R eason .
0 F
“ TR U TH B EA R S T H E TORCH IN T H E SEARCH FOR T R U T H . "—L ucretius-
VOL. 6.
SILVERTON OREOON.-THrPSDAV. NOVEMBER 27r -E. M 302 <1902.)
NO. 47
' * * *
ABOUT T H E HOLY B IB L E ,*
Sixty»one Reasons for Doubting.
1
£
S O C IO L O G Y —
SECULARISM.
BY ROBERT G. INGERSOLL.
BY ROBERT O. INGERSOLL.
D ivided in to S u n d a y B ible L esso n s fo r
s tu d y a n d reflectio n .
^ ^ E C U L A R IS N l is th e relig io n of h u m a n ity ; it e m b ra c e s th e a ffairs
of th is w o rld ; it is in te r e s te d in e v e ry th in g th a t to u c h e s th e
w elfare of a s e n tie n t b ein g ; it a d v o ca te s a tte n tio n to th e p a r
tic u la r p la n e t on w hich we h a p p e n to live; it m ea n s t h a t each in d i
v id u a l c o u n ts fo r so m e th in g ; it is a d e c la ra tio n of in te lle c tu a l i n
d e p e n d e n c e ; it m ean s th a t th e pew is s u p e rio r to th e p u lp it, th a t
th o se who b ear th e b u rd e n s sh a ll have th e p ro fits, a n d th a t th o se
who fill th e p u rs e sh a ll hold th e strin g s. It is a p ro te s t a g a in s t th e o
logical o p p re ssio n , a g a in st e c c le sia stic a l ty r a n n y , a g a in s t being th e
serf, su b je c t, o r slave of an y p h a n to m , o r of th e p rie s t of an y p h a n
to m . I t is a p r o te s t a g a in s t w astin g th is life fo r th e sak e of one
th a t we know n o t of. I t p ro p o ses to le t th e gods ta k e c a re of th e m
selves. I t is a n o th e r n am e fo r co m m o n seu se; th a t is to say, th e
a d a p ta tio n of m ea n s to su c h e n d s as a re d e sire d an d u n d e rs to o d .
S e c u la rism believes in b u ild in g a hom e here, in th is w orld. I t t r u s t s
to in d iv id u a l e ffo rt, to e n e rg y , to in te llig e n c e , to o b se rv a tio n a n d
e x p erien c e, r a th e r th a n to th e u n k n o w n a n d s u p e r n a tu r a l. I t d e
sire s to be h a p p y on th is sid e th e grave.
S e c u la rism m ean s food a n d fireside, roof a n d ra im e n t, re a s o n
able w ork a n d re a so n a b le le isu re , th e c u ltiv a tio n of th e ta s te s , th e
a c q u is itio n of know ledge, th e e n jo y m e n t of th e a rts , a n d it p ro m ises
fo r th e h u m a n rac e c o m fo rt, in d e p e n d en c e, in te llig e n c e , a n d above
a ll, lib e rty . I t m ean s th e a b o litio n of s e c ta ria n fe u d s, of th e o lo g
ical h a tre d s. I t m eans th e c u ltiv a tio n of frie n d s h ip a n d in te lle c tu a l
h o s p ita lity . I t m ean s liv in g fo r o u rselv es a n d each o th e r; fo r th e
p re s e n t in s te a d of th e p a st; fo r th is w orld r a th e r th a n fo r a n o th e r.
I t m ean s th e rig h t to e x p re ss y o u r th o u g h t in sp ite of popes, a n d
p rie s ts a n d gods. I t m ean s t h a t im p u d e n t id le n e ss sh a ll no lo n g er
live u p o n th e la b o r of h o n e st m en. I t m ea n s th e d e s tr u c tio n of th e
b u sin e ss of th o s e who tr a d e in fea r
I t p ro p o se s to give s e re n ity an d c o n te n t to th e h u m a n so u l. I t
will p u t o u t th e fires of e te r n a l pain. I t is s triv in g to do aw ay w ith
vio len ce a n d vice, w ith ig n o ran c e, p o v erty a n d d isease. I t lives fo r
th e e v e r-p re s e n t to - day , a n d th e ev er-ch an g in g to - morrow . I t d o es
n o t believe in p ra y in g a n d receiv in g , b u t in e a rn in g an d d eserv in g .
I t re g a rd s w ork as w orship, la b o r as p ra y e r, a n d w isdom as th e
sa v io r of m a n k in d . I t says to every h u m an being: “ T ake c a re of
y o u rse lf, so th a t y o u m ay be able to help o th e rs ; a d o rn y o u r life
w ith th e gem s c a lle d good d eed s; illu m in e y o u r p a th w ith th e s u n
lig h t c a lle d frie n d s h ip a n d love.”
S e c u la rism is a re lig io n —a relig io n th a t is u n d e rs to o d . I t h as
no m y ste rie s, no m u m m e rie s, no p rie s ts , no cerem o u ies, no fa ls e
hoods, no m ira c le s, a n d no p e rse c u tio n s. It c o n sid e rs th e lilies of
th e field, a n d ta k e s th o u g h t fo r th e m orrow . It say s to th e w hole
w orld: “ W ork, t h a t y o u m ay eat, d r in k a n d be c lo th e d ; w ork, th a t
y o u m ay e n jo y ; w ork, t h a t y o u m ay n o t w an t; w ork, t h a t y o u m ay
give, a n d n e v e r n e e d .”
N IN T H SU ND AY.
F
; £
Tribal Society— Endogamous Metronymic
Hordes.
BY F. II. GIDDINGS, PROFESSOR OF SOCI
OLOGY IN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.
w
(F ro m “ E le m e n ts of S o cio lo g y .” )
H FT Y -F IR S T . Can we blame £
X
E have no m eans of know
X
the Hebrews for getting tired £
X
ing how long ago hands
of their God? Never was a £
of hum an beings first de
people so m urdered, starved, stoned, £
veloped into tru e tribal organiza
burned, deceived, hum iliated, rob- X
tions. Yet, while the actu al tim e
bed and outraged. Never was there £
X th a t has elapsed since the forms of
so little liberty am ong men. Never £
X
A social organization began to appear
did the m eanest king so meddle, £
X
I among m ankind will probably never
eavesdrop, spy out, harass, torm ent £
X be measure«!, we can determ ine with
an d persecute his people. Never X
X a close approach to accuracy the
was ruler so jealous, unreasonable,
successive stages through which
contem ptible, exacting and ignorant
organization has passed in its evo
as this God of the Jews.
Never
lution. In this respect the study
was such cerem ony, such m um m ery,
of the history of society is not u n
such stuff' about bullocks, goats,
like the study of geology, in which
doves, red heifers, lam bs, and u n
the m easurem ent of time periods is
leavened dough — never was such
all but impossible, while the order
directions about kidneys and blood, x -»►
in which the successive rock form a
ashes and fat, about cu rtains, tongs, i
tions and the successive living sp e
fringes, ribands and brass pins—
cies appeared, is known with p rac
never such details for killing of
tical certainty.
anim als and men and the sp rin
This knowledge is obtained from
kling of blood and the cutting of
two sources. One is a study of
clothes. Never were such unjust
words and usages which, in existing
laws, such punishm ents, such dam n
social organization, are evidently
ed ignorance and infam y!
survivals from an earlier tim e. The
F ifty - second . I s it not w onder x
x♦
«►
other is a study of the relatio n s of
ful th a t the creator of all worlds, X
existing social forms to one an o th er.
infinite in power and wisdom ,could X
It enables us to discover which are
not hold his own against the.gods
the earlier and which the later
of wood and stone? Is it not strange £
modes of social co-operation. To
th a t after he had appeared to his £
pursue the details of such studies,
choseu people, delivered them from
the stu d en t must acq u ain t him self
slavery, fed them by m iracles, open
with the researches of folk-lore,
ed the sea for a path, led them by £
philology, archaeology and e th n o l
cloud and fire, and overthrow n £
ogy. W ithout attem p tin g here Io
th eir pursuers, they still preferred a £
enum erate the detailed evidences
calf of their own m aking? Is it £
upon which they rest, we will, in
not beyoud belief th a t th is God, by
statu tes and com m andm ents, by sold them to Ja b in , king of C anaan, dau g h ter to God, and w hat you this chapter, m erely sum m arize the
punishm ents and penalties, by re- to the P hilistines, and to the c h ild -> th in k of a God who would receive more im p o rtan t conclusions th a t
w ards and promises, by wonders ren of A m m on? Is it possible th at such a sacrifice. This one story have been d ra w n , bv com petent in
and plagues, by earth q u akes and an angel of the Lord devoured un- should be enough to make every vestigators from m aterials of vari
pestilence, could not in the least leavened cakes and broth with fire tender and loving father hold this ous kinds in regard to the order in
civilize th e 'J e w s —could not get th at cam e out of the end of a stick book in u tter abhorrence.
Is it which the chief steps in the evolu
them beyond a point where they de- aH he sat under an oak tree? (Judges necessary, in order to he saved, th at tion of tribal society probably oc
served killing?
W hat shall we vi, 21). Can it be tru e th a t God one must believe th at an angel of curred.
th in k of a God who gave his entire made known his will by making God appeared unto M anoah in the
T he E arliest H ordes .— Long be
tim e for forty years to the work of dew fall on wool w ithout wetting absence of her husband; th a t this fore there where any true clans or
converting three m illions of people, the ground around it? (Judges vi, angel afterw ard went up in a flame tribes in hum an populations, the
and succeeded in getting only two 37). Ho you really believe that of fire; th a t as a resu lt of this visit prevailing social organization was
men, and not a single woman, de- men who lap w ater like a dog make a child was horn whose strength probably a mere horde in which
Ceut enough to enter the promised the best soldiers? (Judges vii, 5 / was in his h a ir? a child th a t made family relations were irreg u lar and
land? W as there ever iu the his- Do you think a m an could hold a beehives of lions, incendiaries of u n s ta b le ,in w h ic h d e s c e n tw a s tra c -
tory of m an so detestable an adm in- lam p in his left h an d , a trum pet foxes, and had a wife th a t wept ed through m others only, and in
istratio n of public affairs? Is it in his right hand, blow his trum pet, seven days to get the answer to his which the m ating of men and im
possible th a t God sold his children shout “ the sword of the Lord and riddle? W ill the w rath of God men, seldom the result of any inter-
to the king of M esopotam ia; th a t he of G ideon,” and break pitchers at abide forever upon a m an for doubt- m ingling of the members of one
♦These 6i reason» fiom Ingersoll are now to be th e s a m e tim e . ( J u d g e s vi, 20).
^*8 the story th a t Sam son killed a group with those of another, was
had o f the N. Y. T ruth Seeker a n d in V olum e 11
V tl - t v T m p n
Read the story of thousand men with a new jaw bone? practically wholly w ithin the group
of the D resden E d itio n . J hey were w ritten in
r i M P lH IK U .
th e *os, b ut not published t d l a fte r his death. We t _ U d , o k
U : . u ..
_,1
Is there enough in the Bible to save itself, which could therefore be de
w ill p rin t them in p a rte —each p art reade as a J c p h l . i a h a n d
llis d a u g h t e r , a n d
whole. We do th is because u n til th e people are , L a n , ii
«
scribed as endogam ous. It m ust he
em an cip ated from the t a th o lic C hurch, the P ro t- th 11 te ll me w h d t
y o u t . lin k of a a soul with this story left out?
e sta n t Bible, a n d th e belief in “ th e su p e rn a tu r-
_ .L n
__
rem em bered, however, th a t strictly
a i,” th ere is no hope fo r th is w orld.—E d .T o r c h , father
wbo would sacrifice h is
(To be Continued.)
♦
♦