra v e l by— H e sm ile d , b u t a s fo r m ov in g — God exists ? W hether he was the Hieing prey could be overtaken ? selection of men who shall do the H e d id n ’t even try . governing. In the selection of men creator of yourself and myself ? Did infinite goodness create the we have com paratively little power. A nd th e n I rea so n e d q u ie tly W hether any prayer was ever a n beasts of prey with the intention W ith th a t co lo ssa l m u le ; swered ? W hether any sacrifice of that they should devour the weak The bosses do the nom inating and T he tim e is s h o rt, no o th e r p a th , we ratify the nom inations, th o ‘ in T he m o u n ta in w inds w ere co o l— babe or ox secured the favor of this and helpless ? 1 a rg u e d lik e a S olom on, the ratification we have a choice be unseen God ? He s a t th e re lik e a fool. Did infinite goodness create the tween two nominees. We usually F irst .— Did an infinite God cre A nd th e n I begged him on m y k n e e s— countless worthless living th in g s elect them on some issue, and the I m ig h t be k n e elin g still ate the children of men ? th at breed within and feed upon election determ ines at least one ac If so 1 hoped to m ove t h a t m ass W hy did he create the in telle ctu Of o b d u ra te ill will. the flesh of higher forms ? tion which the Government will take; As well in v ite th e m o n u m e n t ally inferior ? Did infinite wisdom intentionally but it leaves undeterm ined a vast To v a ca te B u n k e r Hill! W hy did he create the deformed produce the microscopic beasts that num ber of other issues over which So I s a t b efo re him h e lp less and helpless ? the actual power of the people is feed upon the optic nerve? in a n e c sta c y of woe— W hy did he create the crim inal, T he m o u n ta in m ists w ere risin g / a s t , Think of blinding a m an to satis- sm all. We m anage to control general T he s u n was sin k in g low— the idiotic, the insane ? , . . , , politics, hut over everything of a de . . , , „ fy th e a p p e tite of a m icrobe 1 W hen a su d d e n in s p ira tio n cam e, Can infinite wisdom and power - 11 ... , A s su d d e n w inds do blow. . J , T hink of life feeding on life 1 tailed character we allow our rulers m ake anv excuse for the creation ot Think of the victim s! Think of to have their way. Their way is I to o k m y h a t, I to o k m y stic k , failures ? My load I s e ttle d fair, the Niagara of blood pouring over m ainly the boss’s way, and th at, too 1 a p p ro a c h e d th a t aw ful in c u b u s Are the failures under obligation frequently, is the way of the men W ith an a b s e n t m in d ed a ir — the precipice of cruelty ! to their creator ? A nd 1 w alked d ire c tly th ro u g h him In view of these facts, what, after who make cam paign contributions. As if he w asn ’t th ere . S econd .— Is an infinite God the all, is religion ? The real issue, then, is whether governor of this world ? It is fear. we shall do our self-governing in an W h a t Is R e lig io n ? * Is he responsible for all the chiefs, Fear builds the a lta r and offers awkward and im perfect m anner, kings, em perors, and queens ? BY R O B ER T G. IN G ERSO LL. the sacrifice. which invites corruption, or in a d i Is he responsible for all the wars Eear erects the cathedral and rect and efficient way which tends to T is asserted th a t an infinite that have been waged, for all the bows the head of man in w orship suppress corruption. C ontributions God created all things, governs innocent blood th a t has been shed? Eear bends the knees and utters th a t figure ho largely, and in a moral Is he responsible for the centuries the prayer. all things, and th a t the crea way so badly, in American political ture should be obedient and th a n k of slavery, for the hacks th a t have F ear pretends to love. life come because the legislator is ful to the creator; th at the creator been scarred with the lash, for the Religion teaches the slave-virtues able actually t o ‘‘deliver the goods” dem ands certain things, and th at babes th at have been sold from the obedience, hum ility, self-denial, th at are contracted for. If he could the person who complies with these breasts of m others, foi the famili* - forgiveness, non-resistence. not do it, or if there were even much dem ands is religious. T his kind of th a t have been separated and de- j j pH( re| igiollB 8n(i fe a rfu l, trem b - uncertainty as to his ability to do it, religion has been substantially u n i »trnyed lingly repeat this pasaage: “ Though contributions would either he not versal. Is this God responsible for religi- Hjay yet wjj| j tru st him .” forthcom ing or would he forthcom For m any centuries and by m any ous persecution, for the Inquisition, t jie a hyns of degradation, ing on a much sm aller scale. peoples it was believed th a t this for the thum b-screw and rack, and Quite long ago an E nglishm an Religion does not teach self-re God dem anded sacrifices; th a t be for all the instrum ents of to rtu re ? liance, independence, m anliness, spoke of Sw itzerland as the “ accurs was pleased when parents shed the Did this God allow the cruel and courage and self-defense. Religion ed country of the referendum .” blood of th eir babes. A fterw ards vile to destroy the brave and vir- makes God a m aster and man his “ After one with great difficulty se w ujuaou --— --- it was supposed th a t he was satis tuous ? Did he allow ty ra n ts to Herfs> inaster cannot be great cured the passage of a hill in the fied with the blood of oxen, lam bs shed the blood of p a trio ts? Legislature,” said he, “ it is still a enough to make slavery sweet. and doves, and th a t in exchange m atter of uncertainty w hether the Did he allow his enemies to tor [To he Continued.] for or on account of these sacrifices, people will uot defeat it.” 1 he ture and burn his friends ? this God gave raiu, sunshine and W hat is such a God worth ? T he inan who builds a home man actually thought th a t he wag harvest. It was also believed th at Would a decent m an, having the erect8 a temple. The flame upon arguing against the referendum . if the sacrifices were not made, this power to prevent it, allow his ene- the he a rth j8 the sacred fire. He Would it not be well for the people God sent pestilence, famine, flood mies to to rtu re and burn his friends? wJio loves wife and children is the of America to have the option of and earthquake. Can we conceive of a devil base true worshiper. Form s aud cere- defeating now and then a m easure The last phase of this belief in which some one has “ with great sacrifice was according to the Christ- enough to prefer his enemies to his monies, kneelings and fastings are friends ? born of selfish fear. A good deed difficulty and expense, forced th ro ’ ♦ T his was Colonel >11 •* la**t public h <1- drwH. deliv ered before the A m erican Eree Ke- If a good and infinitely powerful is the best prayer. A loving life is the Legislative body? The most iitfious A ssociation, in H o llis S treet T heatre, b o sto n . Ju n e 2. 18S9. It is in tereatin « to know God governs th is word, how can the best religion. No one knows . essential issue in this connection is what his latent views were, a n d «o we w ill p rin t the w hole of th is »d drees in part«. N ote in read we account for cyclones, earth- w hether the Unknown is w orthy of th a t the expense, in cases where ing, th e difference between the relnnon of th e th a t is incurred, would either he- pa^t.—o f Theology« a n '1 th e religion of Science, quakes, pestilence and famine ? w orship or not.—[Ingersoll. P rejudice. I A I w ith w hich the address end».— E d . 1 o R< H.
