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Ingersoll + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 +(of 12), by Robert G. Ingersoll + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 (of 12) + Dresden Edition--Lectures + +Author: Robert G. Ingersoll + +Release Date: February 9, 2012 [EBook #38804] +Last Updated: November 15, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORKS OF INGERSOLL *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <a name="title" id="title"></a> + </p> + <h1> + THE WORKS OF ROBERT G. INGERSOLL + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By Robert G. Ingersoll + </h2> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h3> + "The Hands That Help Are Better Far Than Lips That Pray." + </h3> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h4> + In Twelve Volumes, Volume IV. + </h4> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + LECTURES + </h2> + <h3> + 1900 + </h3> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h3> + THE DRESDEN EDITION + </h3> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <table summary="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto" cellpadding="4" border="3"> + <tbody> + <tr> + <td> + <big><big><a + href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38804/old/orig38804-h/main.htm">This + file has been formatted in a very plain format for use with tablet + readers. Those wishing to view this eBook in its normal more + appealing format for laptops and other computers may click on this + line to to view the original HTML file.</a></big></big> + </td> + </tr> + </tbody> + </table> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="titlepage (63K)" src="images/titlepage.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="portrait (61K)" src="images/portrait.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h3> + Contents + </h3> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#linkTOC">CONTENTS OF VOLUME IV.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0001">WHY I AM AN AGNOSTIC.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0002">THE TRUTH.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0004">HOW TO REFORM MANKIND.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0005">A THANKSGIVING SERMON.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0006">A LAY SERMON.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0007">THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0008">SUPERSTITION.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0009">THE DEVIL.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0010">PROGRESS.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0012">WHAT IS RELIGION?</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="linkTOC" id="linkTOC"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + CONTENTS OF VOLUME IV. + </h2> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0001">WHY I AM AN AGNOSTIC.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1896.)<br /> I. Influence of Birth in determining Religious Belief—Scotch, + Irish,<br /> English, and Americans Inherit their Faith—Religions + of Nations<br /> not Suddenly Changed—People who Knew—What + they were Certain<br /> About—Revivals—Character of Sermons + Preached—Effect of Conversion—A<br /> Vermont Farmer for whom + Perdition had no Terrors—The Man and his<br /> Dog—Backsliding + and Re-birth—Ministers who were Sincere—A Free Will<br /> + Baptist on the Rich Man and Lazarus—II. The Orthodox God—The<br /> + Two Dispensations—The Infinite Horror—III. Religious Books—The<br /> + Commentators—Paley's Watch Argument—Milton, Young, and + Pollok—IV.<br /> Studying Astronomy—Geology—Denial and + Evasion by the Clergy—V. The<br /> Poems of Robert Burns—Byron, + Shelley, Keats, and Shakespeare—VI.<br /> Volney, Gibbon, and + Thomas Paine—Voltaire's Services to Liberty—Pagans<br /> + Compared with Patriarchs—VII. Other Gods and Other Religions—Dogmas,<br /> + Myths, and Symbols of Christianity Older than our Era—VIII. The + Men<br /> of Science, Humboldt, Darwin, Spencer, Huxley, Haeckel—IX. + Matter and<br /> Force Indestructible and Uncreatable—The Theory of + Design—X. God an<br /> Impossible Being—The Panorama of the + Past—XI. Free from Sanctified<br /> Mistakes and Holy Lies.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0002">THE TRUTH.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1897.)<br /> I. The Martyrdom of Man—How is Truth to be + Found—Every Man should be<br /> Mentally Honest—He should be + Intellectually Hospitable—Geologists,<br /> Chemists, Mechanics, + and Professional Men are Seeking for the Truth—II.<br /> Those who + say that Slavery is Better than Liberty—Promises are not<br /> + Evidence—Horace Greeley and the Cold Stove—III. "The Science + of<br /> Theology" the only Dishonest Science—Moses and Brigham + Young—Minds<br /> Poisoned and Paralyzed in Youth—Sunday + Schools and Theological<br /> Seminaries—Orthodox Slanderers of + Scientists—Religion has nothing<br /> to do with Charity—Hospitals + Built in Self-Defence—What Good has the<br /> Church Accomplished?—Of + what use are the Orthodox Ministers, and<br /> What are they doing for + the Good of Mankind—The Harm they are<br /> Doing—Delusions + they Teach—Truths they Should Tell about the<br /> Bible—Conclusions—Our + Christs and our Miracles.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0004">HOW TO REFORM MANKIND.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1896.)<br /> I. "There is no Darkness but Ignorance"—False + Notions Concerning<br /> All Departments of Life—Changed Ideas + about Science, Government and<br /> Morals—II. How can we Reform + the World?—Intellectual Light the First<br /> Necessity—Avoid + Waste of Wealth in War—III. Another Waste—Vast Amount<br /> + of Money Spent on the Church—IV. Plow can we Lessen Crime?—Frightful<br /> + Laws for the Punishment of Minor Crimes—A Penitentiary should be a<br /> + School—Professional Criminals should not be Allowed to Populate + the<br /> Earth—V. Homes for All-Make a Nation of Householders—Marriage<br /> + and Divorce-VI. The Labor Question—Employers cannot Govern<br /> + Prices—Railroads should Pay Pensions—What has been + Accomplished<br /> for the Improvement of the Condition of Labor—VII. + Educate the<br /> Children—Useless Knowledge—Liberty cannot + be Sacrificed for the Sake<br /> of Anything—False worship of + Wealth—VIII. We must Work and Wait.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0005">A THANKSGIVING SERMON.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1897.)<br /> I. Our fathers Ages Ago—From Savagery to + Civilization—For the<br /> Blessings we enjoy, Whom should we + Thank?—What Good has the Church<br /> Done?-Did Christ add to the + Sum of Useful Knowledge—The Saints—What<br /> have the + Councils and Synods Done?—What they Gave us, and What they<br /> + did Not—Shall we Thank them for the Hell Here and for the Hell of<br /> + the Future?—II. What Does God Do?—The Infinite Juggler and + his<br /> Puppets—What the Puppets have Done—Shall we Thank + these<br /> Gods?—Shall we Thank Nature?—III. Men who deserve + our Thanks—The<br /> Infidels, Philanthropists and Scientists—The + Discoverers and<br /> Inventors—Magellan—Copernicus—Bruno—Galileo—Kepler, + Herschel,<br /> Newton, and LaPlace—Lyell—What the Worldly + have Done—Origin and<br /> Vicissitudes of the Bible—The + Septuagint—Investigating the Phenomena<br /> of Nature—IV. We + thank the Good Men and Good Women of the Past—The<br /> Poets, + Dramatists, and Artists—The Statesmen—Paine, Jefferson,<br /> + Ericsson, Lincoln. Grant—Voltaire, Humboldt, Darwin.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0006">A LAY SERMON.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1886.)<br /> Prayer of King Lear—When Honesty wears a Rag + and Rascality a Robe-The<br /> Nonsense of "Free Moral Agency "—Doing + Right is not Self-denial-Wealth<br /> often a Gilded Hell—The Log + House—Insanity of Getting<br /> More—Great Wealth the Mother + of Crime—Separation of Rich and<br /> Poor—Emulation—Invention + of Machines to Save Labor—Production and<br /> Destitution—The + Remedy a Division of the Land—Evils of Tenement<br /> Houses—Ownership + and Use—The Great Weapon is the Ballot—Sewing<br /> Women—Strikes + and Boycotts of No Avail—Anarchy, Communism, and<br /> Socialism—The + Children of the Rich a Punishment for Wealth—Workingmen<br /> Not a + Danger—The Criminals a Necessary Product—Society's Right<br /> + to Punish—The Efficacy of Kindness—Labor is Honorable—Mental<br /> + Independence.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0007">THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1895.)<br /> I. The Old Testament—Story of the Creation—Age + of the Earth and<br /> of Man—Astronomical Calculations of the + Egyptians—The Flood—The<br /> Firmament a Fiction—Israelites + who went into Egypt—Battles of the<br /> Jews—Area of + Palestine—Gold Collected by David for the Temple—II. The<br /> + New Testament—Discrepancies about the Birth of Christ—Herod + and<br /> the Wise Men—The Murder of the Babes of Bethlehem—When + was Christ<br /> born—Cyrenius and the Census of the World—Genealogy + of Christ<br /> according to Matthew and Luke—The Slaying of + Zacharias—Appearance of<br /> the Saints at the Crucifixion—The + Death of Judas Iscariot—Did<br /> Christ wish to be Convicted?—III. + Jehovah—IV. The Trinity—The<br /> Incarnation—Was + Christ God?—The Trinity Expounded—"Let us pray"—V.<br /> + The Theological Christ—Sayings of a Contradictory Character—Christ + a<br /> Devout Jew—An ascetic—His Philosophy—The + Ascension—The Best that Can<br /> be Said about Christ—The + Part that is beautiful and Glorious—The Other<br /> Side—VI. + The Scheme of Redemption—VII. Belief—Eternal Pain—No + Hope<br /> in Hell, Pity in Heaven, or Mercy in the Heart of God—VIII. + Conclusion.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0008">SUPERSTITION.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1898.)<br /> I. What is Superstition?—Popular Beliefs about + the Significance<br /> of Signs, Lucky and Unlucky Numbers, Days, + Accidents, Jewels,<br /> etc.—Eclipses, Earthquakes, and Cyclones + as Omens—Signs and Wonders<br /> of the Heavens—Efficacy of + Bones and Rags of Saints—Diseases and<br /> Devils—II. + Witchcraft—Necromancers—What is a Miracle?—The + Uniformity<br /> of Nature—III. Belief in the Existence of Good + Spirits or Angels—God<br /> and the Devil—When Everything was + done by the Supernatural—IV. All<br /> these Beliefs now Rejected + by Men of Intelligence—The Devil's Success<br /> Made the Coming of + Christ a Necessity—"Thou shalt not Suffer a Witch<br /> to Live"—Some + Biblical Angels—Vanished Visions—V. Where are Heaven<br /> + and Hell?—Prayers Never Answered—The Doctrine of Design—Why + Worship<br /> our Ignorance?—Would God Lead us into Temptation?—President + McKinley's<br /> Thanks giving for the Santiago Victory—VI. What + Harm Does Superstition<br /> Do?—The Heart Hardens and the Brain + Softens—What Superstition has Done<br /> and Taught—Fate of + Spain—Of Portugal, Austria, Germany—VII. Inspired<br /> Books—Mysteries + added to by the Explanations of Theologians—The<br /> Inspired + Bible the Greatest Curse of Christendom—VIII. Modifications<br /> + of Jehovah—Changing the Bible—IX. Centuries of Darkness—The + Church<br /> Triumphant—When Men began to Think—X. Possibly + these Superstitions are<br /> True, but We have no Evidence—We + Believe in the Natural—Science is the<br /> Real Redeemer.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0009">THE DEVIL.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1899.)<br /> I. If the Devil should Die, would God Make Another?—How + was the Idea<br /> of a Devil Produced—Other Devils than Ours—Natural + Origin of these<br /> Monsters—II. The Atlas of Christianity is The + Devil—The Devil of the<br /> Old Testament—The Serpent in + Eden—"Personifications" of Evil—Satan<br /> and Job—Satan + and David—III. Take the Devil from the Drama<br /> of Christianity + and the Plot is Gone—Jesus Tempted by the Evil<br /> One—Demoniac + Possession—Mary Magdalene—Satan and Judas—Incubi<br /> + and Succubi—The Apostles believed in Miracles and Magic—The + Pool of<br /> Bethesda—IV. The Evidence of the Church—The + Devil was forced to<br /> Father the Failures of God—Belief of the + Fathers of the Church<br /> in Devils—Exorcism at the Baptism of an + Infant in the Sixteenth<br /> Century—Belief in Devils made the + Universe a Madhouse presided over by<br /> an Insane God—V. + Personifications of the Devil—The Orthodox Ostrich<br /> Thrusts + his Head into the Sand—If Devils are Personifications so are<br /> + all the Other Characters of the Bible—VI. Some Queries about the<br /> + Devil, his Place of Residence, his Manner of Living, and his Object in<br /> + Life—Interrogatories to the Clergy—VII. The Man of Straw the + Master<br /> of the Orthodox Ministers—His recent Accomplishments—VIII. + Keep the<br /> Devils out of Children—IX. Conclusion.—Declaration + of the Free.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0010">PROGRESS.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1860-64.)<br /> The Prosperity of the World depends upon its + Workers—Veneration for the<br /> Ancient—Credulity and Faith + of the Middle Ages—Penalty for Reading<br /> the Scripture in the + Mother Tongue—Unjust, Bloody, and Cruel Laws—The<br /> + Reformers too were Persecutors—Bigotry of Luther and Knox—Persecution<br /> + of Castalio—Montaigne against Torture in France—"Witchcraft" + (chapter<br /> on)—Confessed Wizards—A Case before Sir + Matthew Hale—Belief<br /> in Lycanthropy—Animals Tried and + Executed—Animals received<br /> as Witnesses—The Corsned or + Morsel of Execution—Kepler an<br /> Astrologer—Luther's + Encounter with the Devil—Mathematician<br /> Stoefflers, + Astronomical Prediction of a Flood—Histories Filled with<br /> + Falsehood—Legend about the Daughter of Pharaoh invading Scotland + and<br /> giving the Country her name—A Story about Mohammed—A + History of the<br /> Britains written by Archdeacons—Ingenuous + Remark of Eusebius—Progress<br /> in the Mechanic Arts—England + at the beginning of the Eighteenth<br /> Century—Barbarous + Punishments—Queen Elizabeth's Order Concerning<br /> Clergymen and + Servant Girls—Inventions of Watt, Arkwright, and<br /> Others—Solomon's + Deprivations—Language (chapter on)—Belief that the<br /> + Hebrew was< the original Tongue—Speculations about the Language<br /> + of Paradise—Geography (chapter on)—The Works of Cosmas—Printing<br /> + Invented—Church's Opposition to Books—The Inquisition—The<br /> + Reformation—"Slavery" (chapter on)—Voltaire's Remark on + Slavery as<br /> a Contract—White Slaves in Greece, Rome, England, + Scotland, and<br /> France—Free minds make Free Bodies—Causes + of the Abolition of White<br /> Slavery in Europe—The French + Revolution—The African Slave Trade,<br /> its Beginning and End—Liberty + Triumphed (chapter head)—Abolition of<br /> Chattel Slavery—Conclusion.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0012">WHAT IS RELIGION?</a> + </p> + <p> + (1899.)<br /> I. Belief in God and Sacrifice—Did an Infinite God + Create the Children<br /> of Men and is he the Governor of the Universe?—II. + If this God Exists,<br /> how do we Know he is Good?—Should both + the Inferior and the Superior<br /> thank God for their Condition?—III. + The Power that Works for<br /> Righteousness—What is this Power?—The + Accumulated Experience of the<br /> World is a Power Working for Good?—Love + the Commencement of the Higher<br /> Virtues—IV. What has our + Religion Done?—Would Christians have been<br /> Worse had they + Adopted another Faith?—V. How Can Mankind be Reformed<br /> Without + Religion?—VI. The Four Corner-stones of my Theory—VII. + Matter<br /> and Force Eternal—Links in the Chain of Evolution—VIII. + Reform—The<br /> Gutter as a Nursery—Can we Prevent the Unfit + from Filling the World<br /> with their Children?—Science must make + Woman the Owner and Mistress<br /> of Herself—Morality Born of + Intelligence—IX. Real Religion and Real<br /> Worship.<br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <a name="link0001" id="link0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + WHY I AM AN AGNOSTIC. + </h2> + <p> + I. + </p> + <p> + FOR the most part we inherit our opinions. We are the heirs of habits and + mental customs. Our beliefs, like the fashion of our garments, depend on + where we were born. We are moulded and fashioned by our surroundings. + </p> + <p> + Environment is a sculptor—a painter. + </p> + <p> + If we had been born in Constantinople, the most of us would have said: + "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." If our parents + had lived on the banks of the Ganges, we would have been worshipers of + Siva, longing for the heaven of Nirvana. + </p> + <p> + As a rule, children love their parents, believe what they teach, and take + great pride in saying that the religion of mother is good enough for them. + </p> + <p> + Most people love peace. They do not like to differ with their neighbors. + They like company. They are social. They enjoy traveling on the highway + with the multitude. They hate to walk alone. + </p> + <p> + The Scotch are Calvinists because their fathers were. The Irish are + Catholics because their fathers were. The English are Episcopalians + because their fathers were, and the Americans are divided in a hundred + sects because their fathers were. This is the general rule, to which there + are many exceptions. Children sometimes are superior to their parents, + modify their ideas, change their customs, and arrive at different + conclusions. But this is generally so gradual that the departure is + scarcely noticed, and those who change usually insist that they are still + following the fathers. + </p> + <p> + It is claimed by Christian historians that the religion of a nation was + sometimes suddenly changed, and that millions of Pagans were made into + Christians by the command of a king. Philosophers do not agree with these + historians. Names have been changed, altars have been overthrown, but + opinions, customs and beliefs remained the same. A Pagan, beneath the + drawn sword of a Christian, would probably change his religious views, and + a Christian, with a scimitar above his head, might suddenly become a + Mohammedan, but as a matter of fact both would remain exactly as they were + before—except in speech. + </p> + <p> + Belief is not subject to the will. Men think as they must. Children do + not, and cannot, believe exactly as they were taught. They are not exactly + like their parents. They differ in temperament, in experience, in + capacity, in surroundings. And so there is a continual, though almost + imperceptible change. There is development, conscious and unconscious + growth, and by comparing long periods of time we find that the old has + been almost abandoned, almost lost in the new. Men cannot remain + stationary. The mind cannot be securely anchored. If we do not advance, we + go backward. If we do not grow, we decay. If we do not develop, we shrink + and shrivel. + </p> + <p> + Like the most of you, I was raised among people who knew—who were + certain. They did not reason or investigate. They had no doubts. They knew + that they had the truth. In their creed there was no guess—no + perhaps. They had a revelation from God. They knew the beginning of + things. They knew that God commenced to create one Monday morning, four + thousand and four years before Christ. They knew that in the eternity—back + of that morning, he had done nothing. They knew that it took him six days + to make the earth—all plants, all animals, all life, and all the + globes that wheel in space. They knew exactly what he did each day and + when he rested. They knew the origin, the cause of evil, of all crime, of + all disease and death. + </p> + <p> + They not only knew the beginning, but they knew the end. They knew that + life had one path and one road. They knew that the path, grass-grown and + narrow, filled with thorns and nettles, infested with vipers, wet with + tears, stained by bleeding feet, led to heaven, and that the road, broad + and smooth, bordered with fruits and flowers, filled with laughter and + song and all the happiness of human love, led straight to hell. They knew + that God was doing his best to make you take the path and that the Devil + used every art to keep you in the road. + </p> + <p> + They knew that there was a perpetual battle waged between the great Powers + of good and evil for the possession of human souls. They knew that many + centuries ago God had left his throne and had been born a babe into this + poor world—that he had suffered death for the sake of man—for + the sake of saving a few. They also knew that the human heart was utterly + depraved, so that man by nature was in love with wrong and hated God with + all his might. + </p> + <p> + At the same time they knew that God created man in his own image and was + perfectly satisfied with his work. They also knew that he had been + thwarted by the Devil, who with wiles and lies had deceived the first of + human kind. They knew that in consequence of that, God cursed the man and + woman; the man with toil, the woman with slavery and pain, and both with + death; and that he cursed the earth itself with briers and thorns, + brambles and thistles. All these blessed things they knew. They knew too + all that God had done to purify and elevate the race. They knew all about + the Flood—knew that God, with the exception of eight, drowned all + his children—the old and young—the bowed patriarch and the + dimpled babe—the young man and the merry maiden—the loving + mother and the laughing child—because his mercy endureth forever. + They knew too, that he drowned the beasts and birds—everything that + walked or crawled or flew—because his loving kindness is over all + his works. They knew that God, for the purpose of civilizing his children, + had devoured some with earthquakes, destroyed some with storms of fire, + killed some with his lightnings, millions with famine, with pestilence, + and sacrificed countless thousands upon the fields of war. They knew that + it was necessary to believe these things and to love God. They knew that + there could be no salvation except by faith, and through the atoning blood + of Jesus Christ. + </p> + <p> + All who doubted or denied would be lost. To live a moral and honest life—to + keep your contracts, to take care of wife and child—to make a happy + home—to be a good citizen, a patriot, a just and thoughtful man, was + simply a respectable way of going to hell. + </p> + <p> + God did not reward men for being honest, generous and brave, but for the + act of faith. Without faith, all the so-called virtues were sins, and the + men who practiced these virtues, without faith, deserved to suffer eternal + pain. + </p> + <p> + All of these comforting and reasonable things were taught by the ministers + in their pulpits—by teachers in Sunday schools and by parents at + home. The children were victims. They were assaulted in the cradle—in + their mother's arms. Then, the schoolmaster carried on the war against + their natural sense, and all the books they read were filled with the same + impossible truths. The poor children were helpless. The atmosphere they + breathed was filled with lies—lies that mingled with their blood. + </p> + <p> + In those days ministers depended on revivals to save souls and reform the + world. + </p> + <p> + In the winter, navigation having closed, business was mostly suspended. + There were no railways and the only means of communication were wagons and + boats. Generally the roads were so bad that the wagons were laid up with + the boats. There were no operas, no theatres, no amusement except parties + and balls. The parties were regarded as worldly and the balls as wicked. + For real and virtuous enjoyment the good people depended on revivals. + </p> + <p> + The sermons were mostly about the pains and agonies of hell, the joys and + ecstasies of heaven, salvation by faith, and the efficacy of the + atonement. The little churches, in which the services were held, were + generally small, badly ventilated, and exceedingly warm. The emotional + sermons, the sad singing, the hysterical amens, the hope of heaven, the + fear of hell, caused many to lose the little sense they had. They became + substantially insane. In this condition they flocked to the "mourners + bench"—asked for the prayers of the faithful—had strange + feelings, prayed and wept and thought they had been "born again." Then + they would tell their experience—how wicked they had been—how + evil had been their thoughts, their desires, and how good they had + suddenly become. + </p> + <p> + They used to tell the story of an old woman who, in telling her + experience, said:—"Before I was converted, before I gave my heart to + God, I used to lie and steal, but now, thanks to the grace and blood of + Jesus Christ, I have quit 'em both, in a great measure." + </p> + <p> + Of course all the people were not exactly of one mind. There were some + scoffers, and now and then some man had sense enough to laugh at the + threats of priests and make a jest of hell. Some would tell of unbelievers + who had lived and died in peace. + </p> + <p> + When I was a boy I heard them tell of an old farmer in Vermont. He was + dying. The minister was at his bedside—asked him if he was a + Christian —if he was prepared to die. The old man answered that he + had made no preparation, that he was not a Christian—that he had + never done anything but work. The preacher said that he could give him no + hope unless he had faith in Christ, and that if he had no faith his soul + would certainly be lost. + </p> + <p> + The old man was not frightened. He was perfectly calm. In a weak and + broken voice he said: "Mr. Preacher, I suppose you noticed my farm. My + wife and I came here more than fifty years ago. We were just married. It + was a forest then and the land was covered with stones. I cut down the + trees, burned the logs, picked up the stones and laid the walls. My wife + spun and wove and worked every moment. We raised and educated our children—denied + ourselves. During all these years my wife never had a good dress, or a + decent bonnet. I never had a good suit of clothes. We lived on the + plainest food. Our hands, our bodies are deformed by toil. We never had a + vacation. We loved each other and the children. That is the only luxury we + ever had. Now I am about to die and you ask me if I am prepared. Mr. + Preacher, I have no fear of the future, no terror of any other world. + There may be such a place as hell—but if there is, you never can + make me believe that it's any worse than old Vermont." + </p> + <p> + So, they told of a man who compared himself with his dog. "My dog," he + said, "just barks and plays—has all he wants to eat. He never works—has + no trouble about business. In a little while he dies, and that is all. I + work with all my strength. I have no time to play. I have trouble every + day. In a little while I will die, and then I go to hell. I wish that I + had been a dog." + </p> + <p> + Well, while the cold weather lasted, while the snows fell, the revival + went on, but when the winter was over, when the steamboat's whistle was + heard, when business started again, most of the converts "backslid" and + fell again into their old ways. But the next winter they were on hand, + ready to be "born again." They formed a kind of stock company, playing the + same parts every winter and backsliding every spring. + </p> + <p> + The ministers, who preached at these revivals, were in earnest. They were + zealous and sincere. They were not philosophers. To them science was the + name of a vague dread—a dangerous enemy. They did not know much, but + they believed a great deal. To them hell was a burning reality—they + could see the smoke and flames. The Devil was no myth. He was an actual + person, a rival of God, an enemy of mankind. They thought that the + important business of this life was to save your soul—that all + should resist and scorn the pleasures of sense, and keep their eyes + steadily fixed on the golden gate of the New Jerusalem. They were + unbalanced, emotional, hysterical, bigoted, hateful, loving, and insane. + They really believed the Bible to be the actual word of God—a book + without mistake or contradiction. They called its cruelties, justice—its + absurdities, mysteries—its miracles, facts, and the idiotic passages + were regarded as profoundly spiritual. They dwelt on the pangs, the + regrets, the infinite agonies of the lost, and showed how easily they + could be avoided, and how cheaply heaven could be obtained. They told + their hearers to believe, to have faith, to give their hearts to God, + their sins to Christ, who would bear their burdens and make their souls as + white as snow. + </p> + <p> + All this the ministers really believed. They were absolutely certain. In + their minds the Devil had tried in vain to sow the seeds of doubt. + </p> + <p> + I heard hundreds of these evangelical sermons—heard hundreds of the + most fearful and vivid descriptions of the tortures inflicted in hell, of + the horrible state of the lost. I supposed that what I heard was true and + yet I did not believe it. I said: "It is," and then I thought: "It cannot + be." + </p> + <p> + These sermons made but faint impressions on my mind. I was not convinced. + </p> + <p> + I had no desire to be "converted," did not want a "new heart" and had no + wish to be "born again." + </p> + <p> + But I heard one sermon that touched my heart, that left its mark, like a + scar, on my brain. + </p> + <p> + One Sunday I went with my brother to hear a Free Will Baptist preacher. He + was a large man, dressed like a farmer, but he was an orator. He could + paint a picture with words. + </p> + <p> + He took for his text the parable of "the rich man and Lazarus." He + described Dives, the rich man—his manner of life, the excesses in + which he indulged, his extravagance, his riotous nights, his purple and + fine linen, his feasts, his wines, and his beautiful women. + </p> + <p> + Then he described Lazarus, his poverty, his rags and wretchedness, his + poor body eaten by disease, the crusts and crumbs he devoured, the dogs + that pitied him. He pictured his lonely life, his friendless death. + </p> + <p> + Then, changing his tone of pity to one of triumph—leaping from tears + to the heights of exultation—from defeat to victory—he + described the glorious company of angels, who with white and outspread + wings carried the soul of the despised pauper to Paradise—to the + bosom of Abraham. + </p> + <p> + Then, changing his voice to one of scorn and loathing, he told of the rich + man's death. He was in his palace, on his costly couch, the air heavy with + perfume, the room filled with servants and physicians. His gold was + worthless then. He could not buy another breath. He died, and in hell he + lifted up his eyes, being in torment. + </p> + <p> + Then, assuming a dramatic attitude, putting his right hand to his ear, he + whispered, "Hark! I hear the rich man's voice. What does he say? Hark! + 'Father Abraham! Father Abraham! I pray thee send Lazarus that he may dip + the tip of his finger in water and cool my parched tongue, for I am + tormented in this flame.'" + </p> + <p> + "Oh, my hearers, he has been making that request for more than eighteen + hundred years. And millions of ages hence that wail will cross the gulf + that lies between the saved and lost and still will be heard the cry: + 'Father Abraham! Father Abraham! I pray thee send Lazarus that he may dip + the tip of his finger in water and cool my parched tongue, for I am + tormented in this flame.'" + </p> + <p> + For the first time I understood the dogma of eternal pain—appreciated + "the glad tidings of great joy." For the first time my imagination grasped + the height and depth of the Christian horror. Then I said: "It is a lie, + and I hate your religion. If it is true, I hate your God." + </p> + <p> + From that day I have had no fear, no doubt. For me, on that day, the + flames of hell were quenched. From that day I have passionately hated + every orthodox creed. That Sermon did some good. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + FROM my childhood I had heard read and read the Bible. Morning and evening + the sacred volume was opened and prayers were said. The Bible was my first + history, the Jews were the first people, and the events narrated by Moses + and the other inspired writers, and those predicted by prophets were the + all important things. In other books were found the thoughts and dreams of + men, but in the Bible were the sacred truths of God. + </p> + <p> + Yet in spite of my surroundings, of my education, I had no love for God. + He was so saving of mercy, so extravagant in murder, so anxious to kill, + so ready to assassinate, that I hated him with all my heart. At his + command, babes were butchered, women violated, and the white hair of + trembling age stained with blood. This God visited the people with + pestilence—filled the houses and covered the streets with the dying + and the dead—saw babes starving on the empty breasts of pallid + mothers, heard the sobs, saw the tears, the sunken cheeks, the sightless + eyes, the new made graves, and remained as pitiless as the pestilence. + </p> + <p> + This God withheld the rain—caused the famine—saw the fierce + eyes of hunger—the wasted forms, the white lips, saw mothers eating + babes, and remained ferocious as famine. + </p> + <p> + It seems to me impossible for a civilized man to love or worship, or + respect the God of the Old Testament. A really civilized man, a really + civilized woman, must hold such a God in abhorrence and contempt. + </p> + <p> + But in the old days the good people justified Jehovah in his treatment of + the heathen. The wretches who were murdered were idolaters and therefore + unfit to live. + </p> + <p> + According to the Bible, God had never revealed himself to these people and + he knew that without a revelation they could not know that he was the true + God. Whose fault was it then that they were heathen? + </p> + <p> + The Christians said that God had the right to destroy them because he + created them. What did he create them for? He knew when he made them that + they would be food for the sword. He knew that he would have the pleasure + of seeing them murdered. + </p> + <p> + As a last answer, as a final excuse, the worshipers of Jehovah said that + all these horrible things happened under the "old dispensation" of + unyielding law, and absolute justice, but that now under the "new + dispensation," all had been changed—the sword of justice had been + sheathed and love enthroned. In the Old Testament, they said, God is the + judge—but in the New, Christ is the merciful. As a matter of fact, + the New Testament is infinitely worse than the Old. In the Old there is no + threat of eternal pain. Jehovah had no eternal prison—no everlasting + fire. His hatred ended at the grave. His revenge was satisfied when his + enemy was dead. + </p> + <p> + In the New Testament, death is not the end, but the beginning of + punishment that has no end. In the New Testament the malice of God is + infinite and the hunger of his revenge eternal. + </p> + <p> + The orthodox God, when clothed in human flesh, told his disciples not to + resist evil, to love their enemies, and when smitten on one cheek to turn + the other, and yet we are told that this same God, with the same loving + lips, uttered these heartless, these fiendish words: "Depart ye cursed + into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." + </p> + <p> + These are the words of "eternal love." + </p> + <p> + No human being has imagination enough to conceive of this infinite horror. + </p> + <p> + All that the human race has suffered in war and want, in pestilence and + famine, in fire and flood,—all the pangs and pains of every disease + and every death—all this is as nothing compared with the agonies to + be endured by one lost soul. + </p> + <p> + This is the consolation of the Christian religion. This is the justice of + God—the mercy of Christ. + </p> + <p> + This frightful dogma, this infinite lie, made me the implacable enemy of + Christianity. The truth is that this belief in eternal pain has been the + real persecutor. It founded the Inquisition, forged the chains, and + furnished the fagots. It has darkened the lives of many millions. It made + the cradle as terrible as the coffin. It enslaved nations and shed the + blood of countless thousands. It sacrificed the wisest, the bravest and + the best. It subverted the idea of justice, drove mercy from the heart, + changed men to fiends and banished reason from the brain. + </p> + <p> + Like a venomous serpent it crawls and coils and hisses in every orthodox + creed. + </p> + <p> + It makes man an eternal victim and God an eternal fiend. It is the one + infinite horror. Every church in which it is taught is a public curse. + Every preacher who teaches it is an enemy of mankind. Below this Christian + dogma, savagery cannot go. It is the infinite of malice, hatred, and + revenge. + </p> + <p> + Nothing could add to the horror of hell, except the presence of its + creator, God. + </p> + <p> + While I have life, as long as I draw breath, I shall deny with all my + strength, and hate with every drop of my blood, this infinite lie. + </p> + <p> + Nothing gives me greater joy than to know that this belief in eternal pain + is growing weaker every day—that thousands of ministers are ashamed + of it. It gives me joy to know that Christians are becoming merciful, so + merciful that the fires of hell are burning low—flickering, choked + with ashes, destined in a few years to die out forever. + </p> + <p> + For centuries Christendom was a madhouse. Popes, cardinals, bishops, + priests, monks and heretics were all insane. + </p> + <p> + Only a few—four or five in a century were sound in heart and brain. + Only a few, in spite of the roar and din, in spite of the savage cries, + heard reason's voice. Only a few in the wild rage of ignorance, fear and + zeal preserved the perfect calm that wisdom gives. + </p> + <p> + We have advanced. In a few years the Christians will become—let us + hope—humane and sensible enough to deny the dogma that fills the + endless years with pain. They ought to know now that this dogma is utterly + inconsistent with the wisdom, the justice, the goodness of their God. They + ought to know that their belief in hell, gives to the Holy Ghost—the + Dove—the beak of a vulture, and fills the mouth of the Lamb of God + with the fangs of a viper. + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + IN my youth I read religious books—books about God, about the + atonement—about salvation by faith, and about the other worlds. I + became familiar with the commentators—with Adam Clark, who thought + that the serpent seduced our mother Eve, and was in fact the father of + Cain. He also believed that the animals, while in the ark, had their + natures' changed to that degree that they devoured straw together and + enjoyed each other's society—thus prefiguring the blessed + millennium. I read Scott, who was such a natural theologian that he really + thought the story of Phaeton—of the wild steeds dashing across the + sky—corroborated the story of Joshua having stopped the sun and + moon. So, I read Henry and MacKnight and found that God so loved the world + that he made up his mind to damn a large majority of the human race. I + read Cruden, who made the great Concordance, and made the miracles as + small and probable as he could. + </p> + <p> + I remember that he explained the miracle of feeding the wandering Jews + with quails, by saying that even at this day immense numbers of quails + crossed the Red Sea, and that sometimes when tired, they settled on ships + that sank beneath their weight. The fact that the explanation was as hard + to believe as the miracle made no difference to the devout Cruden. + </p> + <p> + To while away the time I read Calvin's Institutes, a book calculated to + produce, in any natural mind, considerable respect for the Devil. + </p> + <p> + I read Paley's Evidences and found that the evidence of ingenuity in + producing the evil, in contriving the hurtful, was at least equal to the + evidence tending to show the use of intelligence in the creation of what + we call good. + </p> + <p> + You know the watch argument was Paley's greatest effort. A man finds a + watch and it is so wonderful that he concludes that it must have had a + maker. He finds the maker and he is so much more wonderful than the watch + that he says he must have had a maker. Then he finds God, the maker of the + man, and he is so much more wonderful than the man that he could <i>not</i> + have had a maker. This is what the lawyers call a departure in pleading. + </p> + <p> + According to Paley there can be no design without a designer—but + there can be a designer without a design. The wonder of the watch + suggested the watchmaker, and the wonder of the watchmaker, suggested the + creator, and the wonder of the creator demonstrated that he was not + created—but was uncaused and eternal. + </p> + <p> + We had Edwards on The Will, in which the reverend author shows that + necessity has no effect on accountability—and that when God creates + a human being, and at the same time determines and decrees exactly what + that being shall do and be, the human being is responsible, and God in his + justice and mercy has the right to torture the soul of that human being + forever. Yet Edwards said that he loved God. + </p> + <p> + The fact is that if you believe in an infinite God, and also in eternal + punishment, then you must admit that Edwards and Calvin were absolutely + right. There is no escape from their conclusions if you admit their + premises. They were infinitely cruel, their premises infinitely absurd, + their God infinitely fiendish, and their logic perfect. + </p> + <p> + And yet I have kindness and candor enough to say that Calvin and Edwards + were both insane. + </p> + <p> + We had plenty of theological literature. There was Jenkyn on the + Atonement, who demonstrated the wisdom of God in devising a way in which + the sufferings of innocence could justify the guilty. He tried to show + that children could justly be punished for the sins of their ancestors, + and that men could, if they had faith, be justly credited with the virtues + of others. Nothing could be more devout, orthodox, and idiotic. But all of + our theology was not in prose. We had Milton with his celestial militia—with + his great and blundering God, his proud and cunning Devil—his wars + between immortals, and all the sublime absurdities that religion wrought + within the blind man's brain. + </p> + <p> + The theology taught by Milton was dear to the Puritan heart. It was + accepted by New England, and it poisoned the souls and ruined the lives of + thousands. The genius of Shakespeare could not make the theology of Milton + poetic. In the literature of the world there is nothing, outside of the + "sacred books," more perfectly absurd. + </p> + <p> + We had Young's Night Thoughts, and I supposed that the author was an + exceedingly devout and loving follower of the Lord. Yet Young had a great + desire to be a bishop, and to accomplish that end he electioneered with + the king's mistress. In other words, he was a fine old hypocrite. In the + "Night Thoughts" there is scarcely a genuinely honest, natural line. It is + pretence from beginning to end. He did not write what he felt, but what he + thought he ought to feel. + </p> + <p> + We had Pollok's Course of Time, with its worm that never dies, its + quenchless flames, its endless pangs, its leering devils, and its gloating + God. This frightful poem should have been written in a madhouse. In it you + find all the cries and groans and shrieks of maniacs, when they tear and + rend each other's flesh. It is as heartless, as hideous, as hellish as the + thirty-second chapter of Deuteronomy. + </p> + <p> + We all know the beautiful hymn commencing with the cheerful line: "Hark + from the tombs, a doleful sound." Nothing could have been more appropriate + for children. It is well to put a coffin where it can be seen from the + cradle. When a mother nurses her child, an open grave should be at her + feet. This would tend to make the babe serious, reflective, religious and + miserable. + </p> + <p> + God hates laughter and despises mirth. To feel free, untrammeled, + irresponsible, joyous,—to forget care and death—to be flooded + with sunshine without a fear of night—to forget the past, to have no + thought of the future, no dream of God, or heaven, or hell—to be + intoxicated with the present—to be conscious only of the clasp and + kiss of the one you love—this is the sin against the Holy Ghost. + </p> + <p> + But we had Cowper's poems. Cowper was sincere. He was the opposite of + Young. He had an observing eye, a gentle heart and a sense of the + artistic. He sympathized with all who suffered—with the imprisoned, + the enslaved, the outcasts. He loved the beautiful. No wonder that the + belief in eternal punishment made this loving soul insane. No wonder that + the "tidings of great joy" quenched Hope's great star and left his broken + heart in the darkness of despair. + </p> + <p> + We had many volumes of orthodox sermons, filled with wrath and the terrors + of the judgment to come—sermons that had been delivered by savage + saints. + </p> + <p> + We had the Book of Martyrs, showing that Christians had for many centuries + imitated the God they worshiped. + </p> + <p> + W|e had the history of the Waldenses—of the Reformation of the + Church. We had Pilgrim's Progress, Baxter's Call and Butler's Analogy. + </p> + <p> + To use a Western phrase or saying, I found that Bishop Butler dug up more + snakes than he killed—suggested more difficulties than he explained—more + doubts than he dispelled. + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + AMONG such books my youth was passed. All the seeds of Christianity—of + superstition, were sown in my mind and cultivated with great diligence and + care. + </p> + <p> + All that time I knew nothing of any science—nothing about the other + side—nothing of the objections that had been urged against the + blessed Scriptures, or against the perfect Congregational creed. Of course + I had heard the ministers speak of blasphemers, of infidel wretches, of + scoffers who laughed at holy things. They did not answer their arguments, + but they tore their characters into shreds and demonstrated by the fury of + assertion that they had done the Devil's work. And yet in spite of all I + heard—of all I read, I could not quite believe. My brain and heart + said No. + </p> + <p> + For a time I left the dreams, the insanities, the illusions and delusions, + the nightmares of theology. I studied astronomy, just a little—I + examined maps of the heavens—learned the names of some of the + constellations—of some of the stars—found something of their + size and the velocity with which they wheeled in their orbits—obtained + a faint conception of astronomical spaces—found that some of the + known stars were so far away in the depths of space that their light, + traveling at the rate of nearly two hundred thousand miles a second, + required many years to reach this little world—found that, compared + with the great stars, our earth was but a grain of sand—an atom—found + that the old belief that all the hosts of heaven had been created for the + benefit of man, was infinitely absurd. + </p> + <p> + I compared what was really known about the stars with the account of + creation as told in Genesis. I found that the writer of the inspired book + had no knowledge of astronomy—that he was as ignorant as a Choctaw + chief—as an Eskimo driver of dogs. Does any one imagine that the + author of Genesis knew anything about the sun—its size? that he was + acquainted with Sirius, the North Star, with Capella, or that he knew + anything of the clusters of stars so far away that their light, now + visiting our eyes, has been traveling for two million years? + </p> + <p> + If he had known these facts would he have said that Jehovah worked nearly + six days to make this world, and only a part of the afternoon of the + fourth day to make the sun and moon and all the stars? + </p> + <p> + Yet millions of people insist that the writer of Genesis was inspired by + the Creator of all worlds. + </p> + <p> + Now, intelligent men, who are not frightened, whose brains have not been + paralyzed by fear, know that the sacred story of creation was written by + an ignorant savage. The story is inconsistent with all known facts, and + every star shining in the heavens testifies that its author was an + uninspired barbarian. + </p> + <p> + I admit that this unknown writer was sincere, that he wrote what he + believed to be true—that he did the best he could. He did not claim + to be inspired—did not pretend that the story had been told to him + by Jehovah. He simply stated the "facts" as he understood them. + </p> + <p> + After I had learned a little about the stars I concluded that this writer, + this "inspired" scribe, had been misled by myth and legend, and that he + knew no more about creation than the average theologian of my day. In + other words, that he knew absolutely nothing. + </p> + <p> + And here, allow me to say that the ministers who are answering me are + turning their guns in the wrong direction. These reverend gentlemen should + attack the astronomers. They should malign and vilify Kepler, Copernicus, + Newton, Herschel and Laplace. These men were the real destroyers of the + sacred story. Then, after having disposed of them, they can wage a war + against the stars, and against Jehovah himself for having furnished + evidence against the truthfulness of his book. + </p> + <p> + Then I studied geology—not much, just a little—just enough to + find in a general way the principal facts that had been discovered, and + some of the conclusions that had been reached. I learned something of the + action of fire—of water—of the formation of islands and + continents—of the sedimentary and igneous rocks—of the coal + measures—of the chalk cliffs, something about coral reefs—about + the deposits made by rivers, the effect of volcanoes, of glaciers, and of + the all surrounding sea—just enough to know that the Laurentian + rocks were millions of ages older than the grass beneath my feet—just + enough to feel certain that this world had been pursuing its flight about + the sun, wheeling in light and shade, for hundreds of millions of years—just + enough to know that the "inspired" writer knew nothing of the history of + the earth—nothing of the great forces of nature—of wind and + wave and fire—forces that have destroyed and built, wrecked and + wrought through all the countless years. + </p> + <p> + And let me tell the ministers again that they should not waste their time + in answering me. They should attack the geologists. They should deny the + facts that have been discovered. They should launch their curses at the + blaspheming seas, and dash their heads against the infidel rocks. + </p> + <p> + Then I studied biology—not much—just enough to know something + of animal forms, enough to know that life existed when the Laurentian + rocks were made—just enough to know that implements of stone, + implements that had been formed by human hands, had been found mingled + with the bones of extinct animals, bones that had been split with these + implements, and that these animals had ceased to exist hundreds of + thousands of years before the manufacture of Adam and Eve. + </p> + <p> + Then I felt sure that the "inspired" record was false—that many + millions of people had been deceived and that all I had been taught about + the origin of worlds and men was utterly untrue. I felt that I knew that + the Old Testament was the work of ignorant men—that it was a + mingling of truth and mistake, of wisdom and foolishness, of cruelty and + kindness, of philosophy and absurdity—that it contained some + elevated thoughts, some poetry,—-a good deal of the solemn and + commonplace,—some hysterical, some tender, some wicked prayers, some + insane predictions, some delusions, and some chaotic dreams. + </p> + <p> + Of course the theologians fought the facts found by the geologists, the + scientists, and sought to sustain the sacred Scriptures. They mistook the + bones of the mastodon for those of human beings, and by them proudly + proved that "there were giants in those days." They accounted for the + fossils by saying that God had made them to try our faith, or that the + Devil had imitated the works of the Creator. + </p> + <p> + They answered the geologists by saying that the "days" in Genesis were + long periods of time, and that after all the flood might have been local. + They told the astronomers that the sun and moon were not actually, but + only apparently, stopped. And that the appearance was produced by the + reflection and refraction of light. + </p> + <p> + They excused the slavery and polygamy, the robbery and murder upheld in + the Old Testament by saying that the people were so degraded that Jehovah + was compelled to pander to their ignorance and prejudice. + </p> + <p> + In every way the clergy sought to evade the facts, to dodge the truth, to + preserve the creed. + </p> + <p> + At first they flatly denied the facts—then they belittled them—then + they harmonized them—then they denied that they had denied them. + Then they changed the meaning of the "inspired" book to fit the facts. + </p> + <p> + At first they said that if the facts, as claimed, were true, the Bible was + false and Christianity itself a superstition. Afterward they said the + facts, as claimed, were true and that they established beyond all doubt + the inspiration of the Bible and the divine origin of orthodox religion. + </p> + <p> + Anything they could not dodge, they swallowed, and anything they could not + swallow, they dodged. + </p> + <p> + I gave up the Old Testament on account of its mistakes, its absurdities, + its ignorance and its cruelty. I gave up the New because it vouched for + the truth of the Old. I gave it up on account of its miracles, its + contradictions, because Christ and his disciples believed in the existence + of devils—talked and made bargains with them, expelled them from + people and animals. + </p> + <p> + This, of itself, is enough. We know, if we know anything, that devils do + not exist—that Christ never cast them out, and that if he pretended + to, he was either ignorant, dishonest or insane. These stories about + devils demonstrate the human, the ignorant origin of the New Testament. I + gave up the New Testament because it rewards credulity, and curses brave + and honest men, and because it teaches the infinite horror of eternal + pain. + </p> + <p> + V. + </p> + <p> + HAVING spent my youth in reading books about religion—about the "new + birth"—the disobedience of our first parents, the atonement, + salvation by faith, the wickedness of pleasure, the degrading consequences + of love, and the impossibility of getting to heaven by being honest and + generous, and having become somewhat weary of the frayed and raveled + thoughts, you can imagine my surprise, my delight when I read the poems of + Robert Burns. + </p> + <p> + I was familiar with the writings of the devout and insincere, the pious + and petrified, the pure and heartless. Here was a natural honest man. I + knew the works of those who regarded all nature as depraved, and looked + upon love as the legacy and perpetual witness of original sin. Here was a + man who plucked joy from the mire, made goddesses of peasant girls, and + enthroned the honest man. One whose sympathy, with loving arms, embraced + all forms of suffering life, who hated slavery of every kind, who was as + natural as heaven's blue, with humor kindly as an autumn day, with wit as + sharp as Ithuriel's spear, and scorn that blasted like the simoon's + breath. A man who loved this world, this life, the things of every day, + and placed above all else the thrilling ecstasies of human love. + </p> + <p> + I read and read again with rapture, tears and smiles, feeling that a great + heart was throbbing in the lines. + </p> + <p> + The religious, the lugubrious, the artificial, the spiritual poets were + forgotten or remained only as the fragments, the half remembered horrors + of monstrous and distorted dreams. + </p> + <p> + I had found at last a natural man, one who despised his country's cruel + creed, and was brave and sensible enough to say: "All religions are auld + wives' fables, but an honest man has nothing to fear, either in this world + or the world to come." + </p> + <p> + One who had the genius to write Holy Willie's Prayer—a poem that + crucified Calvinism and through its bloodless heart thrust the spear of + common sense—a poem that made every orthodox creed the food of scorn—of + inextinguishable laughter. + </p> + <p> + Burns had his faults, his frailties. He was intensely human. Still, I + would rather appear at the "Judgment Seat" drunk, and be able to say that + I was the author of "A man's a man for 'a that," than to be perfectly + sober and admit that I had lived and died a Scotch Presbyterian. + </p> + <p> + I read Byron—read his Cain, in which, as in Paradise Lost, the Devil + seems to be the better god—read his beautiful, sublime and bitter + lines—read his Prisoner of Chillon—his best—a poem that + filled my heart with tenderness, with pity, and with an eternal hatred of + tyranny. + </p> + <p> + I read Shelley's Queen Mab—a poem filled with beauty, courage, + thought, sympathy, tears and scorn, in which a brave soul tears down the + prison walls and floods the cells with light. I read his Skylark—a + winged flame—passionate as blood—tender as tears—pure as + light. + </p> + <p> + I read Keats, "whose name was writ in water"—read St. Agnes Eve, a + story told with such an artless art that this poor common world is changed + to fairy land—the Grecian Urn, that fills the soul with ever eager + love, with all the rapture of imagined song—the Nightingale—a + melody in which there is the memory of morn—a melody that dies away + in dusk and tears, paining the senses with its perfectness. + </p> + <p> + And then I read Shakespeare, the plays, the sonnets, the poems—read + all. I beheld a new heaven and a new earth; Shakespeare, who knew the + brain and heart of man—the hopes and fears, the loves and hatreds, + the vices and the virtues of the human race; whose imagination read the + tear-blurred records, the blood-stained pages of all the past, and saw + falling athwart the outspread scroll the light of hope and love; + Shakespeare, who sounded every depth—while on the loftiest peak + there fell the shadow of his wings. + </p> + <p> + I compared the Plays with the "inspired" books—Romeo and Juliet with + the Song of Solomon, Lear with Job, and the Sonnets with the Psalms, and I + found that Jehovah did not understand the art of speech. I compared + Shakespeare's women—his perfect women—with the women of the + Bible. I found that Jehovah was not a sculptor, not a painter—not an + artist—that he lacked the power that changes clay to flesh—the + art, the plastic touch, that moulds the perfect form—the breath that + gives it free and joyous life—the genius that creates the faultless. + </p> + <p> + The sacred books of all the world are worthless dross and common stones + compared with Shakespeare's glittering gold and gleaming gems. + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + UP to this time I had read nothing against our blessed religion except + what I had found in Burns, Byron and Shelley. By some accident I read + Volney, who shows that all religions are, and have been, established in + the same way—that all had their Christs, their apostles, miracles + and sacred books, and then asked how it is possible to decide which is the + true one. A question that is still waiting for an answer. + </p> + <p> + I read Gibbon, the greatest of historians, who marshaled his facts as + skillfully as Cæsar did his legions, and I learned that Christianity + is only a name for Paganism—for the old religion, shorn of its + beauty—that some absurdities had been exchanged for others—that + some gods had been killed—a vast multitude of devils created, and + that hell had been enlarged. + </p> + <p> + And then I read the Age of Reason, by Thomas Paine. Let me tell you + something about this sublime and slandered man. He came to this country + just before the Revolution. He brought a letter of introduction from + Benjamin Franklin, at that time the greatest American. + </p> + <p> + In Philadelphia, Paine was employed to write for the <i>Pennsylvania + Magazine</i>. We know that he wrote at least five articles. The first was + against slavery, the second against duelling, the third on the treatment + of prisoners—showing that the object should be to reform, not to + punish and degrade—the fourth on the rights of woman, and the fifth + in favor of forming societies for the prevention of cruelty to children + and animals. + </p> + <p> + From this you see that he suggested the great reforms of our century. + </p> + <p> + The truth is that he labored all his life for the good of his fellow-men, + and did as much to found the Great Republic as any man who ever stood + beneath our flag. + </p> + <p> + He gave his thoughts about religion—about the blessed Scriptures, + about the superstitions of his time. He was perfectly sincere and what he + said was kind and fair. + </p> + <p> + The Age of Reason filled with hatred the hearts of those who loved their + enemies, and the occupant of every orthodox pulpit became, and still is, a + passionate maligner of Thomas Paine. + </p> + <p> + No one has answered—no one will answer, his argument against the + dogma of inspiration—his objections to the Bible. + </p> + <p> + He did not rise above all the superstitions of his day. While he hated + Jehovah, he praised the God of Nature, the creator and preserver of all. + In this he was wrong, because, as Watson said in his Reply to Paine, the + God of Nature is as heartless, as cruel as the God of the Bible. + </p> + <p> + But Paine was one of the pioneers—one of the Titans, one of the + heroes, who gladly gave his life, his every thought and act, to free and + civilize mankind. + </p> + <p> + I read Voltaire—Voltaire, the greatest man of his century, and who + did more for liberty of thought and speech than any other being, human or + "divine." Voltaire, who tore the mask from hypocrisy and found behind the + painted smile the fangs of hate. Voltaire, who attacked the savagery of + the law, the cruel decisions of venal courts, and rescued victims from the + wheel and rack. Voltaire, who waged war against the tyranny of thrones, + the greed and heartlessness of power. Voltaire, who filled the flesh of + priests with the barbed and poisoned arrows of his wit and made the pious + jugglers, who cursed him in public, laugh at themselves in private. + Voltaire, who sided with the oppressed, rescued the unfortunate, + championed the obscure and weak, civilized judges, repealed laws and + abolished torture in his native land. + </p> + <p> + In every direction this tireless man fought the absurd, the miraculous, + the supernatural, the idiotic, the unjust. He had no reverence for the + ancient. He was not awed by pageantry and pomp, by crowned Crime or + mitered Pretence. Beneath the crown he saw the criminal, under the miter, + the hypocrite. + </p> + <p> + To the bar of his conscience, his reason, he summoned the barbarism and + the barbarians of his time. He pronounced judgment against them all, and + that judgment has been affirmed by the intelligent world. Voltaire lighted + a torch and gave to others the sacred flame. The light still shines and + will as long as man loves liberty and seeks for truth. + </p> + <p> + I read Zeno, the man who said, centuries before our Christ was born, that + man could not own his fellow-man. + </p> + <p> + "No matter whether you claim a slave by purchase or capture, the title is + bad. They who claim to own their fellow-men, look down into the pit and + forget the justice that should rule the world." + </p> + <p> + I became acquainted with Epicurus, who taught the religion of usefulness, + of temperance, of courage and wisdom, and who said: "Why should I fear + death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear + that which cannot exist when I do?" + </p> + <p> + I read about Socrates, who when on trial for his life, said, among other + things, to his judges, these wondrous words: "I have not sought during my + life to amass wealth and to adorn my body, but I have sought to adorn my + soul with the jewels of wisdom, patience, and above all with a love of + liberty." + </p> + <p> + So, I read about Diogenes, the philosopher who hated the superfluous—the + enemy of waste and greed, and who one day entered the temple, reverently + approached the altar, crushed a louse between the nails of his thumbs, and + solemnly said: "The sacrifice of Diogenes to all the gods." This parodied + the worship of the world—satirized all creeds, and in one act put + the essence of religion. + </p> + <p> + Diogenes must have know of this "inspired" passage—"Without the + shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." + </p> + <p> + I compared Zeno, Epicurus and Socrates, three heathen wretches who had + never heard of the Old Testament or the Ten Commandments, with Abraham, + Isaac and Jacob, three favorites of Jehovah, and I was depraved enough to + think that the Pagans were superior to the Patriarchs—and to Jehovah + himself. + </p> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + MY attention was turned to other religions, to the sacred books, the + creeds and ceremonies of other lands—of India, Egypt, Assyria, + Persia, of the dead and dying nations. + </p> + <p> + I concluded that all religions had the same foundation—a belief in + the supernatural—a power above nature that man could influence by + worship—by sacrifice and prayer. + </p> + <p> + I found that all religions rested on a mistaken conception of nature—that + the religion of a people was the science of that people, that is to say, + their explanation of the world—of life and death—of origin and + destiny. + </p> + <p> + I concluded that all religions had substantially the same origin, and that + in fact there has never been but one religion in the world. The twigs and + leaves may differ, but the trunk is the same. + </p> + <p> + The poor African that pours out his heart to his deity of stone is on an + exact religious level with the robed priest who supplicates his God. The + same mistake, the same superstition, bends the knees and shuts the eyes of + both. Both ask for supernatural aid, and neither has the slightest thought + of the absolute uniformity of nature. + </p> + <p> + It seems probable to me that the first organized ceremonial religion was + the worship of the sun. The sun was the "Sky Father," the "All Seeing," + the source of life—the fireside of the world. The sun was regarded + as a god who fought the darkness, the power of evil, the enemy of man. + </p> + <p> + There have been many sun-gods, and they seem to have been the chief + deities in the ancient religions. They have been worshiped in many lands—by + many nations that have passed to death and dust. + </p> + <p> + Apollo was a sun-god and he fought and conquered the serpent of night. + Baldur was a sun-god. He was in love with the Dawn—a maiden. + Chrishna was a sun-god. At his birth the Ganges was thrilled from its + source to the sea, and all the trees, the dead as well as the living, + burst into leaf and bud and flower. Hercules was a sun-god and so was + Samson, whose strength was in his hair—that is to say, in his beams. + He was shorn of his strength by Delilah, the shadow—the darkness. + Osiris, Bacchus, and Mithra, Hermes, Buddha, and Quetzalcoatl, Prometheus, + Zoroaster, and Perseus, Cadom, Lao-tsze, Fo-hi, Horus and Rameses, were + all sun-gods. + </p> + <p> + All of these gods had gods for fathers and their mothers were virgins. The + births of nearly all were announced by stars, celebrated by celestial + music, and voices declared that a blessing had come to the poor world. All + of these gods were born in humble places—in caves, under trees, in + common inns, and tyrants sought to kill them all when they were babes. All + of these sun-gods were born at the winter solstice—on Christmas. + Nearly all were worshiped by "wise men." All of them fasted for forty days—all + of them taught in parables—all of them wrought miracles—all + met with a violent death, and all rose from the dead. + </p> + <p> + The history of these gods is the exact history of our Christ. + </p> + <p> + This is not a coincidence—an accident. Christ was a sun-god. Christ + was a new name for an old biography—a survival—the last of the + sun-gods. Christ was not a man, but a myth—not a life, but a legend. + </p> + <p> + I found that we had not only borrowed our Christ—but that all our + sacraments, symbols and ceremonies were legacies that we received from the + buried past. There is nothing original in Christianity. + </p> + <p> + The cross was a symbol thousands of years before our era. It was a symbol + of life, of immortality—of the god Agni, and it was chiseled upon + tombs many ages before a line of our Bible was written. + </p> + <p> + Baptism is far older than Christianity—than Judaism. The Hindus, + Egyptians, Greeks and Romans had Holy Water long before a Catholic lived. + The eucharist was borrowed from the Pagans. Ceres was the goddess of the + fields—Bacchus of the vine. At the harvest festival they made cakes + of wheat and said: "This is the flesh of the goddess." They drank wine and + cried: "This is the blood of our god." + </p> + <p> + The Egyptians had a Trinity. They worshiped Osiris, Isis and Horus, + thousands of years before the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were known. + </p> + <p> + The Tree of Life grew in India, in China, and among the Aztecs, long + before the Garden of Eden was planted. + </p> + <p> + Long before our Bible was known, other nations had their sacred books. + </p> + <p> + The dogmas of the Fall of Man, the Atonement and Salvation by Faith, are + far older than our religion. + </p> + <p> + In our blessed gospel,—in our "divine scheme,"—there is + nothing new—nothing original. All old—all borrowed, pieced and + patched. + </p> + <p> + Then I concluded that all religions had been naturally produced, and that + all were variations, modifications of one,—then I felt that I knew + that all were the work of man. + </p> + <p> + VIII. + </p> + <p> + THE theologians had always insisted that their God was the creator of all + living things—that the forms, parts, functions, colors and varieties + of animals were the expressions of his fancy, taste and wisdom—that + he made them all precisely as they are to-day—that he invented fins + and legs and wings—that he furnished them with the weapons of + attack, the shields of defence—that he formed them with reference to + food and climate, taking into consideration all facts affecting life. + </p> + <p> + They insisted that man was a special creation, not related in any way to + the animals below him. They also asserted that all the forms of + vegetation, from mosses to forests, were just the same to-day as the + moment they were made. + </p> + <p> + Men of genius, who were for the most part free from religious prejudice, + were examining these things—were looking for facts. They were + examining the fossils of animals and plants—studying the forms of + animals—their bones and muscles—the effect of climate and food—the + strange modifications through which they had passed. + </p> + <p> + Humboldt had published his lectures—filled with great thoughts—with + splendid generalizations—with suggestions that stimulated the spirit + of investigation, and with conclusions that satisfied the mind. He + demonstrated the uniformity of Nature—the kinship of all that lives + and grows—that breathes and thinks. + </p> + <p> + Darwin, with his Origin of Species, his theories about Natural Selection, + the Survival of the Fittest, and the influence of environment, shed a + flood of light upon the great problems of plant and animal life. + </p> + <p> + These things had been guessed, prophesied, asserted, hinted by many + others, but Darwin, with infinite patience, with perfect care and candor, + found the facts, fulfilled the prophecies, and demonstrated the truth of + the guesses, hints and assertions. He was, in my judgment, the keenest + observer, the best judge of the meaning and value of a fact, the greatest + Naturalist the world has produced. + </p> + <p> + The theological view began to look small and mean. + </p> + <p> + Spencer gave his theory of evolution and sustained it by countless facts. + He stood at a great height, and with the eyes of a philosopher, a profound + thinker, surveyed the world. He has influenced the thought of the wisest. + </p> + <p> + Theology looked more absurd than ever. + </p> + <p> + Huxley entered the lists for Darwin. No man ever had a sharper sword—a + better shield. He challenged the world. The great theologians and the + small scientists—those who had more courage than sense, accepted the + challenge. Their poor bodies were carried away by their friends. + </p> + <p> + Huxley had intelligence, industry, genius, and the courage to express his + thought. He was absolutely loyal to what he thought was truth. Without + prejudice and without fear, he followed the footsteps of life from the + lowest to the highest forms. + </p> + <p> + Theology looked smaller still. + </p> + <p> + Haeckel began at the simplest cell, went from change to change—from + form to form—followed the line of development, the path of life, + until he reached the human race. It was all natural. There had been no + interference from without. + </p> + <p> + I read the works of these great men—of many others—and became + convinced that they were right, and that all the theologians—all the + believers in "special creation" were absolutely wrong. + </p> + <p> + The Garden of Eden faded away, Adam and Eve fell back to dust, the snake + crawled into the grass, and Jehovah became a miserable myth. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + I TOOK another step. What is matter—substance? Can it be destroyed—annihilated? + Is it possible to conceive of the destruction of the smallest atom of + substance? It can be ground to powder—changed from a solid to a + liquid—from a liquid to a gas—but it all remains. Nothing is + lost—nothing destroyed. + </p> + <p> + Let an infinite God, if there be one, attack a grain of sand—attack + it with infinite power. It cannot be destroyed. It cannot surrender. It + defies all force. Substance cannot be destroyed. + </p> + <p> + Then I took another step. + </p> + <p> + If matter cannot be destroyed, cannot be annihilated, it could not have + been created. + </p> + <p> + The indestructible must be uncreateable. + </p> + <p> + And then I asked myself: What is force? + </p> + <p> + We cannot conceive of the creation of force, or of its destruction. Force + may be changed from one form to another—from motion to heat—but + it cannot be destroyed—annihilated. + </p> + <p> + If force cannot be destroyed it could not have been created. It is + eternal. + </p> + <p> + Another thing—matter cannot exist apart from force. Force cannot + exist apart from matter. Matter could not have existed before force. Force + could not have existed before matter. Matter and force can only be + conceived of together. This has been shown by several scientists, but most + clearly, most forcibly by Büchner. + </p> + <p> + Thought is a form of force, consequently it could not have caused or + created matter. Intelligence is a form of force and could not have existed + without or apart from matter. Without substance there could have been no + mind, no will, no force in any form, and there could have been no + substance without force. + </p> + <p> + Matter and force were not created. They have existed from eternity. They + cannot be destroyed. + </p> + <p> + There was, there is, no creator. Then came the question: Is there a God? + Is there a being of infinite intelligence, power and goodness, who governs + the world? + </p> + <p> + There can be goodness without much intelligence—but it seems to me + that perfect intelligence and perfect goodness must go together. + </p> + <p> + In nature I see, or seem to see, good and evil—intelligence and + ignorance—goodness and cruelty—care and carelessness—economy + and waste. I see means that do not accomplish the ends—designs that + seem to fail. + </p> + <p> + To me it seems infinitely cruel for life to feed on life—to create + animals that devour others. + </p> + <p> + The teeth and beaks, the claws and fangs, that tear and rend, fill me with + horror. What can be more frightful than a world at-war? Every leaf a + battle-field—every flower a Golgotha—in every drop of water + pursuit, capture and death. Under every piece of bark, life lying in wait + for life. On every blade of grass, something that kills,—something + that suffers. Everywhere the strong living on the weak—the superior + on the inferior. Everywhere the weak, the insignificant, living on the + strong—the inferior on the superior—the highest food for the + lowest—man sacrificed for the sake of microbes. Murder universal. + Everywhere pain, disease and death—death that does not wait for bent + forms and gray hairs, but clutches babes and happy youths. Death that + takes the mother from her helpless, dimpled child—death that fills + the world with grief and tears. + </p> + <p> + How can the orthodox Christian explain these things? + </p> + <p> + I know that life is good. I remember the sunshine and rain. Then I think + of the earthquake and flood. I do not forget health and harvest, home and + love—but what of pestilence and famine? I cannot harmonize all these + contradictions—these blessings and agonies—with the existence + of an infinitely good, wise and powerful God. + </p> + <p> + The theologian says that what we call evil is for our benefit—that + we are placed in this world of sin and sorrow to develop character. If + this is true I ask why the infant dies? Millions and millions draw a few + breaths and fade away in the arms of their mothers. They are not allowed + to develop character. + </p> + <p> + The theologian says that serpents were given fangs to protect themselves + from their enemies. Why did the God who made them, make enemies? Why is it + that many species of serpents have no fangs? + </p> + <p> + The theologian says that God armored the hippopotamus, covered his body, + except the under part, with scales and plates, that other animals could + not pierce with tooth or tusk. But the same God made the rhinoceros and + supplied him with a horn on his nose, with which he disembowels the + hippopotamus. + </p> + <p> + The same God made the eagle, the vulture, the hawk, and their helpless + prey. + </p> + <p> + On every hand there seems to be design to defeat design. + </p> + <p> + If God created man—if he is the father of us all, why did he make + the criminals, the insane, the deformed and idiotic? + </p> + <p> + Should the inferior man thank God? Should the mother, who clasps to her + breast an idiot child, thank God? Should the slave thank God? + </p> + <p> + The theologian says that God governs the wind, the rain, the lightning. + How then can we account for the cyclone, the flood, the drought, the + glittering bolt that kills? + </p> + <p> + Suppose we had a man in this country who could control the wind, the rain + and lightning, and suppose we elected him to govern these things, and + suppose that he allowed whole States to dry and wither, and at the same + time wasted the rain in the sea. Suppose that he allowed the winds to + destroy cities and to crush to shapelessness thousands of men and women, + and allowed the lightnings to strike the life out of mothers and babes. + What would we say? What would we think of such a savage? + </p> + <p> + And yet, according to the theologians, this is exactly the course pursued + by God. + </p> + <p> + What do we think of a man, who will not, when he has the power, protect + his friends? Yet the Christian's God allowed his enemies to torture and + burn his friends, his worshipers. + </p> + <p> + Who has ingenuity enough to explain this? + </p> + <p> + What good man, having the power to prevent it, would allow the innocent to + be imprisoned, chained in dungeons, and sigh against the dripping walls + their weary lives away? + </p> + <p> + If God governs the world, why is innocence not a perfect shield? Why does + injustice triumph? + </p> + <p> + Who can answer these questions? + </p> + <p> + In answer, the intelligent, honest man must say: I do not know. + </p> + <p> + X. + </p> + <p> + THIS God must be, if he exists, a person—a conscious being. Who can + imagine an infinite personality? This God must have force, and we cannot + conceive of force apart from matter. This God must be material. He must + have the means by which he changes force to what we call thought. When he + thinks he uses force, force that must be replaced. Yet we are told that he + is infinitely wise. If he is, he does not think. Thought is a ladder—a + process by which we reach a conclusion. He who knows all conclusions + cannot think. He cannot hope or fear. When knowledge is perfect there can + be no passion, no emotion. If God is infinite he does not want. He has + all. He who does not want does not act. The infinite must dwell in eternal + calm. + </p> + <p> + It is as impossible to conceive of such a being as to imagine a square + triangle, or to think of a circle without a diameter. + </p> + <p> + Yet we are told that it is our duty to love this God. Can we love the + unknown, the inconceivable? Can it be our duty to love anybody? It is our + duty to act justly, honestly, but it cannot be our duty to love. We cannot + be under obligation to admire a painting—to be charmed with a poem—or + thrilled with music. Admiration cannot be controlled. Taste and love are + not the servants of the will. Love is, and must be free. It rises from the + heart like perfume from a flower. + </p> + <p> + For thousands of ages men and women have been trying to love the gods—trying + to soften their hearts—trying to get their aid. + </p> + <p> + I see them all. The panorama passes before me. I see them with + outstretched hands—with reverently closed eyes—worshiping the + sun. I see them bowing, in their fear and need, to meteoric stones—imploring + serpents, beasts and sacred trees—praying to idols wrought of wood + and stone. I see them building altars to the unseen powers, staining them + with blood of child and beast. I see the countless priests and hear their + solemn chants. I see the dying victims, the smoking altars, the swinging + censers, and the rising clouds. I see the half-god men—the mournful + Christs, in many lands. I see the common things of life change to miracles + as they speed from mouth to mouth. I see the insane prophets reading the + secret book of fate by signs and dreams. I see them all—the + Assyrians chanting the praises of Asshur and Ishtar—the Hindus + worshiping Brahma, Vishnu and Draupadi, the whitearmed—the Chaldeans + sacrificing to Bel and Hea—the Egyptians bowing to Ptah and Ra, + Osiris and Isis—the Medes placating the storm, worshiping the fire—the + Babylonians supplicating Bel and Morodach—I see them all by the + Euphrates, the Tigris, the Ganges and the Nile. I see the Greeks building + temples for Zeus, Neptune and Venus. I see the Romans kneeling to a + hundred gods. I see others spurning idols and pouring out their hopes and + fears to a vague image in the mind. I see the multitudes, with open + mouths, receive as truths the myths and fables of the vanished years. I + see them give their toil, their wealth to robe the priests, to build the + vaulted roofs, the spacious aisles, the glittering domes. I see them clad + in rags, huddled in dens and huts, devouring crusts and scraps, that they + may give the more to ghosts and gods. I see them make their cruel creeds + and fill the world with hatred, war, and death. I see them with their + faces in the dust in the dark days of plague and sudden death, when cheeks + are wan and lips are white for lack of bread. I hear their prayers, their + sighs, their sobs. I see them kiss the unconscious lips as their hot tears + fall on the pallid faces of the dead. I see the nations as they fade and + fail. I see them captured and enslaved. I see their altars mingle with the + common earth, their temples crumble slowly back to dust. I see their gods + grow old and weak, infirm and faint. I see them fall from vague and misty + thrones, helpless and dead. The worshipers receive no help. Injustice + triumphs. Toilers are paid with the lash,—babes are sold,—the + innocent stand on scaffolds, and the heroic perish in flames. I see the + earthquakes devour, the volcanoes overwhelm, the cyclones wreck, the + floods destroy, and the lightnings kill. + </p> + <p> + The nations perished. The gods died. The toil and wealth were lost. The + temples were built in vain, and all the prayers died unanswered in the + heedless air. + </p> + <p> + Then I asked myself the question: Is there a supernatural power—an + arbitrary mind—an enthroned God—a supreme will that sways the + tides and currents of the world—to which all causes bow? + </p> + <p> + I do not deny. I do not know—but I do not believe. I believe that + the natural is supreme—that from the infinite chain no link can be + lost or broken—that there is no supernatural power that can answer + prayer—no power that worship can persuade or change—no power + that cares for man. + </p> + <p> + I believe that with infinite arms Nature embraces the all—that there + is no interference—no chance—that behind every event are the + necessary and countless causes, and that beyond every event will be and + must be the necessary and countless effects. + </p> + <p> + Man must protect himself. He cannot depend upon the supernatural—upon + an imaginary father in the skies. He must protect himself by finding the + facts in Nature, by developing his brain, to the end that he may overcome + the obstructions and take advantage of the forces of Nature. + </p> + <p> + Is there a God? + </p> + <p> + I do not know. + </p> + <p> + Is man immortal? + </p> + <p> + I do not know. + </p> + <p> + One thing I do know, and that is, that neither hope, nor fear, belief, nor + denial, can change the fact. It is as it is, and it will be as it must be. + </p> + <p> + We wait and hope. + </p> + <p> + XI. + </p> + <p> + WHEN I became convinced that the Universe is natural—that all the + ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into + every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The + walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light + and all the bolts, and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a + servant, a serf or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide + world—not even in infinite space. I was free—free to think, to + express my thoughts—free to live to my own ideal—free to live + for myself and those I loved—free to use all my faculties, all my + senses—free to spread imagination's wings—free to investigate, + to guess and dream and hope—free to judge and determine for myself—free + to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the "inspired" books that + savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past—free + from popes and priests—free from all the "called" and "set apart"—free + from sanctified mistakes and holy lies—free from the fear of eternal + pain—free from the winged monsters of the night—free from + devils, ghosts and gods. For the first time I was free. There were no + prohibited places in all the realms of thought—no air, no space, + where fancy could not spread her painted wings—no chains for my + limbs—no lashes for my back—no fires for my flesh—no + master's frown or threat—no following another's steps—no need + to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood + erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds. + </p> + <p> + And then my heart was filled with gratitude, with thankfulness, and went + out in love to all the heroes, the thinkers who gave their lives for the + liberty of hand and brain—for the freedom of labor and thought—to + those who fell on the fierce fields of war, to those who died in dungeons + bound with chains—to those who proudly mounted scaffold's stairs—to + those whose bones were crushed, whose flesh was scarred and torn—to + those by fire consumed—to all the wise, the good, the brave of every + land, whose thoughts and deeds have given freedom to the sons of men. And + then I vowed to grasp the torch that they had held, and hold it high, that + light might conquer darkness still. + </p> + <p> + Let us be true to ourselves—true to the facts we know, and let us, + above all things, preserve the veracity of our souls. + </p> + <p> + If there be gods we cannot help them, but we can assist our fellow-men. We + cannot love the inconceivable, but we can love wife and child and friend. + </p> + <p> + We can be as honest as we are ignorant. If we are, when asked what is + beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know. We can + tell the truth, and we can enjoy the blessed freedom that the brave have + won. We can destroy the monsters of superstition, the hissing snakes of + ignorance and fear. We can drive from our minds the frightful things that + tear and wound with beak and fang. We can civilize our fellow-men. We can + fill our lives with generous deeds, with loving words, with art and song, + and all the ecstasies of love. We can flood our years with sunshine—with + the divine climate of kindness, and we can drain to the last drop the + golden cup of joy. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0002" id="link0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE TRUTH. + </h2> + <p> + I. + </p> + <p> + THROUGH millions of ages, by countless efforts to satisfy his wants, to + gratify his passions, his appetites, man slowly developed his brain, + changed two of his feet into hands and forced into the darkness of his + brain a few gleams and glimmerings of reason. He was hindered by + ignorance, by fear, by mistakes, and he advanced only as he found the + truth—the absolute facts. Through countless years he has groped and + crawled and struggled and climbed and stumbled toward the light. He has + been hindered and delayed and deceived by augurs and prophets—by + popes and priests. He has been betrayed by saints, misled by apostles and + Christs, frightened by devils and ghosts—enslaved by chiefs and + kings—robbed by altars and thrones. In the name of education his + mind has been filled with mistakes, with miracles, and lies, with the + impossible, the absurd and infamous. In the name of religion he has been + taught humility and arrogance, love and hatred, forgiveness and revenge. + </p> + <p> + But the world is changing. We are tired of barbarian bibles and savage + creeds. + </p> + <p> + Nothing is greater, nothing is of more importance, than to find amid the + errors and darkness of this life, a shining truth. + </p> + <p> + Truth is the intellectual wealth of the world. + </p> + <p> + The noblest of occupations is to search for truth. + </p> + <p> + Truth is the foundation, the superstructure, and the glittering dome of + progress. + </p> + <p> + Truth is the mother of joy. Truth civilizes, ennobles, and purifies. The + grandest ambition that can enter the soul is to know the truth. + </p> + <p> + Truth gives man the greatest power for good. Truth is sword and shield. It + is the sacred light of the soul. + </p> + <p> + The man who finds a truth lights a torch. + </p> + <p> + How is Truth to be Found? + </p> + <p> + By investigation, experiment and reason. + </p> + <p> + Every human being should be allowed to investigate to the extent of his + desire—his ability. The literature of the world should be open to + him—nothing prohibited, sealed or hidden. No subject can be too + sacred to be understood. Each person should be allowed to reach his own + conclusions and to speak his honest thought. + </p> + <p> + He who threatens the investigator with punishment here, or hereafter, is + an enemy of the human race. And he who tries to bribe the investigator + with the promise of eternal joy is a traitor to his fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + There is no real investigation without freedom—freedom from the fear + of gods and men. + </p> + <p> + So, all investigation—all experiment—should be pursued in the + light of reason. + </p> + <p> + Every man should be true to himself—true to the inward light. Each + man, in the laboratory of his own mind, and for himself alone, should test + the so-called facts—the theories of all the world. Truth, <i>in + accordance with his reason</i>, should be his guide and master. + </p> + <p> + To love the truth, thus perceived, is mental virtue—intellectual + purity. This is true manhood. This is freedom. + </p> + <p> + To throw away your reason at the command of churches, popes, parties, + kings or gods, is to be a serf, a slave. + </p> + <p> + It is not simply the right, but it is the duty of every man to think—to + investigate for himself—and every man who tries to prevent this by + force or fear, is doing all he can to degrade and enslave his fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + Every Man Should be Mentally Honest. + </p> + <p> + He should preserve as his most precious jewel the perfect veracity of his + soul. + </p> + <p> + He should examine all questions presented to his mind, without prejudice,—unbiased + by hatred or love—by desire or fear. His object and his only object + should be to find the truth. He knows, if he listens to reason, that truth + is not dangerous and that error is. He should weigh the evidence, the + arguments, in honest scales—scales that passion or interest cannot + change. He should care nothing for authority—nothing for names, + customs or creeds—nothing for anything that his reason does not say + is true. + </p> + <p> + Of his world he should be the sovereign, and his soul should wear the + purple. From his dominions should be banished the hosts of force and fear. + </p> + <p> + He Should be Intellectually Hospitable. + </p> + <p> + Prejudice, egotism, hatred, contempt, disdain, are the enemies of truth + and progress. + </p> + <p> + The real searcher after truth will not receive the old because it is old, + or reject the new because it is new. He will not believe men because they + are dead, or contradict them because they are alive. With him an utterance + is worth the truth, the reason it contains, without the slightest regard + to the author. He may have been a king or serf—a philosopher or + servant,—but the utterance neither gains nor loses in truth or + reason. Its value is absolutely independent of the fame or station of the + man who gave it to the world. + </p> + <p> + Nothing but falsehood needs the assistance of fame and place, of robes and + mitres, of tiaras and crowns. + </p> + <p> + The wise, the really honest and intelligent, are not swayed or governed by + numbers—by majorities. + </p> + <p> + They accept what they really believe to be true. They care nothing for the + opinions of ancestors, nothing for creeds, assertions and theories, unless + they satisfy the reason. + </p> + <p> + In all directions they seek for truth, and when found, accept it with joy—accept + it in spite of preconceived opinions—in spite of prejudice and + hatred. + </p> + <p> + This is the course pursued by wise and honest men, and no other course is + possible for them. + </p> + <p> + In every department of human endeavor men are seeking for the truth—for + the facts. The statesman reads the history of the world, gathers the + statistics of all nations to the end that his country may avoid the + mistakes of the past. The geologist penetrates the rocks in search of + facts—climbs mountains, visits the extinct craters, traverses + islands and continents that he may know something of the history of the + world. He wants the truth. + </p> + <p> + The chemist, with crucible and retort, with countless experiments, is + trying to find the qualities of substances—to ravel what nature has + woven. + </p> + <p> + The great mechanics dwell in the realm of the real. They seek by natural + means to conquer and use the forces of nature. They want the truth—the + actual facts. + </p> + <p> + The physicians, the surgeons, rely on observation, experiment and reason. + They become acquainted with the human body—with muscle, blood and + nerve—with the wonders of the brain. They want nothing but the + truth. + </p> + <p> + And so it is with the students of every science. On every hand they look + for facts, and it is of the utmost importance that they give to the world + the facts they find. + </p> + <p> + Their courage should equal their intelligence. No matter what the dead + have said, or the living believe, they should tell what they know. They + should have intellectual courage. + </p> + <p> + If it be good for man to find the truth—good for him to be + intellectually honest and hospitable, then it is good for others to know + the truths thus found. + </p> + <p> + Every man should have the courage to give his honest thought. This makes + the finder and publisher of truth a public benefactor. + </p> + <p> + Those who prevent, or try to prevent, the expression of honest thought, + are the foes of civilization—the enemies of truth. Nothing can + exceed the egotism and impudence of the man who claims the right to + express his thought and denies the same right to others. + </p> + <p> + It will not do to say that certain ideas are sacred, and that man has not + the right to investigate and test these ideas for himself. + </p> + <p> + Who knows that they are sacred? Can anything be sacred to us that we do + not know to be true? + </p> + <p> + For many centuries free speech has been an insult to God. Nothing has been + more blasphemous than the expression of honest thought. For many ages the + lips of the wise were sealed. The torches that truth had lighted, that + courage carried and held aloft, were extinguished with blood. + </p> + <p> + Truth has always been in favor of free speech—has always asked to be + investigated—has always longed to be known and understood. Freedom, + discussion, honesty, investigation and courage are the friends and allies + of truth. Truth loves the light and the open field. It appeals to the + senses—to the judgment, the reason, to all the higher and nobler + faculties and powers of the mind. It seeks to calm the passions, to + destroy prejudice and to increase the volume and intensity of reason's + flame. + </p> + <p> + It does not ask man to cringe or crawl. It does not desire the worship of + the ignorant or the prayers and praises of the frightened. It says to + every human being, "Think for yourself. Enjoy the freedom of a god, and + have the goodness and the courage to express your honest thought." + </p> + <p> + Why should we pursue the truth? and why should we investigate and reason? + and why should we be mentally honest and hospitable? and why should we + express our honest thoughts? To this there is but one answer: for the + benefit of mankind. + </p> + <p> + The brain must be developed. The world must think. Speech must be free. + The world must learn that credulity is not a virtue and that no question + is settled until reason is fully satisfied. + </p> + <p> + By these means man will overcome many of the obstructions of nature. He + will cure or avoid many diseases. He will lessen pain. He will lengthen, + ennoble and enrich life. In every direction he will increase his power. He + will satisfy his wants, gratify his tastes. He will put roof and raiment, + food and fuel, home and happiness within the reach of all. + </p> + <p> + He will drive want and crime from the world. He will destroy the serpents + of fear, the monsters of superstition. He will become intelligent and + free, honest and serene. + </p> + <p> + The monarch of the skies will be dethroned—the flames of hell will + be extinguished. Pious beggars will become honest and useful men. + Hypocrisy will collect no tolls from fear, lies will not be regarded as + sacred, this life will not be sacrificed for another, human beings will + love each other instead of gods, men will do right, not for the sake of + reward in some other world, but for the sake of happiness here. Man will + find that Nature is the only revelation, and that he, by his own efforts, + must learn to read the stories told by star and cloud, by rock and soil, + by sea and stream, by rain and fire, by plant and flower, by life in all + its curious forms, and all the things and forces of the world. + </p> + <p> + When he reads these stories, these records, he will know that man must + rely on himself,—that the supernatural does not exist, and that man + must be the providence of man. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to conceive of an argument against the freedom of thought—against + maintaining your self-respect and preserving the spotless and stainless + veracity of the soul. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + ALL that I have said seems to be true—almost self-evident,—and + you may ask who it is that says slavery is better than liberty. Let me + tell you. + </p> + <p> + All the popes and priests, all the orthodox churches and clergymen, say + that they have a revelation from God. + </p> + <p> + The Protestants say that it is the duty of every person to read, to + understand, and to believe this revelation—that a man should use his + reason; but if he honestly concludes that the Bible is not a revelation + from God, and dies with that conclusion in his mind, he will be tormented + forever. They say:—"Read," and then add: "Believe, or be damned." + </p> + <p> + "No matter how unreasonable the Bible may appear to you, you must believe. + No matter how impossible the miracles may seem, you must believe. No + matter how cruel the laws, your heart must approve them all!" + </p> + <p> + This is what the church calls the liberty of thought. We read the Bible + under the scowl and threat of God. We read by the glare of hell. On one + side is the devil, with the instruments of torture in his hands. On the + other, God, ready to launch the infinite curse. And the church says to the + readers: "You are free to decide. God is good, and he gives you the + liberty to choose." + </p> + <p> + The popes and the priests say to the poor people: "You need not read the + Bible. You cannot understand it. That is the reason it is called a + revelation. We will read it for you, and you must believe what we say. We + carry the key of hell. Contradict us and you will become eternal convicts + in the prison of God." + </p> + <p> + This is the freedom of the Catholic Church. + </p> + <p> + And all these priests and clergymen insist that the Bible is superior to + human reason—that it is the duty of man to accept it—to + believe it, whether he really thinks it is true or not, and without the + slightest regard to evidence or reason. + </p> + <p> + It is his duty to cast out from the temple of his soul the goddess Reason, + and bow before the coiled serpent of Fear. + </p> + <p> + This is what the church calls virtue. + </p> + <p> + Under these conditions what can thought be worth? The brain, swept by the + sirocco of God's curse, becomes a desert. + </p> + <p> + But this is not all. To compel man to desert the standard of Reason, the + church does not entirely rely on the threat of eternal pain to be endured + in another world, but holds out the reward of everlasting joy. + </p> + <p> + To those who believe, it promises the endless ecstasies of heaven. If it + cannot frighten, it will bribe. It relies on fear and hope. + </p> + <p> + A religion, to command the respect of intelligent men, should rest on a + foundation of established facts. It should appeal, not to passion, not to + hope and fear, but to the judgment. It should ask that all the faculties + of the mind, all the senses, should assemble and take counsel together, + and that its claims be passed upon and tested without prejudice, without + fear, in the calm of perfect candor. + </p> + <p> + But the church cries: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be + saved." Without this belief there is no salvation. Salvation is the reward + for belief. + </p> + <p> + Belief is, and forever must be, the result of evidence. A promised reward + is not evidence. It sheds no intellectual light. It establishes no fact, + answers no objection, and dissipates no doubt. + </p> + <p> + Is it honest to offer a reward for belief? + </p> + <p> + The man who gives money to a judge or juror for a decision or verdict is + guilty of a crime. Why? Because he induces the judge, the juror, to + decide, not according to the law, to the facts, the right, but according + to the bribe. + </p> + <p> + The bribe is not evidence. + </p> + <p> + So, the promise of Christ to reward those who will believe is a bribe. It + is an attempt to make a promise take the place of evidence. He who says + that he believes, and does this for the sake of the reward, corrupts his + soul. + </p> + <p> + Suppose I should say that at the center of the earth there is a diamond + one hundred miles in diameter, and that I would give ten thousand dollars + to any man who would believe my statement. Could such a promise be + regarded as evidence? + </p> + <p> + Intelligent people would ask not for rewards, but reasons. Only hypocrites + would ask for the money. + </p> + <p> + Yet, according to the New Testament, Christ offered a reward to those who + would believe, and this promised reward was to take the place of evidence. + When Christ made this promise he forgot, ignored, or held in contempt the + rectitude of a brave, free and natural soul. + </p> + <p> + The declaration that salvation is the reward for belief is inconsistent + with mental freedom, and could have been made by no man who thought that + evidence sustained the slightest relation to belief. + </p> + <p> + Every sermon in which men have been told that they could save their souls + by believing, has been an injury. Such sermons dull the moral sense and + subvert the true conception of virtue and duty. + </p> + <p> + The true man, when asked to believe, asks for evidence. The true man, who + asks another to believe, offers evidence. + </p> + <p> + But this is not all. + </p> + <p> + In spite of the threat of eternal pain—of the promise of everlasting + joy, unbelievers increased, and the churches took another step. + </p> + <p> + The churches said to the unbelievers, the heretics: "Although our God will + punish you forever in another world—in his prison—the doors of + which open only to receive, we, unless you believe, will torment you now." + </p> + <p> + And then the members of these churches, led by priests, popes, and + clergymen, sought out their unbelieving neighbors—chained them in + dungeons, stretched them on racks, crushed their bones, cut out their + tongues, extinguished their eyes, flayed them alive and consumed their + poor bodies in flames. + </p> + <p> + All this was done because these Christian savages believed in the dogma of + eternal pain. Because they believed that heaven was the reward for belief. + So believing, they were the enemies of free thought and speech—they + cared nothing for conscience, nothing for the veracity of a soul,—nothing + for the manhood of a man. In all ages most priests have been heartless and + relentless. They have calumniated and tortured. In defeat they have + crawled and whined. In victory they have killed. The flower of pity never + blossomed in their hearts and in their brain. Justice never held aloft the + scales. Now they are not as cruel. They have lost their power, but they + are still trying to accomplish the impossible. They fill their pockets + with "fool's gold" and think they are rich. They stuff their minds with + mistakes and think they are wise. They console themselves with legends and + myths, have faith in fiction and forgery—give their hearts to ghosts + and phantoms and seek the aid of the non-existent. + </p> + <p> + They put a monster—a master—a tyrant in the sky, and seek to + enslave their fellow-men. They teach the cringing virtues of serfs. They + abhor the courage of manly men. They hate the man who thinks. They long + for revenge. + </p> + <p> + They warm their hands at the imaginary fires of hell. + </p> + <p> + I show them that hell does not exist and they denounce me for destroying + their consolation. + </p> + <p> + Horace Greeley, as the story goes, one cold day went into a country store, + took a seat by the stove, unbuttoned his coat and spread out his hands. + </p> + <p> + In a few minutes, a little boy who clerked in the store said: "Mr. + Greeley, there aint no fire in that stove." + </p> + <p> + "You d——d little rascal," said Greeley, "What did you tell me + for, I was getting real warm." + </p> + <p> + III. "THE SCIENCE OF THEOLOGY." + </p> + <p> + ALL the sciences—except Theology—are eager for facts—hungry + for the truth. On the brow of a finder of a fact the laurel is placed. + </p> + <p> + In a theological seminary, if a professor finds a fact inconsistent with + the creed, he must keep it secret or deny it, or lose his place. Mental + veracity is a crime, cowardice and hypocrisy are virtues. + </p> + <p> + A fact, inconsistent with the creed, is denounced as a lie, and the man + who declares or announces the fact is a blasphemer. Every professor + breathes the air of insincerity. Every one is mentally dishonest. Every + one is a pious fraud. Theology is the only dishonest science—the + only one that is based on belief—on credulity,—the only one + that abhors investigation, that despises thought and denounces reason. + </p> + <p> + All the great theologians in the Catholic Church have denounced reason as + the light furnished by the enemy of mankind—as the road that leads + to perdition. All the great Protestant theologians, from Luther to the + orthodox clergy of our time, have been the enemies of reason. All orthodox + churches of all ages have been the enemies of science. They attacked the + astronomers as though they were criminals—the geologists as though + they were assassins. They regarded physicians as the enemies of God—as + men who were trying to defeat the decrees of Providence. The biologists, + the anthropologists, the archaeologists, the readers of ancient + inscriptions, the delvers in buried cities, were all hated by the + theologians. They were afraid that these men might find something + inconsistent with the Bible. + </p> + <p> + The theologians attacked those who studied other religions. They insisted + that Christianity was not a growth—not an evolution—but a + revelation. They denied that it was in any way connected with any natural + religion. + </p> + <p> + The facts now show beyond all doubt that all religions came from + substantially the same source—but there is not an orthodox Christian + theologian who will admit the facts. He must defend his creed—his + revelation. He cannot afford to be honest. He was not educated in an + honest school. He was not taught to be honest. He was taught to believe + and to defend his belief, not only against argument but against facts. + </p> + <p> + There is not a theologian in the whole world who can produce the + slightest, the least particle of evidence tending to show that the Bible + is the inspired word of God. + </p> + <p> + Where is the evidence that the book of Ruth was written by an inspired + man? Where is the evidence that God is the author of the Song of Solomon? + Where is the evidence that any human being has been inspired? Where is the + evidence that Christ was and is God? Where is the evidence that the places + called heaven and hell exist? Where is the evidence that a miracle was + ever wrought? + </p> + <p> + There is none. + </p> + <p> + Theology is entirely independent of evidence. + </p> + <p> + Where is the evidence that angels and ghosts—that devils and gods + exist? Have these beings been seen or touched? Does one of our senses + certify to their existence? + </p> + <p> + The theologians depend on assertions. They have no evidence. They claim + that their inspired book is superior to reason and independent of + evidence. + </p> + <p> + They talk about probability—analogy—inferences—but they + present no evidence. They say that they know that Christ lived, in the + same way that they know that Cæsar lived. They might add that they + know Moses talked with Jehovah on Sinai the same way they know that + Brigham Young talked with God in Utah. The evidence in both cases is the + same,—none in either. + </p> + <p> + How do they prove that Christ rose from the dead? They find the account in + a book. Who wrote the book? They do not know. What evidence is this? None, + unless all things found in books are true. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to establish one miracle except by another—and that + would have to be established by another still, and so on without end. + Human testimony is not sufficient to establish a miracle. Each human + being, to be really convinced, must witness the miracle for himself. + </p> + <p> + They say that Christianity was established, proven to be true, by miracles + wrought nearly two thousand years ago. Not one of these miracles can be + established except by impudent and ignorant assertion—except by + poisoning and deforming the minds of the ignorant and the young. To + succeed, the theologians invade the cradle, the nursery. In the brain of + innocence they plant the seeds of superstition. They pollute the minds and + imaginations of children. They frighten the happy with threats of pain—they + soothe the wretched with gilded lies. + </p> + <p> + This perpetual insincerity stamps itself on the face—affects every + feature. We all know the theological countenance,—cold, + unsympathetic, cruel, lighted with a pious smirk,—no line of + laughter—no dimpled mirth—no touch of humor—nothing + human. + </p> + <p> + This face is a rebuke, a reprimand to natural joy. It says to the happy: + "Beware of the dog"—"Prepare for death." This face, like the fabled + Gorgon, turns cheerfulness to stone. It is a protest against pleasure—a + warning and a threat. + </p> + <p> + You see every soul is a sculptor that fashions the features, and in this + way reveals itself. + </p> + <p> + Every thought leaves its impress. + </p> + <p> + The student of this science of theology must be taught in youth,—in + his mother's arms. These lies must be sown and planted in his brain the + first of all. He must be taught to believe, to accept without question. He + must be told that it is wicked to doubt, that it is sinful to inquire—that + Faith is a virtue and unbelief a crime. + </p> + <p> + In this way his mind is poisoned, paralyzed. On all other subjects he has + liberty—and in all other directions he is urged to study and think. + From his mother's arms he goes to the Sunday school. His poor little mind + is filled with miracles and wonders. He is told about a God who made the + world and who rewards and punishes. He is told that this God is the author + of the Bible—that Christ is his son. He is told about original sin + and the atonement, and he believes what he hears. No reasons are given—no + facts—no evidence is presented—nothing but assertion. If he + asks questions, he is silenced by more solemn assertions and warned + against the devices of the evil one. Every Sunday school is a kind of + inquisition where they torture and deform the minds of children—where + they force their souls into Catholic or Protestant moulds—and do all + they can to destroy the originality, the individuality, and the veracity + of the soul. In the theological seminary the destruction is complete. + </p> + <p> + When the minister leaves the seminary, he is not seeking the truth. He has + it. He has a revelation from God, and he has a creed in exact accordance + with that revelation. His business is to stand by that revelation and to + defend that creed. Arguments against the revelation and the creed he will + not read, he will not hear. All facts that are against his religion he + will deny. It is impossible for him to be candid. The tremendous + "verities" of eternal joy, of everlasting pain are in his creed, and they + result from believing the false and denying the true. + </p> + <p> + Investigation is an infinite danger, unbelief is an infinite offence and + deserves and will receive infinite punishment. In the shadow of this + tremendous "fact" his courage dies, his manhood is lost, and in his fear + he cries out that he believes, whether he does or not. + </p> + <p> + He says and teaches that credulity is safe and thought dangerous. Yet he + pretends to be a teacher—a leader, one selected by God to educate + his fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + These orthodox ministers have been the slanderers of the really great men + of our century. They denounced Lyell, the great geologist, for giving + facts to the world. They hated and belittled Humboldt, one of the greatest + and most intellectual of the race. They ridiculed and derided Darwin, the + greatest naturalist, the keenest observer, the best judge of the value of + a fact, the most wonderful discoverer of truth that the world has + produced. + </p> + <p> + In every orthodox pulpit stood a traducer of the greatest of scientists—of + one who filled the world with intellectual light. + </p> + <p> + The church has been the enemy of every science, of every real thinker, and + for many centuries has used her power to prevent intellectual progress. + </p> + <p> + Ministers ought to be free. They should be the heralds of the ever coming + day, but they are the bats, the owls that inhabit ruins, that hate the + light. They denounce honest men who express their thoughts, as + blasphemers, and do what they can to close their mouths. For their Bible + they ask the protection of law. They wish to be shielded from laughter by + the Legislature. They ask that the arguments of their opponents be + answered by the courts. This is the result of a due admixture of + cowardice, hypocrisy and malice. + </p> + <p> + What valuable fact has been proclaimed from an orthodox pulpit? What + ecclesiastical council has added to the intellectual wealth of the world? + </p> + <p> + Many centuries ago the church gave to Christendom a code of laws, stupid, + unphilosophic and brutal to the last degree. + </p> + <p> + The church insists that it has made man merciful and just. Did it do this + by torturing heretics—by extinguishing their eyes—by flaying + them alive? Did it accomplish this result through the Inquisition—by + the use of the thumb-screw, the rack and the fagot? Of what science has + the church been the friend and champion? What orthodox church has opened + its doors to a persecuted truth? Of what use has Christianity been to man? + </p> + <p> + They tell us that the church has been and is the friend of education. I + deny it. The church founded colleges not to educate men, but to make + proselytes, converts, defenders. This was in accordance with the instinct + of self-preservation. No orthodox church ever was, or ever will be in + favor of real education. A Catholic is in favor of enough education to + make a Catholic out of a savage, and the Protestant is in favor of enough + education to make a Protestant out of a Catholic, but both are opposed to + the education that makes free and manly men. + </p> + <p> + So, ministers say that they teach charity. This is natural. They live on + alms. All beggars teach that others should give. + </p> + <p> + So, they tell us that the church has built hospitals. This is not true. + Men have not built hospitals because they were Christians, but because + they were men. They have not built them for charity—but in + self-defence. + </p> + <p> + If a man comes to your door with the smallpox, you cannot let him in, you + cannot kill him. As a necessity, you provide a place for him. And you do + this to protect yourself. With this Christianity has had nothing to do. + </p> + <p> + The church cannot give, because it does not produce. It is claimed that + the church has made men and women forgiving. I admit that the church has + preached forgiveness, but it has never forgiven an enemy—never. + Against the great and brave thinkers it has coined and circulated + countless lies. Never has the church told, or tried to tell, the truth + about an honest foe. + </p> + <p> + The church teaches the existence of the supernatural. It believes in the + divine sleight-of-hand—in the "presto" and "open sesame" of the + Infinite; in some invisible Being who produces effects without causes and + causes without effects; whose caprice governs the world and who can be + persuaded by prayer, softened by ceremony, and who will, as a reward for + faith, save men from the natural consequences of their actions. + </p> + <p> + The church denies the eternal, inexorable sequence of events. + </p> + <p> + What Good has the Church Accomplished? + </p> + <p> + It claims to have preached peace because its founder said, "I came not to + bring peace but a sword." + </p> + <p> + It claims to have preserved the family because its founder offered a + hundred-fold here and life everlasting to those who would desert wife and + children. + </p> + <p> + So, it claims to have taught the brotherhood of man and that the gospel is + for all the world, because Christ said to the woman of Samaria that he + came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and declared that it + was not meet to take the bread of the children and cast it unto dogs. + </p> + <p> + In the name of Christ, who threatened eternal revenge, it has preached + forgiveness. + </p> + <p> + Of what Use are the Orthodox Ministers? + </p> + <p> + They are the enemies of pleasure. They denounce dancing as one of the + deadly sins. They are shocked at the wickedness of the waltz—the + pollution of the polka. They are the enemies of the theatre. They slander + actors and actresses. They hate them because they are rivals. They are + trying to preserve the sacredness of the Sabbath. It fills them with + malice to see the people happy on that day. They preach against excursions + and picnics—against those who seek the woods and the sea, the + shadows and the waves. They are filled with holy wrath against bicycles + and bloomers. They are opposed to divorces. They insist that for the glory + of God, husbands and wives who loathe each other should be compelled to + live together. They abhor all works of fiction, and love the Bible. They + declare that the literary master-pieces of the world are unfit to be read. + They think that the people should be satisfied with sermons and poems + about death and hell. They hate art—abhor the marbles of the Greeks, + and all representations of the human form. They want nothing painted or + sculptured but hands, faces and clothes. Most of the priests are prudes, + and publicly denounce what they secretly admire and enjoy. In the presence + of the nude they cover their faces with their holy hands, but keep their + fingers apart. They pretend to believe in moral suasion, and want + everything regulated by law. If they had the power, they would prohibit + everything that men and women really enjoy. They want libraries, museums + and art galleries closed on the Sabbath. They would abolish the Sunday + paper—stop the running of cars and all public conveyances on the + holy day, and compel all the people to enjoy sermons, prayers and psalms. + </p> + <p> + These dear ministers, when they have poor congregations, thunder against + trusts, syndicates, and corporations—against wealth, fashion and + luxury. They tell about Dives and Lazarus, paint rich men in hell and + beggars in heaven. If their congregations are rich they turn their guns in + the other direction. + </p> + <p> + They have no confidence in education—in the development of the + brain. They appeal to hopes and fears. They ask no one to think—to + investigate. They insist that all shall believe. Credulity is the greatest + of virtues, and doubt the deadliest of sins. + </p> + <p> + These men are the enemies of science—of intellectual progress. They + ridicule and calumniate the great thinkers. They deny everything that + conflicts with the "sacred Scriptures." They still believe in the + astronomy of Joshua and the geology of Moses. They believe in the miracles + of the past, and deny the demonstrations of the present. They are the foes + of facts—the enemies of knowledge. A desire to be happy here, they + regard as wicked and worldly—but a desire to be happy in another + world, as virtuous and spiritual. + </p> + <p> + Every orthodox church is founded on mistake and falsehood. Every good + orthodox minister asserts what he does not know, and denies what he does + know. + </p> + <p> + What are the Orthodox Clergy Doing for the Good of Mankind? + </p> + <p> + Absolutely nothing. + </p> + <p> + What harm are they doing? + </p> + <p> + On every hand they sow the seeds of superstition. They paralyze the minds, + and pollute the imaginations of children. They fill their hearts with + fear. By their teachings, thousands become insane. With them, hypocrisy is + respectable and candor infamous. + </p> + <p> + They enslave the minds of men. Under their teachings men waste and + misdirect their energies, abandon the ends that can be accomplished, + dedicate their lives to the impossible, worship the unknown, pray to the + inconceivable, and become the trembling slaves of a monstrous myth born of + ignorance and fashioned by the trembling hands of fear. + </p> + <p> + Superstition is the serpent that crawls and hisses in every Eden and + fastens its poisonous fangs in the hearts of men. + </p> + <p> + It is the deadliest foe of the human race. + </p> + <p> + Superstition is a beggar—a robber, a tyrant. + </p> + <p> + Science is a benefactor. + </p> + <p> + Superstition sheds blood. + </p> + <p> + Science sheds light. + </p> + <p> + The dear preachers must give up the account of creation—the Garden + of Eden, the mud-man, the rib-woman, and the walking, talking, snake. They + must throw away the apple, the fall of man, the expulsion, and the gate + guarded by angels armed with swords. They must give up the flood and the + tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues. They must give up Abraham and + the wrestling match between Jacob and the Lord. So, the story of Joseph, + the enslavement of the Hebrews by the Egyptians, the story of Moses in the + bullrushes, the burning bush, the turning of sticks into serpents, of + water into blood, the miraculous creation of frogs, the killing of cattle + with hail and changing dust into lice, all must be given up. The sojourn + of forty years in the desert, the opening of the Red Sea, the clothes and + shoes that refused to wear out, the manna, the quails and the serpents, + the water that ran up hill, the talking of Jehovah with Moses face to + face, the giving of the Ten Commandments, the opening of the earth to + swallow the enemies of Moses—all must be thrown away. + </p> + <p> + These good preachers must admit that blowing horns could not throw down + the walls of a city, that it was horrible for Jephthah to sacrifice his + daughter, that the day was not lengthened and the moon stopped for the + sake of Joshua, that the dead Samuel was not raised by a witch, that a man + was not carried to heaven in a chariot of fire, that the river Jordan was + not divided by the stroke of a cloak, that the bears did not destroy + children for laughing at a prophet, that a wandering soothsayer did not + collect lightnings from heaven to destroy the lives of innocent men, that + he did not cause rain and make iron float, that ravens did not keep a + hotel where preachers got board and lodging free, that the shadow on a + dial was not turned back ten degrees to show that a king was going to + recover from a boil, that Ezekiel was not told by God how to prepare a + dinner, that Jonah did not take cabin passage in a fish—and that all + the miracles in the old Testament are not allegories, or poems, but just + old-fashioned lies. And the dear preachers will be compelled to admit that + there never was a miraculous babe without a natural father, that Christ, + if he lived, was a man and nothing more. That he did not cast devils out + of folks—that he did not cure blindness with spittle and clay, nor + turn water into wine, nor make fishes and loaves of bread out of nothing—that + he did not know where to catch fishes with money in their mouths—that + he did not take a walk on the water—that he did not at will become + invisible—that he did not pass through closed doors—that he + did not raise the dead—that angels never rolled stones from a + sepulchre—that Christ did not rise from the dead and did not ascend + to heaven. + </p> + <p> + All these mistakes and illusions and delusions—all these miracles + and myths must fade from the minds of intelligent men. + </p> + <p> + My dear preachers, I beg you to tell the truth. Tell your congregations + that Moses was not the author of the Pentateuch. Tell them that nobody + knows who wrote the five books. Tell them that Deuteronomy was not written + until about six hundred years before Christ. Tell them that nobody knows + who wrote Joshua, or Judges, or Ruth, Samuel, Kings, or Chronicles, Job, + or the Psalms, or the Song of Solomon. Be honest, tell the truth. Tell + them that nobody knows who wrote Esther—that Ecclesiastes was + written long after Christ—that many of the prophecies were written + after the events pretended to be foretold had happened. Tell them that + Ezekiel and Daniel were insane. Tell them that nobody knows who wrote the + gospels, and tell them that no line about Christ written by a contemporary + has been found. Tell them it is all guess—and may be, and perhaps. + Be honest. Tell the truth, develop your brains, use all your senses and + hold high the torch of Reason. + </p> + <p> + In a few years the pulpits will be filled with teachers instead of + preachers—with thoughtful, brave, and honest men. The congregations + will be civilized—intellectually honest and hospitable. + </p> + <p> + Now, most of the ministers insist that the old falsehoods shall be treated + with reverence—that ancient lies with long white beards—wrinkled + and bald-headed frauds—round-shouldered and toothless miracles, and + palsied mistakes on crutches, shall be called allegories, parables, + oriental imagery, inspired poems. In their presence the ungodly should + remove their hats. They should respect the mould and moss of antiquity. + They should remember that these lies, these frauds, the miracles and + mistakes, have for thousands of years ruled, enslaved, and corrupted the + human race. + </p> + <p> + These ministers ought to know that their creeds are based on imagined + facts and demonstrated by assertion. + </p> + <p> + They ought to know that they have no evidence,—nothing but promises + and threats. They ought to know that it is impossible to conceive of force + existing without and before matter—that it is equally impossible to + conceive of matter without force—that it is impossible to conceive + of the creation or destruction of matter or force,—that it is + impossible to conceive of infinite intelligence dwelling from eternity in + infinite space, and that it is impossible to conceive of the creator, or + creation, of substance. + </p> + <p> + The God of the Christian is an enthroned guess—a perhaps—an + inference. + </p> + <p> + No man, and no body of men, can answer the questions of the Whence and + Whither. The mystery of existence cannot be explained by the intellect of + man. + </p> + <p> + Back of life, of existence, we cannot go—beyond death we cannot see. + All duties, all obligations, all knowledge, all experience, are for this + life, for this world. + </p> + <p> + We know that men and women and children exist. We know that happiness, for + the most part, depends on conduct. + </p> + <p> + We are satisfied that all the gods are phantoms and that the supernatural + does not exist. + </p> + <p> + We know the difference between hope and knowledge, we hope for happiness + here and we dream of joy hereafter, but we do not know. We cannot assert, + we can only hope. We can have our dream. In the wide night our star can + shine and shed its radiance on the graves of those we love. We can bend + above our pallid dead and say that beyond this life there are no sighs—no + tears—no breaking hearts. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkCONC" id="linkCONC"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + CONCLUSION. + </h2> + <p> + LET us be honest. Let us preserve the veracity of our souls. Let education + commence in the cradle—in the lap of the loving mother. This is the + first school. The teacher, the mother, should be absolutely honest. + </p> + <p> + The nursery should not be an asylum for lies. + </p> + <p> + Parents should be modest enough to be truthful—honest enough to + admit their ignorance. Nothing should be taught as true that cannot be + demonstrated. + </p> + <p> + Every child should be taught to doubt, to inquire, to demand reasons. + Every soul should defend itself—should be on its guard against + falsehood, deceit, and mistake, and should beware of all kinds of + confidence men, including those in the pulpit. + </p> + <p> + Children should be taught to express their doubts—to demand reasons. + The object of education should be to develop the brain, to quicken the + senses. Every school should be a mental gymnasium. The child should be + equipped for the battle of life. Credulity, implicit obedience, are the + virtues of slaves and the enslavers of the free. All should be taught that + there is nothing too sacred to be investigated—too holy to be + understood. + </p> + <p> + Each mind has the right to lift all curtains, withdraw all veils, scale + all walls, explore all recesses, all heights, all depths for itself, in + spite of church or priest, or creed or book. + </p> + <p> + The great volume of Nature should be open to all. None but the intelligent + and honest can really read this book. Prejudice clouds and darkens every + page. Hypocrisy reads and misquotes, and credulity accepts the quotation. + Superstition cannot read a line or spell the shortest word. And yet this + volume holds all knowledge, all truth, and is the only source of thought. + Mental liberty means the right of all to read this book. Here the Pope and + Peasant are equal. Each must read for himself—and each ought + honestly and fearlessly to give to his fellow-men what he learns. + </p> + <p> + There is no authority in churches or priests—no authority in numbers + or majorities. The only authority is Nature—the facts we know. Facts + are the masters, the enemies of the ignorant, the servants and friends of + the intelligent. + </p> + <p> + Ignorance is the mother of mystery and misery, of superstition and sorrow, + of waste and want. + </p> + <p> + Intelligence is the only light. It enables us to keep the highway, to + avoid the obstructions, and to take advantage of the forces of nature. It + is the only lever capable of raising mankind. To develop the brain is to + civilize the world. Intelligence reaves the heavens of winged and + frightful monsters—drives ghosts and leering fiends from the + darkness, and floods with light the dungeons of fear. + </p> + <p> + All should be taught that there is no evidence of the existence of the + supernatural—that the man who bows before an idol of wood or stone + is just as foolish as the one who prays to an imagined God,—that all + worship has for its foundation the same mistake—the same ignorance, + the same fear—that it is just as foolish to believe in a personal + god as in a personal devil—just as foolish to believe in great + ghosts as little ones. + </p> + <p> + So, all should be taught that the forces, the facts in Nature, cannot be + controlled or changed by prayer or praise, by supplication, ceremony, or + sacrifice; that there is no magic, no miracle; that force can be overcome + only by force, and that the whole world is natural. + </p> + <p> + All should be taught that man must protect himself—that there is no + power superior to Nature that cares for man—that Nature has neither + pity nor hatred—that her forces act without the slightest regard for + man—that she produces without intention and destroys without regret. + </p> + <p> + All should be taught that usefulness is the bud and flower and fruit of + real religion. The popes and cardinals, the bishops, priests and parsons + are all useless. They produce nothing. They live on the labor of others. + They are parasites that feed on the frightened. They are vampires that + suck the blood of honest toil. Every church is an organized beggar. Every + one lives on alms—on alms collected by force and fear. Every + orthodox church promises heaven and threatens hell, and these promises and + threats are made for the sake of alms, for revenue. Every church cries: + "Believe and give." + </p> + <p> + A new era is dawning on the world. We are beginning to believe in the + religion of usefulness. + </p> + <p> + The men who felled the forests, cultivated the earth, spanned the rivers + with bridges of steel, built the railways and canals, the great ships, + invented the locomotives and engines, supplying the countless wants of + man; the men who invented the telegraphs and cables, and freighted the + electric spark with thought and love; the men who invented the looms and + spindles that clothe the world, the inventors of printing and the great + presses that fill the earth with poetry, fiction and fact, that save and + keep all knowledge for the children yet to be; the inventors of all the + wonderful machines that deftly mould from wood and steel the things we + use; the men who have explored the heavens and traced the orbits of the + stars—who have read the story of the world in mountain range and + billowed sea; the men who have lengthened life and conquered pain; the + great philosophers and naturalists who have filled the world with light; + the great poets whose thoughts have charmed the souls, the great painters + and sculptors who have made the canvas speak, the marble live; the great + orators who have swayed the world, the composers who have given their + souls to sound, the captains of industry, the producers, the soldiers who + have battled for the right, the vast host of useful men—these are + our Christs, our apostles and our saints. The triumphs of science are our + miracles. The books filled with the facts of Nature are our sacred + scriptures, and the force that is in every atom and in every star—in + everything that lives and grows and thinks, that hopes and suffers, is the + only possible god. + </p> + <p> + The absolute we cannot know—beyond the horizon of the Natural we + cannot go. All our duties are within our reach—all our obligations + must be discharged here, in this world. Let us love and labor. Let us wait + and work. Let us cultivate courage and cheerfulness—open our hearts + to the good—our minds to the true. Let us live free lives. Let us + hope that the future will bring peace and joy to all the children of men, + and above all, let us preserve the veracity of our souls. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0004" id="link0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + HOW TO REFORM MANKIND. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * This address was delivered before the Militant Church at + the Columbia Theatre, Chicago, Ills., April 12, 1896. +</pre> + <p> + I. + </p> + <p> + "THERE is no darkness but ignorance." Every human being is a necessary + product of conditions, and every one is born with defects for which he + cannot be held responsible. Nature seems to care nothing for the + individual, nothing for the species. + </p> + <p> + Life pursuing life and in its turn pursued by death, presses to the snow + line of the possible, and every form of life, of instinct, thought and + action is fixed and determined by conditions, by countless antecedent and + co-existing facts. The present is the child, and the necessary child, of + all the past, and the mother of all the future. + </p> + <p> + Every human being longs to be happy, to satisfy the wants of the body with + food, with roof and raiment, and to feed the hunger of the mind, according + to his capacity, with love, wisdom, philosophy, art and song. + </p> + <p> + The wants of the savage are few; but with civilization the wants of the + body increase, the intellectual horizon widens and the brain demands more + and more. + </p> + <p> + The savage feels, but scarcely thinks. The passion of the savage is + uninfluenced by his thought, while the thought of the philosopher is + uninfluenced by passion. Children have wants and passions before they are + capable of reasoning. So, in the infancy of the race, wants and passions + dominate. + </p> + <p> + The savage was controlled by appearances, by impressions; he was mentally + weak, mentally indolent, and his mind pursued the path of least + resistance. Things were to him as they appeared to be. He was a natural + believer in the supernatural, and, finding himself beset by dangers and + evils, he sought in many ways the aid of unseen powers. His children + followed his example, and for many ages, in many lands, millions and + millions of human beings, many of them the kindest and the best, asked for + supernatural help. Countless altars and temples have been built, and the + supernatural has been worshiped with sacrifice and song, with self-denial, + ceremony, thankfulness and prayer. + </p> + <p> + During all these ages, the brain of man was being slowly and painfully + developed. Gradually mind came to the assistance of muscle, and thought + became the friend of labor. Man has advanced just in the proportion that + he has mingled thought with his work, just in the proportion that he has + succeeded in getting his head and hands into partnership. All this was the + result of experience. + </p> + <p> + Nature, generous and heartless, extravagant and miserly as she is, is our + mother and our only teacher, and she is also the deceiver of men. Above + her we cannot rise, below her we cannot fall. In her we find the seed and + soil of all that is good, of all that is evil. Nature originates, + nourishes, preserves and destroys. + </p> + <p> + Good deeds bear fruit, and in the fruit are seeds that in their turn bear + fruit and seeds. Great thoughts are never lost, and words of kindness do + not perish from the earth. + </p> + <p> + Every brain is a field where nature sows the seeds of thought, and the + crop depends upon the soil. + </p> + <p> + Every flower that gives its fragrance to the wandering air leaves its + influence on the soul of man. The wheel and swoop of the winged creatures + of the air suggest the flowing lines of subtle art. The roar and murmur of + the restless sea, the cataract's solemn chant, the thunder's voice, the + happy babble of the brook, the whispering leaves, the thrilling notes of + mating birds, the sighing winds, taught man to pour his heart in song and + gave a voice to grief and hope, to love and death. + </p> + <p> + In all that is, in mountain range and billowed plain, in winding stream + and desert sand, in cloud and star, in snow and rain, in calm and storm, + in night and day, in woods and vales, in all the colors of divided light, + in all there is of growth and life, decay and death, in all that flies and + floats and swims, in all that moves, in all the forms and qualities of + things, man found the seeds and symbols of his thoughts; and all that man + has wrought becomes a part of nature's self, forming the lives of those to + be. The marbles of the Greeks, like strains of music, suggest the perfect, + and teach the melody of life. The great poems, paintings, inventions, + theories and philosophies, enlarge and mould the mind of man. All that is + is natural. All is naturally produced. Beyond the horizon of the natural + man cannot go. + </p> + <p> + Yet, for many ages, man in all directions has relied upon, and sincerely + believed in, the existence of the supernatural. He did not believe in the + uniformity of nature; he had no conception of cause and effect, of the + indestructibility of force. + </p> + <p> + In medicine he believed in charms, magic, amulets, and incantations. It + never occurred to the savage that diseases were natural. + </p> + <p> + In chemistry he sought for the elixir of life, for the philosopher's + stone, and for some way of changing the baser metals into gold. + </p> + <p> + In mechanics he searched for perpetual motion, believing that he, by some + curious combinations of levers, could produce, could create a force. + </p> + <p> + In government, he found the source of authority in the will of the + supernatural. + </p> + <p> + For many centuries his only conception of morality was the idea of + obedience, not to facts as they exist in nature, but to the supposed + command of some being superior to nature. During all these years religion + consisted in the praise and worship of the invisible and infinite, of some + vast and incomprehensible power, that is to say, of the supernatural. + </p> + <p> + By experience, by experiment, possibly by accident, man found that some + diseases could be cured by natural means; that he could be relieved in + many instances of pain by certain kinds of leaves or bark. + </p> + <p> + This was the beginning. Gradually his confidence increased in the + direction of the natural, and began to decrease in charms and amulets, The + war was waged for many centuries, but the natural gained the victory. Now + we know that all diseases are naturally produced, and that all remedies, + all curatives, act in accordance with the facts in nature. Now we know + that charms, magic, amulets and incantations are just as useless in the + practice of medicine as they would be in solving a problem in mathematics. + We now know that there are no supernatural remedies. + </p> + <p> + In chemistry the war was long and bitter; but we now no longer seek for + the elixir of life, and no one is trying to find the philosopher's stone. + We are satisfied that there is nothing supernatural in all the realm of + chemistry. We know that substances are always true to their natures; we + know that just so many atoms of one substance will unite with just so many + of another. The miraculous has departed from chemistry; in that science + there is no magic, no caprice and no possible use for the supernatural. We + are satisfied that there can be no change, that we can absolutely rely on + the uniformity of nature; that the attraction of gravitation will always + remain the same; and we feel that we know this as certainly as we know + that the relation between the diameter and circumference of a circle can + never change. + </p> + <p> + We now know that in mechanics the natural is supreme. We know that man can + by no possibility create a force; that by no possibility can he destroy a + force. No mechanic dreams of depending upon or asking for any supernatural + aid. He knows that he works in accordance with certain facts that no power + can change. + </p> + <p> + So we in the United States believe that the authority to govern, the + authority to make and execute laws, comes from the consent of the governed + and not from any supernatural source. We do not believe that the king + occupied his throne because of the will of the supernatural. Neither do we + believe that others are subjects or serfs or slaves by reason of any + supernatural will. + </p> + <p> + So, our ideas of morality have changed, and millions now believe that + whatever produces happiness and well-being is in the highest sense moral. + Unreasoning obedience is not the foundation or the essence of morality. + That is the result of mental slavery. To act in accordance with obligation + perceived is to be free and noble. To simply obey is to practice what + might be called a slave virtue; but real morality is the flower and fruit + of liberty and wisdom. + </p> + <p> + There are very many who have reached the conclusion that the supernatural + has nothing to do with real religion. Religion does not consist in + believing without evidence or against evidence. It does not consist in + worshiping the unknown or in trying to do something for the Infinite. + Ceremonies, prayers and inspired books, miracles, special providence, and + divine interference all belong to the supernatural and form no part of + real religion. + </p> + <p> + Every science rests on the natural, on demonstrated facts. So, morality + and religion must find their foundations in the necessary nature of + things. + </p> + <p> + II. HOW CAN WE REFORM THE WORLD? + </p> + <p> + IGNORANCE being darkness, what we need is intellectual light. The most + important things to teach, as the basis of all progress, are that the + universe is natural; that man must be the providence of man; that, by the + development of the brain, we can avoid some of the dangers, some of the + evils, overcome some of the obstructions, and take advantage of some of + the facts and forces of nature; that, by invention and industry, we can + supply, to a reasonable degree, the wants of the body, and by thought, + study and effort, we can in part satisfy the hunger of the mind. + </p> + <p> + Man should cease to expect any aid from any supernatural source. By this + time he should be satisfied that worship has not created wealth, and that + prosperity is not the child of prayer. He should know that the + supernatural has not succored the oppressed, clothed the naked, fed the + hungry, shielded the innocent, stayed the pestilence, or freed the slave. + </p> + <p> + Being satisfied that the supernatural does not exist, man should turn his + entire attention to the affairs of this world, to the facts in nature. + </p> + <p> + And, first of all, he should avoid waste—waste of energy, waste of + wealth. Every good man, every good woman, should try to do away with war, + to stop the appeal to savage force. Man in a savage state relies upon his + strength, and decides for himself what is right and what is wrong. + Civilized men do not settle their differences by a resort to arms. They + submit the quarrel to arbitrators and courts. This is the great difference + between the savage and the civilized. Nations, however, sustain the + relations of savages to each other. There is no way of settling their + disputes. Each nation decides for itself, and each nation endeavors to + carry its decision into effect. This produces war. Thousands of men at + this moment are trying to invent more deadly weapons to destroy their + fellow-men. For eighteen hundred years peace has been preached, and yet + the civilized nations are the most warlike of the world. There are in + Europe to-day between eleven and twelve millions of soldiers, ready to + take the field, and the frontiers of every civilized nation are protected + by breastwork and fort. The sea is covered with steel clad ships, filled + with missiles of death. + </p> + <p> + The civilized world has impoverished itself, and the debt of Christendom, + mostly for war, is now nearly thirty thousand million dollars. The + interest on this vast sum has to be paid; it has to be paid by labor, much + of it by the poor, by those who are compelled to deny themselves almost + the necessities of life. This debt is growing year by year. There must + come a change, or Christendom will become bankrupt. + </p> + <p> + The interest on this debt amounts at least to nine hundred million dollars + a year; and the cost of supporting armies and navies, of repairing ships, + of manufacturing new engines of death, probably amounts, including the + interest on the debt, to at least six million dollars a day. Allowing ten + hours for a day, that is for a working day, the waste of war is at least + six hundred thousand dollars an hour, that is to say, ten thousand dollars + a minute. + </p> + <p> + Think of all this being paid for the purpose of killing and preparing to + kill our fellow-men. Think of the good that could be done with this vast + sum of money; the schools that could be built, the wants that could be + supplied. Think of the homes it would build, the children it would clothe. + </p> + <p> + If we wish to do away with war, we must provide for the settlement of + national differences by an international court. This court should be in + perpetual session; its members should be selected by the various + governments to be affected by its decisions, and, at the command and + disposal of this court, the rest of Christendom being disarmed, there + should be a military force sufficient to carry its judgments into effect. + There should be no other excuse, no other business for an army or a navy + in the civilized world. + </p> + <p> + No man has imagination enough to paint the agonies, the horrors and + cruelties of war. Think of sending shot and shell crashing through the + bodies of men! Think of the widows and orphans! Think of the maimed, the + mutilated, the mangled! + </p> + <p> + III. ANOTHER WASTE. + </p> + <p> + LET us be perfectly candid with each other. We are seeking the truth, + trying to find what ought to be done to increase the well-being of man. I + must give you my honest thought. You have the right to demand it, and I + must maintain the integrity of my soul. + </p> + <p> + There is another direction in which the wealth and energies of man are + wasted. From the beginning of history until now man has been seeking the + aid of the supernatural. For many centuries the wealth of the world was + used to propitiate the unseen powers. In our own country, the property + dedicated to this purpose is worth at least one thousand million dollars. + The interest on this sum is fifty million dollars a year, and the cost of + employing persons, whose business it is to seek the aid of the + supernatural and to maintain the property, is certainly as much more. So + that the cost in our country is about two million dollars a week, and, + counting ten hours as a working day, this amounts to about five hundred + dollars a minute. + </p> + <p> + For this vast amount of money the returns are remarkably small. The good + accomplished does not appear to be great. There is no great diminution in + crime. The decrease of immorality and poverty is hardly perceptible. In + spite, however, of the apparent failure here, a vast sum of money is + expended every year to carry our ideas of the supernatural to other races. + Our churches, for the most part, are closed during the week, being used + only a part of one day in seven. No one wishes to destroy churches or + church organizations. The only desire is that they shall accomplish + substantial good for the world. In many of our small towns—towns of + three or four thousand people—will be found four or five churches, + sometimes more. These churches are founded upon immaterial differences; a + difference as to the mode of baptism; a difference as to who shall be + entitled to partake of the Lord's supper; a difference of ceremony; of + government; a difference about fore-ordination; a difference about fate + and free will. And it must be admitted that all the arguments on all sides + of these differences have been presented countless millions of times. Upon + these subjects nothing new is produced or anticipated, and yet the + discussion is maintained by the repetition of the old arguments. + </p> + <p> + Now, it seems to me that it would be far better for the people of a town, + having a population of four or five thousand, to have one church, and the + edifice should be of use, not only on Sunday, but on every day of the + week. In this building should be the library of the town. It should be the + clubhouse of the people, where they could find the principal newspapers + and periodicals of the world. Its auditorium should be like a theatre. + Plays should be presented by home talent; an orchestra formed, music + cultivated. The people should meet there at any time they desire. The + women could carry their knitting and sewing; and connected with it should + be rooms for the playing of games, billiards, cards, and chess. Everything + should be made as agreeable as possible. The citizens should take pride in + this building. They should adorn its niches with statues and its walls + with pictures. It should be the intellectual centre. They could employ a + gentleman of ability, possibly of genius, to address them on Sundays, on + subjects that would be of real interest, of real importance. They could + say to this minister: + </p> + <p> + "We are engaged in business during the week; while we are working at our + trades and professions, we want you to study, and on Sunday tell us what + you have found out." + </p> + <p> + Let such a minister take for a series of sermons the history, the + philosophy, the art and the genius of the Greeks. Let him tell of the + wondrous metaphysics, myths and religions of India and Egypt. Let him make + his congregation conversant with the philosophies of the world, with the + great thinkers, the great poets, the great artists, the great actors, the + great orators, the great inventors, the captains of industry, the soldiers + of progress. Let them have a Sunday school in which the children shall be + made acquainted with the facts of nature; with botany, entomology, + something of geology and astronomy. + </p> + <p> + Let them be made familiar with the greatest of poems, the finest + paragraphs of literature, with stories of the heroic, the self-denying and + generous. + </p> + <p> + Now, it seems to me that such a congregation in a few years would become + the most intelligent people in the United States. + </p> + <p> + The truth is that people are tired of the old theories. They have lost + confidence in the miraculous, in the supernatural, and they have ceased to + take interest in "facts" that they do not quite believe. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "There is no darkness but ignorance." + There is no light but intelligence, +</pre> + <p> + As often as we can exchange a mistake for a fact, a falsehood for a truth, + we advance. We add to the intellectual wealth of the world, and in this + way, and in this way alone, can be laid the foundation for the future + prosperity and civilization of the race. + </p> + <p> + I blame no one; I call in question the motives of no person; I admit that + the world has acted as it must. + </p> + <p> + But hope for the future depends upon the intelligence of the present. Man + must husband his resources. He must not waste his energies in endeavoring + to accomplish the impossible. + </p> + <p> + He must take advantage of the forces of nature. He must depend on + education, on what he can ascertain by the use of his senses, by + observation, by experiment and reason. He must break the chains of + prejudice and custom. He must be free to express his thoughts on all + questions. He must find the conditions of happiness and become wise enough + to live in accordance with them. + </p> + <p> + IV. HOW CAN WE LESSEN CRIME? + </p> + <p> + IN spite of all that has been done for the reformation of the world, in + spite of all the inventions, in spite of all the forces of nature that are + now the tireless slaves of man, in spite of all improvements in + agriculture, in mechanics, in every department of human labor, the world + is still cursed with poverty and with crime. + </p> + <p> + The prisons are full, the courts are crowded, the officers of the law are + busy, and there seems to be no material decrease in crime. + </p> + <p> + For many thousands of years man has endeavored to reform his fellow-men by + imprisonment, torture, mutilation and death, and yet the history of the + world shows that there has been and is no reforming power in punishment. + It is impossible to make the penalty great enough, horrible enough to + lessen crime. + </p> + <p> + Only a few years ago, in civilized countries, larceny and many offences + even below larceny, were punished by death; and yet the number of thieves + and criminals of all grades increased. Traitors were hanged and quartered + or drawn into fragments by horses; and yet treason flourished. + </p> + <p> + Most of these frightful laws have been repealed, and the repeal certainly + did not increase crime. In our own country we rely upon the gallows, the + penitentiary and the jail. When a murder is committed, the man is hanged, + shocked to death by electricity, or lynched, and in a few minutes a new + murderer is ready to suffer a like fate. Men steal; they are sent to the + penitentiary for a certain number of years, treated like wild beasts, + frequently tortured. At the end of the term they are discharged, having + only enough money to return to the place from which they were sent. They + are thrown upon the world without means—without friends—they + are convicts. They are shunned, suspected and despised. If they obtain a + place, they are discharged as soon as it is found that they were in + prison. They do the best they can to retain the respect of their + fellow-men by denying their imprisonment and their identity. In a little + while, unable to gain a living by honest means, they resort to crime, they + again appear in court, and again are taken within the dungeon walls. No + reformation, no chance to reform, nothing to give them bread while making + new friends. + </p> + <p> + All this is infamous. Men should not be sent to the pentitentiary as a + punishment, because we must remember that men do as they must. Nature does + not frequently produce the perfect. In the human race there is a large + percentage of failures. Under certain conditions, with certain appetites + and passions and with a certain quality, quantity and shape of brain, men + will become thieves, forgers and counterfeiters. The question is whether + reformation is possible, whether a change can be produced in the person by + producing a change in the conditions. The criminal is dangerous and + society has the right to protect itself. The criminal should be confined, + and, if possible, should be reformed. A pentitentiary should be a school; + the convicts should be educated. So, prisoners should work, and they + should be paid a reasonable sum for their labor. The best men should have + charge of prisons. They should be philanthropists and philosophers; they + should know something of human nature. The prisoner, having been taught, + we will say, for five years—taught the underlying principles of + conduct, of the naturalness and harmony of virtue, of the discord of + crime; having been convinced that society has no hatred, that nobody + wishes to punish, to degrade, or to rob him; and being at the time of his + discharge paid a reasonable price for his labor; being allowed by law to + change his name, so that his identity will not be preserved, he could go + out of the prison a friend of the government. He would have the feeling + that he had been made a better man; that he had been treated with justice, + with mercy, and the money he carried with him would be a breastwork behind + which he could defy temptation, a breastwork that would support and take + care of him until he could find some means by which to support himself. + And this man, instead of making crime a business, would become a good, + honorable and useful-citizen. + </p> + <p> + As it is now, there is but little reform. The same faces appear again and + again at the bar; the same men hear again and again the verdict of guilty + and the sentence of the court, and the same men return again and again to + the prison cell. Murderers, those belonging to the dangerous classes, + those who are so formed by nature that they rush to the crimes of + desperation, should be imprisoned for life; or they should be put upon + some island, some place where they can be guarded, where it may be that by + proper effort they could support themselves; the men on one island, the + women on another. And to these islands should be sent professional + criminals, those who have deliberately adopted a life of crime for the + purpose of supporting themselves, the women upon one island, the men upon + another. Such people should not populate the earth. + </p> + <p> + Neither the diseases nor the deformities of the mind or body should be + perpetuated. Life at the fountain should not be polluted. + </p> + <p> + V. HOMES FOR ALL. + </p> + <p> + THE home is the unit of the nation. The more homes the broader the + foundation of the nation and the more secure. + </p> + <p> + Everything that is possible should be done to keep this from being a + nation of tenants. The men who cultivate the earth should own it. + Something has already been done in our country in that direction, and + probably in every State there is a homestead exemption. This exemption has + thus far done no harm to the creditor class. When we imprisoned people for + debt, debts were as insecure, to say the least, as now. By the homestead + laws, a home of a certain value or of a certain extent, is exempt from + forced levy or sale; and these laws have done great good. Undoubtedly they + have trebled the homes of the nation. + </p> + <p> + I wish to go a step further. I want, if possible, to get the people out of + the tenements, out of the gutters of degradation, to homes where there can + be privacy, where these people can feel that they are in partnership with + nature; that they have an interest in good government. With the means we + now have of transportation, there is no necessity for poor people being + huddled in festering masses in the vile, filthy and loathsome parts of + cities, where poverty breeds rags, and the rags breed diseases. I would + exempt a homestead of a reasonable value, say of the value of two or three + thousand dollars, not only from sale under execution, but from sale for + taxes of every description. These homes should be absolutely exempt; they + should belong to the family, so that every mother should feel that the + roof above her head was hers; that her house was her castle, and that in + its possession she could not be disturbed, even by the nation. Under + certain conditions I would allow the sale of this homestead, and exempt + the proceeds of the sale for a certain time, during which they might be + invested in another home; and all this could be done to make a nation of + householders, a nation of land-owners, a nation of home-builders. + </p> + <p> + I would invoke the same power to preserve these homes, and to acquire + these homes, that I would invoke for acquiring lands for building + railways. Every State should fix the amount of land that could be owned by + an individual, not liable to be taken from him for the purpose of giving a + home to another, and when any man owned more acres than the law allowed, + and another should ask to purchase them, and he should refuse, I would + have the law so that the person wishing to purchase could file his + petition in court. The court would appoint commissioners, or a jury would + be called, to determine the value of the land the petitioner wished for a + home, and, upon the amount being paid, found by such commission, or jury, + the land should vest absolutely in the petitioner. + </p> + <p> + This right of eminent domain should be used not only for the benefit of + the person wishing a home, but for the benefit of all the people. Nothing + is more important to America than that the babes of America should be born + around the firesides of homes. + </p> + <p> + There is another question in which I take great interest, and it ought, in + my judgment, to be answered by the intelligence and kindness of our + century. + </p> + <p> + We all know that for many, many ages, men have been slaves, and we all + know that during all these years, women have, to some extent been the + slaves of slaves. It is of the utmost importance to the human race that + women, that mothers, should be free. Without doubt, the contract of + marriage is the most important and the most sacred that human beings can + make. Marriage is the most important of all institutions. Of course, the + ceremony of marriage is not the real marriage. It is only evidence of the + mutual flames that burn within. There can be no real marriage without + mutual love. So I believe in the ceremony of marriage, that it should be + public; that records should be kept. Besides, the ceremony says to all the + world that those who marry are in love with each other. + </p> + <p> + Then arises the question of divorce. Millions of people imagine that the + married are joined together by some supernatural power, and that they + should remain together, or at least married, during life. If all who have + been married were joined together by the supernatural, we must admit that + the supernatural is not infinitely wise. + </p> + <p> + After all, marriage is a contract, and the parties to the contract are + bound to keep its provisions; and neither should be released from such a + contract unless, in some way, the interests of society are involved. I + would have the law so that any husband could obtain a divorce when the + wife had persistently and flagrantly violated the contract; such divorce + to be granted on equitable terms. I would give the wife a divorce if she + requested it, if she wanted it. + </p> + <p> + And I would do this, not only for her sake, but for the sake of the + community, of the nation. All children should be children of love. All + that are born should be sincerely welcomed. The children of mothers who + dislike, or hate, or loathe the fathers, will fill the world with insanity + and crime. No woman should by law, or by public opinion, be forced to live + with a man whom she abhors. There is no danger of demoralizing the world + through divorce. Neither is there any danger of destroying in the human + heart that divine thing called love. As long as the human race exists, men + and women will love each other, and just so long there will be true and + perfect marriage. Slavery is not the soil or rain of virtue. + </p> + <p> + I make a difference between granting divorce to a man and to a woman, and + for this reason: A woman dowers her husband with her youth and beauty. He + should not be allowed to desert her because she has grown wrinkled and + old. Her capital is gone; her prospects in life lessened; while, on the + contrary, he may be far better able to succeed than when he married her. + As a rule, the man can take care of himself, and as a rule, the woman + needs help. So, I would not allow him to cast her off unless she had + flagrantly violated the contract. But, for the sake of the community, and + especially for the sake of the babes, I would give her a divorce for the + asking. + </p> + <p> + There will never be a generation of great men until there has been a + generation of free women—of free mothers. + </p> + <p> + The tenderest word in our language is maternity. In this word is the + divine mingling of ecstasy and agony—of love and self-sacrifice. + This word is holy! + </p> + <p> + VI. THE LABOR QUESTION. + </p> + <p> + HERE has been for many years ceaseless discussion upon what is called the + labor question; the conflict between the workingman and the capitalist. + Many ways have been devised, some experiments have been tried for the + purpose of solving this question. Profit-sharing would not work, because + it is impossible to share profits with those who are incapable of sharing + losses. Communities have been formed, the object being to pay the expenses + and share the profits among all the persons belonging to the society. For + the most part these have failed. + </p> + <p> + Others have advocated arbitration. And, while it may be that the employers + could be bound by the decision of the arbitrators, there has been no way + discovered by which the employees could be held by such decision. In other + words, the question has not been solved. + </p> + <p> + For my own part, I see no final and satisfactory solution except through + the civilization of employers and employed. The question is so + complicated, the ramifications are so countless, that a solution by law, + or by force, seems at least improbable. Employers are supposed to pay + according to their profits. They may or may not. Profits may be destroyed + by competition. The employer is at the mercy of other employers, and as + much so as his employees are at his mercy. The employers cannot govern + prices; they cannot fix demand; they cannot control supply; and at + present, in the world of trade, the laws of supply and demand, except when + interfered with by conspiracy, are in absolute control. + </p> + <p> + Will the time arrive, and can it arrive, except by developing the brain, + except by the aid of intellectual light, when the purchaser will wish to + give what a thing is worth, when the employer will be satisfied with a + reasonable profit, when the employer will be anxious to give the real + value for raw material; when he will be really anxious to pay the laborer + the full value of his labor? Will the employer ever become civilized + enough to know that the law of supply and demand should not absolutely + apply in the labor market of the world? Will he ever become civilized + enough not to take advantage of the necessities of the poor, of the hunger + and rags and want of poverty? Will he ever become civilized enough to say: + "I will pay the man who labors for me enough to give him a reasonable + support, enough for him to assist in taking care of wife and children, + enough for him to do this, and lay aside something to feed and clothe him + when old age comes; to lay aside something, enough to give him house and + hearth during the December of his life, so that he can warm his worn and + shriveled hands at the fire of home"? + </p> + <p> + Of course, capital can do nothing without the assistance of labor. All + there is of value in the world is the product of labor. The laboring man + pays all the expenses. No matter whether taxes are laid on luxuries or on + the necessaries of life, labor pays every cent. + </p> + <p> + So we must remember that, day by day, labor is becoming intelligent. So, I + believe the employer is gradually becoming civilized, gradually becoming + kinder; and many men who have made large fortunes from the labor of their + fellows have given of their millions to what they regarded as objects of + charity, or for the interests of education. This is a kind of penance, + because the men that have made this money from the brain and muscle of + their fellow-men have ever felt that it was not quite their own. Many of + these employers have sought to balance their accounts by leaving something + for universities, for the establishment of libraries, drinking fountains, + or to build monuments to departed greatness. It would have been, I think, + far better had they used this money to better the condition of the men who + really earned it. + </p> + <p> + So, I think that when we become civilized, great corporations will make + provision for men who have given their lives to their service. I think the + great railroads should pay pensions to their worn out employees. They + should take care of them in old age. They should not maim and wear out + their servants and then discharge them, and allow them to be supported in + poorhouses. These great companies should take care of the men they maim; + they should look out for the ones whose lives they have used and whose + labor has been the foundation of their prosperity. Upon this question, + public sentiment should be aroused to such a degree that these + corporations would be ashamed to use a human life and then throw away the + broken old man as they would cast aside a rotten tie. + </p> + <p> + It may be that the mechanics, the workingmen, will finally become + intelligent enough to really unite, to act in absolute concert. Could this + be accomplished, then a reasonable rate of compensation could be fixed and + enforced. Now such efforts are local, and the result up to this time has + been failure. But, if all could unite, they could obtain what is + reasonable, what is just, and they would have the sympathy of a very large + majority of their fellow-men, provided they were reasonable. + </p> + <p> + But, before they can act in this way, they must become really intelligent, + intelligent enough to know what is reasonable and honest enough to ask for + no more. + </p> + <p> + So much has already been accomplished for the workingman that I have hope, + and great hope, of the future. The hours of labor have been shortened, and + materially shortened, in many countries. There was a time when men worked + fifteen and sixteen hours a day. Now, generally, a day's work is not + longer than ten hours, and the tendency is to still further decrease the + hours. + </p> + <p> + By comparing long periods of time, we more clearly perceive the advance + that has been made. In 1860, the average amount earned by the laboring + men, workmen, mechanics, per year, was about two hundred and eighty-five + dollars. It is now about five hundred dollars, and a dollar to-day will + purchase more of the necessaries of life, more food, clothing and fuel, + than it would in 1860. These facts are full of hope for the future. + </p> + <p> + All our sympathies should be with the men who work, who toil; for the + women who labor for themselves and children; because we know that labor is + the foundation of all, and that those who labor are the Caryatides that + support the structure and glittering dome of civilization and progress. + </p> + <p> + VII. EDUCATE THE CHILDREN. + </p> + <p> + EVERY child should be taught to be self-supporting, and every one should + be taught to avoid being a burden on others, as they would shun death. + </p> + <p> + Every child should be taught that the useful are the honorable, and that + they who live on the labor of others are the enemies of society. Every + child should be taught that useful work is worship and that intelligent + labor is the highest form of prayer. + </p> + <p> + Children should be taught to think, to investigate, to rely upon the light + of reason, of observation and experience; should be taught to use all + their senses; and they should be taught only that which in some sense is + really useful. They should be taught the use of tools, to use their hands, + to embody their thoughts in the construction of things. Their lives should + not be wasted in the acquisition of the useless, or of the almost useless. + Years should not be devoted to the acquisition of dead languages, or to + the study of history which, for the most part, is a detailed account of + things that never occurred. It is useless to fill the mind with dates of + great battles, with the births and deaths of kings. They should be taught + the philosophy of history, the growth of nations, of philosophies, + theories, and, above all, of the sciences. + </p> + <p> + So, they should be taught the importance, not only of financial, but of + mental honesty; to be absolutely sincere; to utter their real thoughts, + and to give their actual opinions; and, if parents want honest children, + they should be honest themselves. It may be that hypocrites transmit their + failing to their offspring. Men and women who pretend to agree with the + majority, who think one way and talk another, can hardly expect their + children to be absolutely sincere. + </p> + <p> + Nothing should be taught in any school that the teacher does not know. + Beliefs, superstitions, theories, should not be treated like demonstrated + facts. The child should be taught to investigate, not to believe. Too much + doubt is better than too much credulity. So, children should be taught + that it is their duty to think for themselves, to understand, and, if + possible, to know. + </p> + <p> + Real education is the hope of the future. The development of the brain, + the civilization of the heart, will drive want and crime from the world. + The schoolhouse is the real cathedral, and science the only possible + savior of the human race. Education, real education, is the friend of + honesty, of morality, of temperance. + </p> + <p> + We cannot rely upon legislative enactments to make people wise and good; + neither can we expect to make human beings manly and womanly by keeping + them out of temptation. Temptations are as thick as the leaves of the + forest, and no one can be out of the reach of temptation unless he is + dead. The great thing is to make people intelligent enough and strong + enough, not to keep away from temptation, but to resist it. All the forces + of civilization are in favor of morality and temperance. Little can be + accomplished by law, because law, for the most part, about such things, is + a destruction of personal liberty. Liberty cannot be sacrificed for the + sake of temperance, for the sake of morality, or for the sake of anything. + It is of more value than everything else. Yet some people would destroy + the sun to prevent the growth of weeds. Liberty sustains the same relation + to all the virtues that the sun does to life. The world had better go back + to barbarism, to the dens, the caves and lairs of savagery; better lose + all art, all inventions, than to lose liberty. Liberty is the breath of + progress; it is the seed and soil, the heat and rain of love and joy. + </p> + <p> + So, all should be taught that the highest ambition is to be happy, and to + add to the well-being of others; that place and power are not necessary to + success; that the desire to acquire great wealth is a kind of insanity. + They should be taught that it is a waste of energy, a waste of thought, a + waste of life, to acquire what you do not need and what you do not really + use for the benefit of yourself or others. + </p> + <p> + Neither mendicants nor millionaires are the happiest of mankind. The man + at the bottom of the ladder hopes to rise; the man at the top fears to + fall. The one asks; the other refuses; and, by frequent refusal, the heart + becomes hard enough and the hand greedy enough to clutch and hold. + </p> + <p> + Few men have intelligence enough, real greatness enough, to own a great + fortune. As a rule, the fortune owns them. Their fortune is their master, + for whom they work and toil like slaves. The man who has a good business + and who can make a reasonable living and lay aside something for the + future, who can educate his children and can leave enough to keep the wolf + of want from the door of those he loves, ought to be the happiest of men. + </p> + <p> + Now, society bows and kneels at the feet of wealth. Wealth gives power. + Wealth commands flattery and adulation. And so, millions of men give all + their energies, as well as their very souls, for the acquisition of gold. + And this will continue as long as society is ignorant enough and + hypocritical enough to hold in high esteem the man of wealth without the + slightest regard to the character of the man. + </p> + <p> + In judging of the rich, two things should be considered: How did they get + it, and what are they doing with it? Was it honestly acquired? Is it being + used for the benefit of mankind? When people become really intelligent, + when the brain is really developed, no human being will give his life to + the acquisition of what he does not need or what he cannot intelligently + use. + </p> + <p> + The time will come when the truly intelligent man cannot be happy, cannot + be satisfied, when millions of his fellow-men are hungry and naked. The + time will come when in every heart will be the perfume of pity's sacred + flower. The time will come when the world will be anxious to ascertain the + truth, to find out the conditions of happiness, and to live in accordance + with such conditions; and the time will come when in the brain of every + human being will be the climate of intellectual hospitality. + </p> + <p> + Man will be civilized when the passions are dominated by the intellect, + when reason occupies the throne, and when the hot blood of passion no + longer rises in successful revolt. + </p> + <p> + To civilize the world, to hasten the coming of the Golden Dawn of the + Perfect Day, we must educate the children, we must commence at the cradle, + at the lap of the loving mother. + </p> + <p> + VIII. WE MUST WORK AND WAIT. + </p> + <p> + THE reforms that I have mentioned cannot be accomplished in a day, + possibly not for many centuries; and in the meantime there is much crime, + much poverty, much want, and consequently something must be done now. + </p> + <p> + Let each human being, within the limits of the possible be + self-supporting; let every one take intelligent thought for the morrow; + and if a human being supports himself and acquires a surplus, let him use + a part of that surplus for the unfortunate; and let each one to the extent + of his ability help his fellow-men. Let him do what he can in the circle + of his own acquaintance to rescue the fallen, to help those who are trying + to help themselves, to give work to the idle. Let him distribute kind + words, words of wisdom, of cheerfulness and hope. In other words, let + every human being do all the good he can, and let him bind up the wounds + of his fellow-creatures, and at the same time put forth every effort, to + hasten the coming of a better day. + </p> + <p> + This, in my judgment, is real religion. To do all the good you can is to + be a saint in the highest and in the noblest sense. To do all the good you + can; this is to be really and truly spiritual. To relieve suffering, to + put the star of hope in the midnight of despair, this is true holiness. + This is the religion of science. The old creeds are too narrow, they are + not for the world in which we live. The old dogmas lack breadth and + tenderness; they are too cruel, too merciless, too savage. We are growing + grander and nobler. + </p> + <p> + The firmament inlaid with suns is the dome of the real cathedral. The + interpreters of nature are the true and only priests. In the great creed + are all the truths that lips have uttered, and in the real litany will be + found all the ecstasies and aspirations of the soul, all dreams of joy, + all hopes for nobler, fuller life. The real church, the real edifice, is + adorned and glorified with all that Art has done. In the real choir is all + the thrilling music of the world, and in the star-lit aisles have been, + and are, the grandest souls of every land and clime. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "There is no darkness but ignorance." + Let us flood the world with intellectual light. +</pre> + <p> + <a name="link0005" id="link0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + A THANKSGIVING SERMON. + </h2> + <p> + MANY ages ago our fathers were living in dens and caves. Their bodies, + their low foreheads, were covered with hair. They were eating berries, + roots, bark and vermin. They were fond of snakes and raw fish. They + discovered fire and, probably by accident, learned how to cause it by + friction. They found how to warm themselves—to fight the frost and + storm. They fashioned clubs and rude weapons of stone with which they + killed the larger beasts and now and then each other. Slowly, painfully, + almost imperceptibly they advanced. They crawled and stumbled, staggered + and struggled toward the light. To them the world was unknown. On every + hand was the mysterious, the sinister, the hurtful. The forests were + filled with monsters, and the darkness was crowded with ghosts, devils, + and fiendish gods. + </p> + <p> + These poor wretches were the slaves of fear, the sport of dreams. + </p> + <p> + Now and then, one rose a little above his fellows—used his senses—the + little reason that he had—found something new—some better way. + Then the people killed him and afterward knelt with reverence at his + grave. Then another thinker gave his thought—was murdered—another + tomb became sacred—another step was taken in advance. And so through + countless years of ignorance and cruelty—of thought and crime—of + murder and worship, of heroism, suffering, and self-denial, the race has + reached the heights where now we stand. + </p> + <p> + Looking back over the long and devious roads that lie between the + barbarism of the past and the civilization of to-day, thinking of the + centuries that rolled like waves between these distant shores, we can form + some idea of what our fathers suffered—of the mistakes they made—some + idea of their ignorance, their stupidity—and some idea of their + sense, their goodness, their heroism. + </p> + <p> + It is a long road from the savage to the scientist—from a den to a + mansion—from leaves to clothes—from a flickering rush to the + arc-light—from a hammer of stone to the modern mill—a long + distance from the pipe of Pan to the violin—to the orchestra—from + a floating log to the steamship—from a sickle to a reaper—from + a flail to a threshing machine—-from a crooked stick to a plow—from + a spinning wheel to a spinning jenny—from a hand loom to a Jacquard—a + Jacquard that weaves fair forms and wondrous flowers beyond Arachne's + utmost dream—from a few hieroglyphics on the skins of beasts—on + bricks of clay—to a printing press, to a library—a long + distance from the messenger, traveling on foot, to the electric spark—from + knives and tools of stone to those of steel—a long distance from + sand to telescopes—from echo to the phonograph, the phonograph that + buries in indented lines and dots the sounds of living speech, and then + gives back to life the very words and voices of the dead—a long way + from the trumpet to the telephone, the telephone that transports speech as + swift as thought and drops the words, perfect as minted coins, in + listening ears—a long way from a fallen tree to the suspension + bridge—from the dried sinews of beasts to the cables of steel—from + the oar to the propeller—from the sling to the rifle—from the + catapult to the cannon—a long distance from revenge to law—from + the club to the Legislature—from slavery to freedom—from + appearance to fact—from fear to reason. + </p> + <p> + And yet the distance has been traveled by the human race. Countless + obstructions have been overcome—numberless enemies have been + conquered—thousands and thousands of victories have been won for the + right, and millions have lived, labored and died for their fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + For the blessings we enjoy—for the happiness that is ours, we ought + to be grateful. Our hearts should blossom with thankfulness. + </p> + <p> + Whom, what, should we thank? + </p> + <p> + Let us be honest—generous. + </p> + <p> + Should we thank the church? + </p> + <p> + Christianity has controlled Christendom for at least fifteen hundred + years. + </p> + <p> + During these centuries what have the orthodox churches accomplished, for + the good of man? + </p> + <p> + In this life man needs raiment and roof, food and fuel. He must be + protected from heat and cold, from snow and storm. He must take thought + for the morrow. In the summer of youth he must prepare for the winter of + age. He must know something of the causes of disease—of the + conditions of health. If possible he must conquer pain, increase happiness + and lengthen life. He must supply the wants of the body—and feed the + hunger of the mind. + </p> + <p> + What good has the church done? + </p> + <p> + Has it taught men to cultivate the earth? to build homes? to weave cloth + to cure or prevent disease? to build ships, to navigate the seas? to + conquer pain, or to lengthen life? + </p> + <p> + Did Christ or any of his apostles add to the sum of useful knowledge? Did + they say one word in favor of any science, of any art? Did they teach + their fellow-men how to make a living, how to overcome the obstructions of + nature, how to prevent sickness—how to protect themselves from pain, + from famine, from misery and rags? + </p> + <p> + Did they explain any of the phenomena of nature? any of the facts that + affect the life of man? Did they say anything in favor of investigation—of + study—of thought? Did they teach the gospel of self-reliance, of + industry—of honest effort? Can any farmer, mechanic, or scientist + find in the New Testament one useful fact? Is there anything in the sacred + book that can help the geologist, the astronomer, the biologist, the + physician, the inventor—the manufacturer of any useful thing? + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + From the very first it taught the vanity—the worthlessness of all + earthly things. It taught the wickedness of wealth, the blessedness of + poverty. It taught that the business of this life was to prepare for + death. It insisted that a certain belief was necessary to insure + salvation, and that all who failed to believe, or doubted in the least + would suffer eternal pain. According to the church the natural desires, + ambitions and passions of man were all wicked and depraved. + </p> + <p> + To love God, to practice self-denial, to overcome desire, to despise + wealth, to hate prosperity, to desert wife and children, to live on roots + and berries, to repeat prayers, to wear rags, to live in filth, and drive + love from the heart—these, for centuries, were the highest and most + perfect virtues, and those who practiced them were saints. + </p> + <p> + The saints did not assist their fellow-men. Their fellow-men assisted + them. They did not labor for others. They were beggars—parasites—vermin. + They were insane. They followed the teachings of Christ. They took no + thought for the morrow. They mutilated their bodies—scarred their + flesh and destroyed their minds for the sake of happiness in another + world. During the journey of life they kept their eyes on the grave. They + gathered no flowers by the way—they walked in the dust of the road—avoided + the green fields. Their moans made all the music they wished to hear. The + babble of brooks, the songs of birds, the laughter of children, were + nothing to them. Pleasure was the child of sin, and the happy needed a + change of heart. They were sinless and miserable—but they had faith—they + were pious and wretched—but they were limping towards heaven. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It has denounced pride and luxury—all things that adorn and enrich + life—all the pleasures of sense—the ecstasies of love—the + happiness of the hearth—the clasp and kiss of wife and child. + </p> + <p> + And the church has done this because it regarded this life as a period of + probation—a time to prepare—to become spiritual—to + overcome the natural—to fix the affections on the invisible—to + become passionless—to subdue the flesh—to congeal the blood—to + fold the wings of fancy—to become dead to the world—so that + when you appeared before God you would be the exact opposite of what he + made you. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It pretended to have a revelation from God. It knew the road to eternal + joy, the way to death. It preached salvation by faith, and declared that + only orthodox believers could become angels, and all doubters would be + damned. It knew this, and so knowing it became the enemy of discussion, of + investigation, of thought. Why investigate, why discuss, why think when + you know? It sought to enslave the world. It appealed to force. It + unsheathed the sword, lighted the fagot, forged the chain, built the + dungeon, erected the scaffold, invented and used the instruments of + torture. It branded, maimed and mutilated—it imprisoned and tortured—it + blinded and burned, hanged and crucified, and utterly destroyed millions + and millions of human beings. It touched every nerve of the body—produced + every pain that can be felt, every agony that can be endured. + </p> + <p> + And it did all this to preserve what it called the truth—to destroy + heresy and doubt, and to save, if possible, the souls of a few. It was + honest. It was necessary to prevent the development of the brain—to + arrest all progress—and to do this the church used all its power. If + men were allowed to think and express their thoughts they would fill their + minds and the minds of others with doubts. If they were allowed to think + they would investigate, and then they might contradict the creed, dispute + the words of priests and defy the church. The priests cried to the people: + "It is for us to talk. It is for you to hear. Our duty is to preach and + yours is to believe." + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + There have been thousands of councils and synods—thousands and + thousands of occasions when the clergy have met and discussed and + quarreled—when pope and cardinals, bishops and priests have added to + or explained their creeds—and denied the rights of others. What + useful truth did they discover? What fact did they find? Did they add to + the intellectual wealth of the world? Did they increase the sum of + knowledge? + </p> + <p> + I admit that they looked over a number of Jewish books and picked out the + ones that Jehovah wrote. + </p> + <p> + Did they find the medicinal virtue that dwells in any weed or flower? + </p> + <p> + I know that they decided that the Holy Ghost was not created—not + begotten—but that he proceeded. + </p> + <p> + Did they teach us the mysteries of the metals and how to purify the ores + in furnace flames? + </p> + <p> + They shouted: "Great is the mystery of Godliness." + </p> + <p> + Did they show us how to improve our condition in this world? + </p> + <p> + They informed us that Christ had two natures and two wills. + </p> + <p> + Did they give us even a hint as to any useful thing? + </p> + <p> + They gave us predestination, foreordination and just enough "free will" to + go to hell. + </p> + <p> + Did they discover or show us how to produce anything for food? + </p> + <p> + Did they produce anything to satisfy the hunger of man? + </p> + <p> + Instead of this they discovered that a peasant girl who lived in + Palestine, was the mother of God. This they proved by a book, and to make + the book evidence they called it inspired. + </p> + <p> + Did they tell us anything about chemistry—how to combine and + separate substances—how to subtract the hurtful—how to produce + the useful? + </p> + <p> + They told us that bread, by making certain motions and mumbling certain + prayers, could be changed into the flesh of God, and that in the same way + wine could be changed to his blood. And this, notwithstanding the fact + that God never had any flesh or blood, but has always been a spirit + without body, parts or passions. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It gave us the history of the world—of the stars, and the beginning + of all things. It taught the geology of Moses—the astronomy of + Joshua and Elijah. It taught the fall of man and the atonement—proved + that a Jewish peasant was God—established the existence of hell, + purgatory and heaven. + </p> + <p> + It pretended to have a revelation from God—the Scriptures, in which + could be found all knowledge—everything that man could need in the + journey of life. Nothing outside of the inspired book—except legends + and prayers—could be of any value. Books that contradicted the Bible + were hurtful, those that agreed with it—useless. Nothing was of + importance except faith, credulity—belief. The church said: "Let + philosophy alone, count your beads. Ask no questions, fall upon your + knees. Shut your eyes, and save your souls." + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + For centuries it kept the earth flat, for centuries it made all the hosts + of heaven travel around this world—for centuries it clung to + "sacred" knowledge, and fought facts with the ferocity of a fiend. For + centuries it hated the useful. It was the deadly enemy of medicine. + Disease was produced by devils and could be cured only by priests, + decaying bones, and holy water. Doctors were the rivals of priests. They + diverted the revenues. + </p> + <p> + The church opposed the study of anatomy—was against the dissection + of the dead. Man had no right to cure disease—God would do that + through his priests. + </p> + <p> + Man had no right to prevent disease—diseases were sent by God as + judgments. + </p> + <p> + The church opposed inoculation—vaccination, and the use of + chloroform and ether. It was declared to be a sin, a crime for a woman to + lessen the pangs of motherhood. The church declared that woman must bear + the curse of the merciful Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It taught that the insane were inhabited by devils. Insanity was not a + disease. It was produced by demons. It could be cured by prayers—gifts, + amulets and charms. All these had to be paid for. This enriched the + church. These ideas were honestly entertained by Protestants as well as + Catholics—by Luther, Calvin, Knox and Wesley. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It taught the awful doctrine of witchcraft. It filled the darkness with + demons—the air with devils, and the world with grief and shame. It + charged men, women and children with being in league with Satan to injure + their fellows. Old women were convicted for causing storms at sea—for + preventing rain and for bringing frost. Girls were convicted for having + changed themselves into wolves, snakes and toads. These witches were + burned for causing diseases—for selling their souls and for souring + beer. All these things were done with the aid of the Devil who sought to + persecute the faithful, the lambs of God. Satan sought in many ways to + scandalize the church. He sometimes assumed the appearance of a priest and + committed crimes. + </p> + <p> + On one occasion he personated a bishop—a bishop renowned for his + sanctity—allowed himself to be discovered and dragged from the room + of a beautiful widow. So perfectly did he counterfeit the features and + form of the bishop, that many who were well acquainted with the prelate, + were actually deceived, and the widow herself thought her lover was the + bishop. All this was done by the Devil to bring reproach upon holy men. + </p> + <p> + Hundreds of like instances could be given, as the war waged between demons + and priests was long and bitter. + </p> + <p> + These popes and priests—these clergymen, were not hypocrites. They + believed in the New Testament—in the teachings of Christ, and they + knew that the principal business of the Savior was casting out devils. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It made the wife a slave—the property of the husband, and it placed + the husband as much above the wife as Christ was above the husband. It + taught that a nun is purer, nobler than a mother. It induced millions of + pure and conscientious girls to renounce the joys of life—to take + the veil woven of night and death, to wear the habiliments of the dead—made + them believe that they were the brides of Christ. + </p> + <p> + For my part, I would as soon be a widow as the bride of a man who had been + dead for eighteen hundred years. + </p> + <p> + The poor deluded girls imagined that they, in some mysterious way, were in + spiritual wedlock united with God. All worldly desires were driven from + their hearts. They filled their lives with fastings—with prayers—with + self-accusings. They forgot fathers and mothers and gave their love to the + invisible. They were the victims, the convicts of superstition—prisoners + in the penitentiaries of God. Conscientious, good, sincere—insane. + </p> + <p> + These loving women gave their hearts to a phantom, their lives to a dream. + </p> + <p> + A few years ago, at a revival, a fine buxom girl was "converted," "born + again." In her excitement she cried, "I'm married to Christ—I'm + married to Christ." In her delirium she threw her arms around the neck of + an old man and again cried, "I'm married to Christ." The old man, who + happened to be a kind of skeptic, gently removed her hands, saying at the + same time: "I don't know much about your husband, but I have great respect + for your father-in-law." + </p> + <p> + Priests, theologians, have taken advantage of women—of their + gentleness—their love of approbation. They have lived upon their + hopes and fears. Like vampires, they have sucked their blood. They have + made them responsible for the sins of the world. They have taught them the + slave virtues—meekness, humility—implicit obedience. They have + fed their minds with mistakes, mysteries and absurdities. They have + endeavored to weaken and shrivel their brains, until, to them, there would + be no possible connection between evidence and belief—between fact + and faith. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It was the enemy of commerce—of business. It denounced the taking of + interest for money. Without taking interest for money, progress is + impossible. The steamships, the great factories, the railroads have all + been built with borrowed money, money on which interest was promised and + for the most part paid. + </p> + <p> + The church was opposed to fire insurance—to life insurance. It + denounced insurance in any form as gambling, as immoral. To insure your + life was to declare that you had no confidence in God—that you + relied on a corporation instead of divine providence. It was declared that + God would provide for your widow and your fatherless children. + </p> + <p> + To insure your life was to insult heaven. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + The church regarded epidemics as the messengers of the good God. The + "Black Death" was sent by the eternal Father, whose mercy spared some and + whose justice murdered the rest. To stop the scourge, they tried to soften + the heart of God by kneelings and prostrations—by processions and + prayers—by burning incense and by making vows. They did not try to + remove the cause. The cause was God. They did not ask for pure water, but + for holy water. Faith and filth lived or rather died together. Religion + and rags, piety and pollution kept company. Sanctity kept its odor. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It was the enemy of art and literature. It destroyed the marbles of Greece + and Rome. Beauty was Pagan. It destroyed so far as it could the best + literature of the world. It feared thought—but it preserved the + Scriptures, the ravings of insane saints, the falsehoods of the Fathers, + the bulls of popes, the accounts of miracles performed by shrines, by + dried blood and faded hair, by pieces of bones and wood, by rusty nails + and thorns, by handkerchiefs and rags, by water and beads and by a finger + of the Holy Ghost. + </p> + <p> + This was the literature of the church. + </p> + <p> + I admit that the priests were honest—as honest as ignorant. More + could not be said. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + Christianity claims, with great pride, that it established asylums for the + insane. Yes, it did. But the insane were treated as criminals. They were + regarded as the homes—as the tenement-houses of devils. They were + persecuted and tormented. They were chained and flogged, starved and + killed. The asylums were prisons, dungeons, the insane were victims and + the keepers were ignorant, conscientious, pious fiends. They were not + trying to help men, they were fighting devils—destroying demons. + They were not actuated by love—but by hate and fear. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It founded schools where facts were denied, where science was denounced + and philosophy despised. Schools, where priests were made—where they + were taught to hate reason and to look upon doubts as the suggestions of + the Devil. Schools where the heart was hardened and the brain shriveled. + Schools in which lies were sacred and truths profane. Schools for the more + general diffusion of ignorance—schools to prevent thought—to + suppress knowledge. Schools for the purpose of enslaving the world. + Schools in which teachers knew less than pupils. + </p> + <p> + What has the church done? + </p> + <p> + It has used its influence with God to get rain and sunshine—to stop + flood and storm—to kill insects, rats, snakes and wild beasts—to + stay pestilence and famine—to delay frost and snow—to lengthen + the lives of kings and queens—to protect presidents—to give + legislators wisdom—to increase collections and subscriptions. In + marriages it has made God the party of the third part. It has sprinkled + water on babes when they were named. It has put oil on the dying and + repeated prayers for the dead. It has tried to protect the people from the + malice of the Devil—from ghosts and spooks, from witches and wizards + and all the leering fiends that seek to poison the souls of men. It has + endeavored to protect the sheep of God from the wolves of science—from + the wild beasts of doubt and investigation. It has tried to wean the lambs + of the Lord from the delights, the pleasures, the joys, of life. According + to the philosophy of the church, the virtuous weep and suffer, the vicious + laugh and thrive, the good carry a cross, and the wicked fly. But in the + next life this will be reversed. Then the good will be happy, and the bad + will be damned. + </p> + <p> + The church filled the world with faith and crime. + </p> + <p> + It polluted the fountains of joy. It gave us an ignorant, jealous, + revengeful and cruel God—sometimes merciful—sometimes + ferocious. Now just, now infamous—sometimes wise—generally + foolish. It gave us a Devil, cunning, malicious, almost the equal of God, + not quite as strong—but quicker—not as profound—but + sharper. + </p> + <p> + It gave us angels with wings—cherubim and seraphim and a heaven with + harps and hallelujahs—with streets of gold and gates of pearl. + </p> + <p> + It gave us fiends and imps with wings like bats. It gave us ghosts and + goblins, spooks and sprites, and little devils that swarmed in the bodies + of men, and it gave us hell where the souls of men will roast in eternal + flames. Shall we thank the church? Shall we thank the orthodox churches? + </p> + <p> + Shall we thank them for the hell they made here? Shall we thank them for + the hell of the future? + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + WE must remember that the church was founded and has been protected by + God, that all the popes, and cardinals, all the bishops, priests and + monks, all the ministers and exhorters were selected and set apart—all + sanctified and enlightened by the infinite God—that the Holy + Scriptures were inspired by the same Being, and that all the orthodox + creeds were really made by him. + </p> + <p> + We know what these men—filled with the Holy Ghost—have done. + We know the part they have played. We know the souls they have saved and + the bodies they have destroyed. We know the consolation they have given + and the pain they have inflicted—the lies they have defended—the + truths they have denied. We know that they convinced millions that + celibacy is the greatest of all virtues—that women are perpetual + temptations, the enemies of true holiness—that monks and priests are + nobler than fathers, that nuns are purer than mothers. We know that they + taught the blessed absurdity of the Trinity—that God once worked at + the trade of a carpenter in Palestine. We know that they divided knowledge + into sacred and profane—taught that Revelation was sacred—that + Reason was blasphemous—that faith was holy and facts false. That the + sin of Adam and Eve brought disease and pain, vice and death into the + world. We know that they have taught the dogma of special providence—that + all events are ordered and regulated by God—that he crowns and + uncrowns kings—preserves and destroys—guards and kills—that + it is the duty of man to submit to the divine will, and that no matter how + much evil there may be—no matter how much suffering—how much + pain and death, man should pour out-his heart in thankfulness that it is + no worse. + </p> + <p> + Let me be understood. I do not say and I do not think that the church was + dishonest, that the clergy were insincere. I admit that all religions, all + creeds, all priests, have been naturally produced. I admit, and cheerfully + admit, that the believers in the supernatural have done some good—not + because they believed in gods and devils—but in spite of it. + </p> + <p> + I know that thousands and thousands of clergymen are honest, self-denying + and humane—that they are doing what they believe to be their duty—doing + what they can to induce men and women to live pure and noble lives. This + is not the result of their creeds—it is because they are human. + </p> + <p> + What I say is that every honest teacher of the supernatural has been and + is an unconscious enemy of the human race. + </p> + <p> + What is the philosophy of the church—of those who believe in the + supernatural? + </p> + <p> + Back of all that is—back of all events—Christians put an + infinite Juggler who with a wish creates, preserves, destroys. The world + is his stage and mankind his puppets. He fills them with wants and + desires, with appetites and ambitions—with hopes and fears—with + love and hate. He touches the springs. He pulls the strings—baits + the hooks, sets the traps and digs the pits. + </p> + <p> + The play is a continuous performance. + </p> + <p> + He watches these puppets as they struggle and fail. Sees them outwit each + other and themselves—leads them to every crime, watches the births + and deaths—hears lullabies at cradles and the fall of clods on + coffins. He has no pity. He enjoys the tragedies—the desperation—the + despair—the suicides. He smiles at the murders, the assassinations,—the + seductions, the desertions—the abandoned babes of shame. He sees the + weak enslaved—mothers robbed of babes—the innocent in dungeons—on + scaffolds. He sees crime crowned and hypocrisy robed. + </p> + <p> + He withholds the rain and his puppets starve. He opens the earth and they + are devoured. He sends the flood and they are drowned. He empties the + volcano and they perish in fire. He sends the cyclone and they are torn + and mangled. With quick lightnings they are dashed to death. He fills the + air and water with the invisible enemies of life—the messengers of + pain, and watches the puppets as they breathe and drink. He creates + cancers to feed upon their flesh—their quivering nerves—serpents, + to fill their veins with venom,—beasts to crunch their bones—to + lap their blood. + </p> + <p> + Some of the poor puppets he makes insane—makes them struggle in the + darkness with imagined monsters with glaring eyes and dripping jaws, and + some are made without the flame of thought, to drool and drivel through + the darkened days. He sees all the agony, the injustice, the rags of + poverty, the withered hands of want—the motherless babes—the + deformed—the maimed—the leprous, knows the tears that flow—hears + the sobs and moans—sees the gleam of swords, hears the roar of the + guns—sees the fields reddened with blood—the white faces of + the dead. But he mocks when their fear cometh, and at their calamity he + fills the heavens with laughter. And the poor puppets who are left alive, + fall on their knees and thank the Juggler with all their hearts. + </p> + <p> + But after all, the gods have not supported the children of men, men have + supported the gods. They have built the temples. They have sacrificed + their babes, their lambs, their cattle. They have drenched the altars with + blood. They have given their silver, their gold, their gems. They have fed + and clothed their priests—but the gods have given nothing in return. + Hidden in the shadows they have answered no prayer—heard no cry—given + no sign—extended no hand—uttered no word. Unseen and unheard + they have sat on their thrones, deaf and dumb—paralyzed and blind. + In vain the steeples rise—in vain the prayers ascend. + </p> + <p> + And think what man has done to please the gods. He has renounced his + reason—extinguished the torch of his brain, he has believed without + evidence and against evidence. He has slandered and maligned himself. He + has fasted and starved. He has mutilated his body—scarred his flesh—given + his blood to vermin. He has persecuted, imprisoned and destroyed his + fellows. He has deserted wife and child. He has lived alone in the desert. + He has swung-censers and burned incense, counted beads and sprinkled + himself with holy water—shut his eyes, clasped his hands—fallen + upon his knees and groveled in the dust—but the gods have been + silent—silent as stones. + </p> + <p> + Have these cringings and crawlings—these cruelties and absurdities—this + faith and foolishness pleased the gods? + </p> + <p> + We do not know. + </p> + <p> + Has any disaster been averted—any blessing obtained? We do not know. + </p> + <p> + Shall we thank these gods? + </p> + <p> + Shall we thank the church's God? + </p> + <p> + Who and what is he? + </p> + <p> + They say that he is the creator and preserver of all that has been—of + all that is—of all that will be—that he is the father of + angels and devils, the architect of heaven and hell—that he made the + earth—a man and woman—that he made the serpent who tempted + them, made his own rival—gave victory to his enemy—that he + repented of what he had done—that he sent a flood and destroyed all + of the children of men with the exception of eight persons—that he + tried to civilize the survivors and their children—tried to do this + with earthquakes and fiery serpents —with pestilence and famine. But + he failed. He intended to fail. Then he was born into the world, preached + for three years, and allowed some savages to kill him. Then he rose from + the dead and went back to heaven. + </p> + <p> + He knew that he would fail, knew that he would be killed. In fact he + arranged everything himself and brought everything to pass just as he had + predestined it an eternity before the world was. All who believe these + things will be saved and they who doubt or deny will be lost. + </p> + <p> + Has this God good sense? + </p> + <p> + Not always. He creates his own enemies and plots against himself. Nothing + lives, except in accordance with his will, and yet the devils do not die. + </p> + <p> + What is the matter with this God? Well, sometimes he is foolish—sometimes + he is cruel and sometimes he is insane. + </p> + <p> + Does this God exist? Is there any intelligence back of Nature? Is there + any being anywhere among the stars who pities the suffering children of + men? + </p> + <p> + We do not know. + </p> + <p> + Shall we thank Nature? + </p> + <p> + Does Nature care for us more than for leaves, or grass, or flies? + </p> + <p> + Does Nature know that we exist? We do not know. + </p> + <p> + But we do know that Nature is going to murder us all. + </p> + <p> + Why should we thank Nature? If we thank God or Nature for the sunshine and + rain, for health and happiness, whom shall we curse for famine and + pestilence, for earthquake and cyclone—for disease and death? + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + IF we cannot thank the orthodox churches—if we cannot thank the + unknown, the incomprehensible, the supernatural—if we cannot thank + Nature—if we can not kneel to a Guess, or prostrate ourselves before + a Perhaps—whom shall we thank? + </p> + <p> + Let us see what the worldly have done—what has been accomplished by + those not "called," not "set apart," not "inspired," not filled with the + Holy Ghost—by those who were neglected by all the Gods. + </p> + <p> + Passing over the Hindus, the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, their + poets, philosophers and metaphysicians—we will come to modern times. + </p> + <p> + In the 10th century after Christ the Saracens—governors of a vast + empire—"established colleges in Mongolia, Tartary, Persia, + Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, North Africa, Morocco, Fez and in Spain." The + region owned by the Saracens was greater than the Roman Empire. They had + not only colleges—but observatories. The sciences were taught. They + introduced the ten numerals—taught algebra and trigonometry—understood + cubic equations—knew the art of surveying—they made catalogues + and maps of the stars—gave the great stars the names they still bear—they + ascertained the size of the earth—determined the obliquity of the + ecliptic and fixed the length of the year. They calculated eclipses, + equinoxes, solstices, conjunctions of planets and occultations of stars. + They constructed astronomical instruments. They made clocks of various + kinds and were the inventors of the pendulum. They originated chemistry—discovered + sulphuric and nitric acid and alcohol. + </p> + <p> + "They were the first to publish pharmacopoeias and dispensatories. + </p> + <p> + "In mechanics they determined the laws of falling bodies. They understood + the mechanical powers, and the attraction of gravitation. + </p> + <p> + "They taught hydrostatics and determined the specific gravities of bodies. + </p> + <p> + "In optics they discovered that a ray of light did not proceed from the + eye to an object—but from the object to the eye." + </p> + <p> + "They were manufacturers of cotton, leather, paper and steel. + </p> + <p> + "They gave us the game of chess. + </p> + <p> + "They produced romances and novels and essays on many subjects. + </p> + <p> + "In their schools they taught the modern doctrines of evolution and + development." They anticipated Darwin and Spencer. + </p> + <p> + These people were not Christians. They were the followers, for the most + part, of an impostor—of a pretended prophet of a false God. And yet + while the true Christians, the men selected by the true God and filled + with the Holy Ghost were tearing out the tongues of heretics, these + wretches were irreverently tracing the orbits of the stars. While the true + believers were flaying philosophers and extinguishing the eyes of + thinkers, these godless followers of Mohammed were founding colleges, + collecting manuscripts, investigating the facts of nature and giving their + attention to science. Afterward the followers of Mohammed became the + enemies of science and hated facts as intensely and honestly as + Christians. Whoever has a revelation from God will defend it with all his + strength—will abhor reason and deny facts. + </p> + <p> + But it is well to know that we are indebted to the Moors—to the + followers of Mohammed—for having laid the foundations of modern + science. It is well to know that we are not indebted to the church, to + Christianity, for any useful fact. + </p> + <p> + It is well to know that the seeds of thought were sown in our minds by the + Greeks and Romans, and that our literature came from those seeds. The + great literature of our language is Pagan in its thought—Pagan in + its beauty—Pagan in its perfection. It is well to know that when + Mohammedans were the friends of science, Christians were its enemies. How + consoling it is to think that the friends of science—the men who + educated their fellows—are now in hell, and that the men who + persecuted and killed philosophers are now in heaven! Such is the justice + of God. + </p> + <p> + The Christians of the Middle Ages, the men who were filled with the Holy + Ghost, knew all about the worlds beyond the grave, but nothing about the + world in which they lived. They thought the earth was flat—a little + dishing if anything—that it was about five thousand years old, and + that the stars were little sparkles made to beautify the night. + </p> + <p> + The fact is that Christianity was in existence for fifteen hundred years + before there was an astronomer in Christendom. No follower of Christ knew + the shape of the earth. + </p> + <p> + The earth was demonstrated to be a globe, not by a pope or cardinal—not + by a collection of clergymen—not by the "called" or the "set apart," + but by a sailor. Magellan left Seville, Spain, August 10th, 1519, sailed + west and kept sailing west, and the ship reached Seville, the port it + left, on Sept. 7th, 1522. + </p> + <p> + The world had been circumnavigated. The earth was known to be round. There + had been a dispute between the Scriptures and a sailor. The fact took the + sailor's side. + </p> + <p> + In 1543 Copernicus published his book, "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly + Bodies." + </p> + <p> + He had some idea of the vastness of the stars—of the astronomical + spaces—of the insignificance of this world. + </p> + <p> + Toward the close of the sixteenth century, Bruno, one of the greatest men + this world has produced, gave his thoughts to his fellow-men. He taught + the plurality of worlds. He was a Pantheist, an Atheist, an honest man. He + called the Catholic Church the "Triumphant Beast." He was imprisoned for + many years, tried, convicted, and on the 16th day of February, 1600, + burned in Rome by men filled with the Holy Ghost, burned on the spot where + now his monument rises. Bruno, the noblest, the greatest of all the + martyrs. The only one who suffered death for what he believed to be the + truth. The only martyr who had no heaven to gain, no hell to shun, no God + to please. He was nobler than inspired men, grander than prophets, greater + and purer than apostles. Above all the theologians of the world, above the + makers of creeds, above the founders of religions rose this serene, + unselfish and intrepid man. + </p> + <p> + Yet Christians, followers of Christ, murdered this incomparable man. These + Christians were true to their creed. They believed that faith would be + rewarded with eternal joy, and doubt punished with eternal pain. They were + logical. They were pious and pitiless—devout and devilish—meek + and malicious—religious and revengeful—Christ-like and cruel—loving + with their mouths and hating with their hearts. And yet, honest victims of + ignorance and fear. + </p> + <p> + What have the wordly done? + </p> + <p> + In 1608, Lippersheim, a Hollander, so arranged lenses that objects were + exaggerated. + </p> + <p> + He invented the telescope. + </p> + <p> + He gave countless worlds to our eyes, and made us citizens of the + Universe. + </p> + <p> + In 1610, on the night of January 7th, Galileo demonstrated the truth of + the Copernican system, and in 1632, published his work on "The System of + the World." + </p> + <p> + What did the church do? + </p> + <p> + Galileo was arrested, imprisoned, forced to fall upon his knees, put his + hand on the Bible, and recant. For ten years he was kept in prison—for + ten years until released by the pity of death. Then the church—men + filled with the Holy Ghost—denied his body burial in consecrated + ground. It was feared that his dust might corrupt the bodies of those who + had persecuted him. + </p> + <p> + In 1609, Kepler published his book "Motions of the Planet Mars." He, too, + knew of the attraction of gravitation and that it acted in proportion to + mass and distance. Kepler announced his Three Laws. He found and + mathematically expressed the relation of distance, mass, and motion. + Nothing greater has been accomplished by the human mind. + </p> + <p> + Astronomy became a science and Christianity a superstition. + </p> + <p> + Then came Newton, Herscheland Laplace. The astronomy of Joshua and Elijah + faded from the minds of intelligent men, and Jehovah became an ignorant + tribal god. + </p> + <p> + Men began to see that the operations of Nature were not subject to + interference. That eclipses were not caused by the wrath of God—that + comets had nothing to do with the destruction of empires or the death of + kings, that the stars wheeled in their orbits without regard to the + actions of men. In the sacred East the dawn appeared. + </p> + <p> + What have the wordly done? + </p> + <p> + A few years ago a few men became wicked enough to use their senses. They + began to look and listen. They began to really see and then they began to + reason. They forgot heaven and hell long enough to take some interest in + this world. They began to examine soils and rocks. They noticed what had + been done by rivers and seas. They found out something about the crust of + the earth. They found that most of the rocks had been deposited and + stratified in the water—rocks 70,000 feet in thickness. They found + that the coal was once vegetable matter. They made the best calculations + they could of the time required to make the coal, and concluded that it + must have taken at least six or seven millions of years. They examined the + chalk cliffs, found that they were composed of the microscopic shells of + minute organisms, that is to say, the dust of these shells. This dust + settled over areas as large as Europe and in some places the chalk is a + mile in depth. This must have required many millions of years. + </p> + <p> + Lyell, the highest authority on the subject, says that it must have + required, to cause the changes that we know, at least two hundred million + years. Think of these vast deposits caused by the slow falling of + infinitesimal atoms of impalpable dust through the silent depths of + ancient seas! Think of the microscopical forms of life, constructing their + minute houses of lime, giving life to others, leaving their mansions + beneath the waves, and so through countless generations building the + foundations of continents and islands. + </p> + <p> + Go back of all life that we now know—back of all the flying lizards, + the armored monsters, the hissing serpents, the winged and fanged horrors—back + to the Laurentian rocks—to the eozoon, the first of living things + that we have found—back of all mountains, seas and rivers—back + to the first incrustation of the molten world—back of wave of fire + and robe of flame—back to the time when all the substance of the + earth blazed in the glowing sun with all the stars that wheel about the + central fire. + </p> + <p> + Think of the days and nights that lie between!—think of the + centuries, the withered leaves of time, that strew the desert of the past! + </p> + <p> + Nature does not hurry. Time cannot be wasted—cannot be lost. The + future remains eternal and all the past is as though it had not been—as + though it were to be. The infinite knows neither loss nor gain. + </p> + <p> + We know something of the history of the world—something of the human + race; and we know that man has lived and struggled through want and war, + through pestilence and famine, through ignorance and crime, through fear + and hope, on the old earth for millions and millions of years. + </p> + <p> + At last we know that infallible popes, and countless priests and + clergymen, who had been "called," filled with the Holy Ghost, and + presidents of colleges, kings, emperors and executives of nations had + mistaken the blundering guesses of ignorant savages for the wisdom of an + infinite God. + </p> + <p> + At last we know that the story of creation, of the beginning of things, as + told in the "sacred book," is not only untrue, but utterly absurd and + idiotic. Now we know that the inspired writers did not know and that the + God who inspired them did not know. + </p> + <p> + We are no longer misled by myths and legends. We rely upon facts. The + world is our witness and the stars testify for us. + </p> + <p> + What have the worldly done? + </p> + <p> + They have investigated the religions of the world—have read the + sacred books, the prophecies, the commandments, the rules of conduct. They + have studied the symbols, the ceremonies, the prayers and sacrifices. And + they have shown that all religions are substantially the same—produced + by the same causes—that all rest on a misconception of the facts in + nature—that all are founded on ignorance and fear, on mistake and + mystery. + </p> + <p> + They have found that Christianity is like the rest—that it was not a + revelation, but a natural growth—that its gods and devils, its + heavens and hells, were borrowed—that its ceremonies and sacraments + were souvenirs of other religions—that no part of it came from + heaven, but that it was all made by savage man. They found that Jehovah + was a tribal god and that his ancestors had lived on the banks of the + Euphrates, the Tigris, the Ganges and the Nile, and these ancestors were + traced back to still more savage forms. + </p> + <p> + They found that all the sacred books were filled with inspired mistake and + sacred absurdity. + </p> + <p> + But, say the Christians, we have the only inspired book. We have the Old + Testament and the New. Where did you get the Old Testament? From the Jews?—Yes. + </p> + <p> + Let me tell you about it. + </p> + <p> + After the Jews returned from Babylon, about 400 years before Christ, Ezra + commenced making the Bible. You will find an account of this in the Bible. + </p> + <p> + We know that Genesis was written after the Captivity—because it was + from the Babylonians that the Jews got the story of the creation—of + Adam and Eve, of the Garden—of the serpent, and the tree of life—of + the flood—and from them they learned about the Sabbath. + </p> + <p> + You find nothing about that holy day in Judges, Joshua, Samuel, Kings or + Chronicles—nothing in Job, the Psalms, in Esther, Solomon's Song or + Ecclesiastes. Only in books written by Ezra after the return from Babylon. + </p> + <p> + When Ezra finished the inspired book, he placed it in the temple. It was + written on the skins of beasts, and, so far as we know, there was but one. + </p> + <p> + What became of this Bible? + </p> + <p> + Jerusalem was taken by Titus about 70 years after Christ. The temple was + destroyed and, at the request of Josephus, the Holy Bible was sent to + Vespasian the Emperor, at Rome. + </p> + <p> + And this Holy Bible has never been seen or heard of since. So much for + that. + </p> + <p> + Then there was a copy, or rather a translation, called the Septuagint. + </p> + <p> + How was that made? + </p> + <p> + It is said that Ptolemy Soter and his son Ptolemy Philadelphus obtained a + translation of the Jewish Bible. This translation was made by seventy + persons. + </p> + <p> + At that time the Jewish Bible did not contain Daniel, Ecclesiastes, but + few of the Psalms and only a part of Isaiah. + </p> + <p> + What became of this translation known as the Septuagint? + </p> + <p> + It was burned in the Bruchium Library forty-seven years before Christ. + </p> + <p> + Then there was another so-called copy of part of the Bible, known as the + Samaritan Roll of the Pentateuch. + </p> + <p> + But this is not considered of any value. + </p> + <p> + Have we a true copy of the Bible that was in the temple at Jerusalem—the + one sent to Vespasian? + </p> + <p> + Nobody knows. + </p> + <p> + Have we a true copy of the Septuagint? + </p> + <p> + Nobody knows. + </p> + <p> + What is the oldest manuscript of the Bible we have in Hebrew? + </p> + <p> + The oldest manuscript we have in Hebrew was written in the 10th century + after Christ. The oldest pretended copy we have of the Septuagint written + in Greek was made in the 5th century after Christ. + </p> + <p> + If the Bible was divinely inspired, if it was the actual word of God, we + have no authenticated copy. The original has been lost and we are left in + the darkness of Nature. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible for us to show that our Bible is correct. We have no + standard. Many of the books in our Bible contradict each other. Many + chapters appear to be incomplete and parts of different books are written + in the same words, showing that both could not have been original. The + 19th and 20th chapters of 2nd Kings and the 37th and 38th chapters of + Isaiah are exactly the same. So is the 36th chapter of Isaiah from the 2nd + verse the same as the 18th chapter of 2nd Kings from the 2nd verse. + </p> + <p> + So, it is perfectly apparent that there could have been no possible + propriety in inspiring the writers of Kings and the writers of Chronicles. + The books are substantially the same, differing in a few mistakes—in + a few falsehoods. The same is true of Leviticus and Numbers. The books do + not agree either in facts or philosophy. They differ as the men differed + who wrote them. + </p> + <p> + What have the worldly done? + </p> + <p> + They have investigated the phenomena of nature. They have invented ways to + use the forces of the world, the weight of falling water—of moving + air. They have changed water to steam, invented engines—the tireless + giants that work for man. They have made lightning a messenger and slave. + They invented movable type, taught us the art of printing and made it + possible to save and transmit the intellectual wealth of the world. They + connected continents with cables, cities and towns with the telegraph—brought + the world into one family—made intelligence independent of distance. + They taught us how to build homes, to obtain food, to weave cloth. They + covered the seas with iron ships and the land with roads and steeds of + steel. They gave us the tools of all the trades—the implements of + labor. They chiseled statues, painted pictures and "witched the world" + with form and color. They have found the cause of and the cure for many + maladies that afflict the flesh and minds of men. They have given us the + instruments of music and the great composers and performers have changed + the common air to tones and harmonies that intoxicate, exalt and purify + the soul. + </p> + <p> + They have rescued us from the prisons of fear, and snatched our souls from + the fangs and claws of superstition's loathsome, crawling, flying beasts. + They have given us the liberty to think and the courage to express our + thoughts. They have changed the frightened, the enslaved, the kneeling, + the prostrate into men and women—clothed them in their right minds + and made them truly free. They have uncrowned the phantoms, wrested the + scepters from the ghosts and given this world to the children of men. They + have driven from the heart the fiends of fear and extinguished the flames + of hell. + </p> + <p> + They have read a few leaves of the great volume—deciphered some of + the records written on stone by the tireless hands of time in the dim + past. They have told us something of what has been done by wind and wave, + by fire and frost, by life and death, the ceaseless workers, the pauseless + forces of the world. + </p> + <p> + They have enlarged the horizon of the known, changed the glittering specks + that shine above us to wheeling worlds, and filled all space with + countless suns. + </p> + <p> + They have found the qualities of substances, the nature of things—how + to analyze, separate and combine, and have enabled us to use the good and + avoid the hurtful. + </p> + <p> + They have given us mathematics in the higher forms, by means of which we + measure the astronomical spaces, the distances to stars, the velocity at + which the heavenly bodies move, their density and weight, and by which the + mariner navigates the waste and trackless seas. They have given us all we + have of knowledge, of literature and art. They have made life worth + living. They have filled the world with conveniences, comforts and + luxuries. + </p> + <p> + All this has been done by the worldly—by those, who were not + "called" or "set apart" or filled with the Holy Ghost or had the slightest + claim to "apostolic succession." The men who accomplished these things + were not "inspired." They had no revelation—no supernatural aid. + They were not clad in sacred vestments, and tiaras were not upon their + brows. They were not even ordained. They used their senses, observed and + recorded facts. They had confidence in reason. They were patient searchers + for the truth. They turned their attention to the affairs of this world. + They were not saints. They were sensible men. They worked for themselves, + for wife and child and for the benefit of all. + </p> + <p> + To these men we are indebted for all we are, for all we know, for all we + have. They were the creators of civilization—the founders of free + states—the saviors of liberty—the destroyers of superstition + and the great captains in the army of progress. + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + WHOM shall we thank? Standing here at the close of the 19th century—amid + the trophies of thought—the triumphs of genius—here under the + flag of the Great Republic—knowing something of the history of man—here + on this day that has been set apart for thanksgiving, I most reverently + thank the good men, the good women of the past, I thank the kind fathers, + the loving mothers of the savage days. I thank the father who spoke the + first gentle word, the mother who first smiled upon her babe. I thank the + first true friend. I thank the savages who hunted and fished that they and + their babes might live. I thank those who cultivated the ground and + changed the forests into farms—those who built rude homes and + watched the faces of their happy children in the glow of fireside flames—those + who domesticated horses, cattle and sheep—those who invented wheels + and looms and taught us to spin and weave—those who by cultivation + changed wild grasses into wheat and corn, changed bitter things to fruit, + and worthless weeds to flowers, that sowed within our souls the seeds of + art. I thank the poets of the dawn—the tellers of legends—the + makers of myths—the singers of joy and grief, of hope and love. I + thank the artists who chiseled forms in stone and wrought with light and + shade the face of man. I thank the philosophers, the thinkers, who taught + us how to use our minds in the great search for truth. I thank the + astronomers who explored the heavens, told us the secrets of the stars, + the glories of the constellations—the geologists who found the story + of the world in fossil forms, in memoranda kept in ancient rocks, in lines + written by waves, by frost and fire—the anatomists who sought in + muscle, nerve and bone for all the mysteries of life—the chemists + who unraveled Nature's work that they might learn her art—the + physicians who have laid the hand of science on the brow of pain, the hand + whose magic touch restores—the surgeons who have defeated Nature's + self and forced her to preserve the lives of those she labored to destroy. + </p> + <p> + I thank the discoverers of chloroform and ether, the two angels who give + to their beloved sleep, and wrap the throbbing brain in the soft robes of + dreams. I thank the great inventors—those who gave us movable type + and the press, by means of which great thoughts and all discovered facts + are made immortal—the inventors of engines, of the great ships, of + the railways, the cables and telegraphs. I thank the great mechanics, the + workers in iron and steel, in wood and stone. I thank the inventors and + makers of the numberless things of use and luxury. + </p> + <p> + I thank the industrious men, the loving mothers, the useful women. They + are the benefactors of our race. + </p> + <p> + The inventor of pins did a thousand times more good than all the popes and + cardinals, the bishops and priests—than all the clergymen and + parsons, exhorters and theologians that ever lived. + </p> + <p> + The inventor of matches did more for the comfort and convenience of + mankind than all the founders of religions and the makers of all creeds—than + all malicious monks and selfish saints. + </p> + <p> + I thank the honest men and women who have expressed their sincere + thoughts, who have been true to themselves and have preserved the veracity + of their souls. + </p> + <p> + I thank the thinkers of Greece and Rome, Zeno and Epicurus, Cicero and + Lucretius. I thank Bruno, the bravest, and Spinoza, the subtlest of men. + </p> + <p> + I thank Voltaire, whose thought lighted a flame in the brain of man, + unlocked the doors of superstition's cells and gave liberty to many + millions of his fellow-men. Voltaire—a name that sheds light. + Voltaire—a star that superstition's darkness cannot quench. + </p> + <p> + I thank the great poets—the dramatists. I thank Homer and Aeschylus, + and I thank Shakespeare above them all. I thank Burns for the heart-throbs + he changed into songs, for his lyrics of flame. I thank Shelley for his + Skylark, Keats for his Grecian Urn and Byron for his Prisoner of Chillon. + I thank the great novelists. I thank the great sculptors. I thank the + unknown man who moulded and chiseled the Venus de Milo. I thank the great + painters. I thank Rembrandt and Corot. I thank all who have adorned, + enriched and ennobled life—all who have created the great, the + noble, the heroic and artistic ideals. + </p> + <p> + I thank the statesmen who have preserved the rights of man. I thank Paine + whose genius sowed the seeds of independence in the hearts of '76. I thank + Jefferson whose mighty words for liberty have made the circuit of the + globe. I thank the founders, the defenders, the saviors of the Republic. I + thank Ericsson, the greatest mechanic of his century, for the monitor. I + thank Lincoln for the Proclamation. I thank Grant for his victories and + the vast host that fought for the right,—for the freedom of man. I + thank them all—the living and the dead. + </p> + <p> + I thank the great scientists—those who have reached the foundation, + the bed-rock—who have built upon facts—the great scientists, + in whose presence theologians look silly and feel malicious. + </p> + <p> + The scientists never persecuted, never imprisoned their fellow-men. They + forged no chains, built no dungeons, erected no scaffolds—tore no + flesh with red hot pincers—dislocated no joints on racks—crushed + no bones in iron boots—extinguished no eyes—tore out no + tongues and lighted no fagots. They did not pretend to be inspired—did + not claim to be prophets or saints or to have been born again. They were + only intelligent and honest men. They did not appeal to force or fear. + They did not regard men as slaves to be ruled by torture, by lash and + chain, nor as children to be cheated with illusions, rocked in the cradle + of an idiot creed and soothed by a lullaby of lies. + </p> + <p> + They did not wound—they healed. They did not kill—they + lengthened life. They did not enslave—they broke the chains and made + men free. They sowed the seeds of knowledge, and many millions have + reaped, are reaping, and will reap the harvest of joy. + </p> + <p> + I thank Humboldt and Helmholtz and Haeckel and Büchner. I thank + Lamarck and Darwin—Darwin who revolutionized the thought of the + intellectual world. I thank Huxley and Spencer. I thank the scientists one + and all. + </p> + <p> + I thank the heroes, the destroyers of prejudice and fear—the + dethroners of savage gods—the extinguishers of hate's eternal fire—the + heroes, the breakers of chains—the founders of free states—the + makers of just laws—the heroes who fought and fell on countless + fields—the heroes whose dungeons became shrines—the heroes + whose blood made scaffolds sacred—the heroes, the apostles of + reason, the disciples of truth, the soldiers of freedom—the heroes + who held high the holy torch and filled the world with light. + </p> + <p> + With all my heart I thank them all. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0006" id="link0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + A LAY SERMON. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * Delivered before the Congress of the American Secular + Union, at Chickering Hall, New York, Nov. 14, 1885. +</pre> + <p> + LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: In the greatest tragedy that has ever been written + by man—in the fourth scene of the third act—is the best prayer + that I have ever read; and when I say "the greatest tragedy," everybody + familiar with Shakespeare will know that I refer to "King Lear." After he + has been on the heath, touched with insanity, coming suddenly to the place + of shelter, he says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I'll pray, and then I'll sleep." +</pre> + <p> + And this prayer is my text: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are, + That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, + How shall your unhoused heads, your unfed sides, + Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you + From seasons such as these? + + Oh, I have ta'en + Too little care of this. + Take physic, pomp; + Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, + That thou may'st shake the superflux to them, + And show the heavens more just." +</pre> + <p> + That is one of the noblest prayers that ever fell from human lips. If + nobody has too much, everybody will have enough! + </p> + <p> + I propose to say a few words upon subjects that are near to us all, and in + which every human being ought to be interested—and if he is not, it + may be that his wife will be, it may be that his orphans will be; and I + would like to see this world, at last, so that a man could die and not + feel that he left his wife and children a prey to the greed, the avarice, + or the cruelties of mankind. There is something wrong in a government + where they who do the most have the least. There is something wrong, when + honesty wears a rag, and rascality a robe; when the loving, the tender, + eat a crust, while the infamous sit at banquets. I cannot do much, but I + can at least sympathize with those who suffer. There is one thing that we + should remember at the start, and if I can only teach you that, to-night—unless + you know it already—I shall consider the few words I may have to say + a wonderful success. + </p> + <p> + I want you to remember that everybody is as he <i>must</i> be. I want you + to get out of your minds the old nonsense of "free moral agency;" and then + you will have charity for the whole human race. When you know that they + are not responsible for their dispositions, any more than for their + height; not responsible for their acts, any more than for their dreams; + when you finally understand the philosophy that everything exists as the + result of an efficient cause, and that the lightest fancy that ever + fluttered its painted wings in the horizon of hope was as necessarily + produced as the planet that in its orbit wheels about the sun—when + you understand this, I believe you will have charity for all mankind—including + even yourself. + </p> + <p> + Wealth is not a crime; poverty is not a virtue—although the virtuous + have generally been poor. There is only one good, and that is human + happiness; and he only is a wise man who makes himself and others happy. + </p> + <p> + I have heard all my life about self-denial. There never was anything more + idiotic than that. No man who does right practices self-denial. To do + right is the bud and blossom and fruit of wisdom. To do right should + always be dictated by the highest possible selfishness and the most + perfect generosity. No man practices self-denial unless he does wrong. To + inflict an injury upon yourself is an act of self-denial. He who denies + justice to another denies it to himself. To plant seeds that will forever + bear the fruit of joy, is not an act of self-denial. So this idea of doing + good to others only for their sake is absurd. You want to do it, not + simply for their sake, but for your own; because a perfectly civilized man + can never be perfectly happy while there is one unhappy being in this + universe. + </p> + <p> + Let us take another step. The barbaric world was to be rewarded in some + other world for acting sensibly in this. They were promised rewards in + another world, if they would only have self-denial enough to be virtuous + in this. If they would forego the pleasures of larceny and murder; if they + would forego the thrill and bliss of meanness here, they would be rewarded + hereafter for that self-denial. I have exactly the opposite idea. Do + right, not to deny yourself, but because you love yourself and because you + love others. Be generous, because it is better for you. Be just, because + any other course is the suicide of the soul. Whoever does wrong plagues + himself, and when he reaps that harvest, he will find that he was not + practicing self-denial when he did right. + </p> + <p> + If you want to be happy yourself, if you are truly civilized, you want + others to be happy. Every man ought, to the extent of his ability, to + increase the happiness of mankind, for the reason that that will increase + his own. No one can be really prosperous unless those with whom he lives + share the sunshine and the joy. + </p> + <p> + The first thing a man wants to know and be sure of is when he has got + enough. Most people imagine that the rich are in heaven, but, as a rule, + it is only a gilded hell. There is not a man in the city of New York with + genius enough, with brains enough, to own five millions of dollars. Why? + The money will own him. He becomes the key to a safe. That money will get + him up at daylight; that money will separate him from his friends; that + money will fill his heart with fear; that money will rob his days of + sunshine and his nights of pleasant dreams. He cannot own it. He becomes + the property of that money. And he goes right on making more. What for? He + does not know. It becomes a kind of insanity. No one is happier in a + palace than in a cabin. I love to see a log house. It is associated in my + mind always with pure, unalloyed happiness. It is the only house in the + world that looks as though it had no mortgage on it. It looks as if you + could spend there long, tranquil autumn days; the air filled with + serenity; no trouble, no thoughts about notes, about interest—nothing + of the kind; just breathing free air, watching the hollyhocks, listening + to the birds and to the music of the spring that comes like a poem from + the earth. + </p> + <p> + It is an insanity to get more than you want. Imagine a man in this city, + an intelligent man, say with two or three millions of coats, eight or ten + millions of hats, vast warehouses full of shoes, billions of neckties, and + imagine that man getting up at four o'clock in the morning, in the rain + and snow and sleet, working like a dog all day to get another necktie! Is + not that exactly what the man of twenty or thirty millions, or of five + millions, does to-day? Wearing his life out that somebody may say, "How + rich he is!" What can he do with the surplus? Nothing. Can he eat it? No. + Make friends? No. Purchase flattery and lies? Yes. Make all his poor + relations hate him? Yes. And then, what worry! Annoyed, nervous, + tormented, until his poor little brain becomes inflamed, and you see in + the morning paper, "Died of apoplexy." This man finally began to worry for + fear he would not have enough neckties to last him through. + </p> + <p> + So we ought to teach our children that great wealth is a curse. Great + wealth is the mother of crime. On the other hand are the abject poor. And + let me ask, to-night: Is the world forever to remain as it was when Lear + made his prayer? Is it ever to remain as it is now? I hope not. Are there + always to be millions whose lips are white with famine? Is the withered + palm to be always extended, imploring from the stony heart of respectable + charity, alms? Must every man who sits down to a decent dinner always + think of the starving? Must every one sitting by the fireside think of + some poor mother, with a child strained to her breast, shivering in the + storm? I hope not. Are the rich always to be divided from the poor,—not + only in fact, but in feeling? And that division is growing more and more + every day The gulf between Lazarus and Dives widens year by year, only + their positions are changed—Lazarus is in hell, and he thinks Dives + is in the bosom of Abraham. + </p> + <p> + And there is one thing that helps to widen this gulf. In nearly every city + of the United States you will find the fashionable part, and the poor + part. The poor know nothing of the fashionable part, except the outside + splendor; and as they go by the palaces, that poison plant called envy, + springs and grows in their poor hearts. The rich know nothing of the poor, + except the squalor and rags and wretchedness, and what they read in the + police records, and they say, "Thank God, we are not like those people!" + Their hearts are filled with scorn and contempt, and the hearts of the + others with envy and hatred. There must be some way devised for the rich + and poor to get acquainted. The poor do not know how many well-dressed + people sympathize with them, and the rich do not know how many noble + hearts beat beneath the rags. If we can ever get the loving poor + acquainted with the sympathizing rich, this question will be nearly + solved. + </p> + <p> + In a hundred other ways they are divided. If anything should bring mankind + together it ought to be a common belief. In Catholic countries, that does + have a softening influence upon the rich and upon the poor. They believe + the same. So in Mohammedan countries they can kneel in the same mosque, + and pray to the same God. But how is it with us? The church is not free. + There is no welcome in the velvet for the velveteen. Poverty does not feel + at home there, and the consequence is, the rich and poor are kept apart, + even by their religion. I am not saying anything against religion. I am + not on that question; but I would think more of any religion, provided + that even for one day in the week, or for one hour in the year, it allowed + wealth to clasp the hand of poverty and to have, for one moment even, the + thrill of genuine friendship. + </p> + <p> + In the olden times, in barbaric life, it was a simple' thing to get a + living. A little hunting, a little fishing, pulling a little fruit, and + digging for roots—all simple; and they were nearly all on an + equality, and comparatively there were fewer failures. Living has at last + become complex. All the avenues are filled with men struggling for the + accomplishment of the same thing: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "For emulation hath a thousand sons + That one by one pursue: if you give way, + Or hedge aside from the direct forthright, + Like to an entered tide, they all rush by, + And leave you hindmost;— + Or, like a gallant horse, fallen in first rank, + Lie there for pavement to the abject rear." +</pre> + <p> + The struggle is so hard. And just exactly as we have risen in the scale of + being, the per cent, of failures has increased. It is so that all men are + not capable of getting a living. They have not cunning enough, intellect + enough, muscle enough—they are not strong enough. They are too + generous, or they are too negligent; and then some people seem to have + what is called "bad luck"—that is to say, when anything falls, they + are under it; when anything bad happens, it happens to them. + </p> + <p> + And now there is another trouble. Just as life becomes complex and as + everyone is trying to accomplish certain objects, all the ingenuity of the + brain is at work to get there by a shorter way, and, in consequence, this + has become an age of invention. Myriads of machines have been invented—every + one of them to save labor. If these machines helped the laborer, what a + blessing they would be! + </p> + <p> + But the laborer does not own the machine; the machine owns him. That is + the trouble. In the olden time, when I was a boy, even, you know how it + was in the little towns. There was a shoemaker—two of them—a + tailor or two, a blacksmith, a wheelwright. I remember just how the shops + used to look. I used to go to the blacksmith shop at night, get up on the + forge, and hear them talk about turning horse-shoes. Many a night have I + seen the sparks fly and heard the stories that were told. There was a + great deal of human nature in those days! Everybody was known. If times + got hard, the poor little shoemakers made a living mending, half-soling, + straightening up the heels. The same with the blacksmith; the same with + the tailor. They could get credit—they did not have to pay till the + next January, and if they could not pay then, they took another year, and + they were happy enough. Now one man is not a shoemaker. There is a great + building—several hundred thousand dollars' worth of machinery, three + or four thousand people—not a single mechanic in the whole building. + One sews on straps, another greases the machines, cuts out soles, waxes + threads. And what is the result? When the machines stop, three thousand + men are out of employment. Credit goes. Then come want and famine, and if + they happen to have a little child die, it would take them years to save + enough of their earnings to pay the expense of putting away that little + sacred piece of flesh. And yet, by this machinery we can produce enough to + flood the world. By the inventions in agricultural machinery the United + States can feed all the mouths upon the earth. There is not a thing that + man uses that can not instantly be over-produced to such an extent as to + become almost worthless; and yet, with all this production, with all this + power to create, there are millions and millions in abject want. Granaries + bursting, and famine looking into the doors of the poor! Millions of + everything, and yet millions wanting everything and having substantially + nothing! + </p> + <p> + Now, there is something wrong there. We have got into that contest between + machines-and men, and if extravagance does not keep pace with ingenuity, + it is going to be the most terrible question that man has ever settled. I + tell you, to-night, that these things are worth thinking about. Nothing + that touches the future of our race, nothing that touches the happiness of + ourselves or our children, should be beneath our notice. We should think + of these things—must think of them—and we should endeavor to + see that justice is finally done between man and man. + </p> + <p> + My sympathies are with the poor. My sympathies are with the workingmen of + the United States. Understand me distinctly. I am not an Anarchist. + Anarchy is the reaction from tyranny. I am not a Socialist. I am not a + Communist. I am an Individualist. I do not believe in tyranny of + government, but I do believe in justice as between man and man. + </p> + <p> + What is the remedy? Or, what can we think of—for do not imagine that + I think I know. It is an immense, an almost infinite, question, and all we + can do is to guess. You have heard a great deal lately upon the land + subject. Let me say a word or two upon that. In the first place I do not + want to take, and I would not take, an inch of land from any human being + that belonged to him. If we ever take it, we must pay for it—condemn + it and take it—do not rob anybody. Whenever any man advocates + justice, and robbery as the means, I suspect him. + </p> + <p> + No man should be allowed to own any land that he does not use. Everybody + knows that—I do not care whether he has thousands or millions. I + have owned a great deal of land, but I know just as well as I know I am + living that I should not be allowed to have it unless I use it. And why? + Don't you know that if people could bottle the air, they would? Don't you + know that there would be an American Air-bottling Association? And don't + you know that they would allow thousands and millions to die for want of + breath, if they could not pay for air? I am not blaming anybody. I am just + telling how it is. Now, the land belongs to the children of Nature. Nature + invites into this world every babe that is born. And what would you think + of me, for instance, to-night, if I had invited you here—nobody had + charged you anything, but you had been invited—and when you got here + you had found one man pretending to occupy a hundred seats, another fifty, + and another seventy-five, and thereupon you were compelled to stand up—what + would you think of the invitation? It seems to me that every child of + Nature is entitled to his share of the land, and that he should not be + compelled to beg the privilege to work the soil, of a babe that happened + to be born before him. And why do I say this? Because it is not to our + interest to have a few landlords and millions of tenants. + </p> + <p> + The tenement house is the enemy of modesty, the enemy of virtue, the enemy + of patriotism. + </p> + <p> + Home is where the virtues grow. I would like to see the law so that every + home, to a small amount, should be free not only from sale for debts, but + should be absolutely free from taxation, so that every man could have a + home. Then we will have a nation of patriots. + </p> + <p> + Now, suppose that every man were to have all the land he is able to buy. + The Vanderbilts could buy to-day all the land that is in farms in the + State of Ohio—every foot of it. Would it be for the best interest of + that State to have a few landlords and four or five millions of serfs? So, + I am in favor of a law finally to be carried out—not by robbery, but + by compensation, under the right, as the lawyers call it, of eminent + domain—so that no person would be allowed to own more land than he + uses. I am not blaming these rich men for being rich. I pity the most of + them. I had rather be poor, with a little sympathy in my heart, than to be + rich as all the mines of earth and not have that little flower of pity in + my breast. I do not see how a man can have hundreds of millions and pass + every day people that have not enough to eat. I do not understand it. I + might be just the same way myself. There is something in money that dries + up the sources of affection, and the probability is, it is this: the + moment a man gets money, so many men are trying to get it away from him + that in a little while he regards the whole human race as his enemy, and + he generally thinks that they could be rich, too, if they would only + attend to business as he has. Understand, I am not blaming these people. + There is a good deal of human nature in us all. You remember the story of + the man who made a speech at a Socialist meeting, and closed it by saying, + "Thank God, I am no monopolist," but as he sank to his seat said, "But I + wish to the Lord I was!" We must remember that these rich men are + naturally produced. Do not blame them. Blame the system! + </p> + <p> + Certain privileges have been granted to the few by the Government, + ostensibly for the benefit of the many; and whenever that grant is not for + the good of the many, it should be taken from the few—not by force, + not by robbery, but by estimating fairly the value of that property, and + paying to them its value; because everything should be done according to + law and order. + </p> + <p> + What remedy, then, is there? First, the great weapon in this country is + the ballot. Each voter is a sovereign. There the poorest is the equal of + the richest. His vote will count just as many as though the hand that cast + it controlled millions. The poor are in the majority in this country. If + there is any law that oppresses them, it is their fault. They have + followed the fife and drum of some party. They have been misled by others. + No man should go an inch with a party—no matter if that party is + half the world and has in it the greatest intellects of the earth—unless + that party is going his way. No honest man should ever turn round to join + anything. If it overtakes him, good. If he has to hurry up a little to get + to it, good. But do not go with anything that is not going your way; no + matter whether they call it Republican, or Democrat, or Progressive + Democracy—do not go with it unless it goes your way. + </p> + <p> + The ballot is the power. The law should settle many of these questions + between capital and labor. But I expect the greatest good to come from + civilization, from the growth of a sense of justice; for I tell you + to-night, a civilized man will never want anything for less than it is + worth—a civilized man, when he sells a thing, will never want more + than it is worth—a really and truly civilized man, would rather be + cheated than to cheat. And yet, in the United States, good as we are, + nearly everybody wants to get everything for a little less than it is + worth, and the man that sells it to him wants to get a little more than it + is worth? and this breeds rascality on both sides. That ought to be done + away with. There is one step toward it that we will take: we will finally + say that human flesh, human labor, shall not depend entirely on "supply + and demand." That is infinitely cruel. Every man should give to another + according to his ability to give—and enough that he may make his + living and lay something by for the winter of old age. + </p> + <p> + Go to England. Civilized country they call it. It is not. It never was. I + am afraid it never will be. Go to London, the greatest city of this world, + where there is the most wealth—the greatest glittering piles of + gold. And yet, one out of every six in that city dies in a hospital, a + workhouse or a prison. Is that the best that we are ever to know? Is that + the last word that civilization has to say? Look at the women in this town + sewing for a living, making cloaks for less than forty-five cents, that + sell for $45! Right here—here, amid all the palaces, amid the + thousands of millions of property—here! Is that all that + civilization can do? Must a poor woman support herself, or her child, or + her children, by that kind of labor, and with such pay—and do we + call ourselves civilized? + </p> + <p> + Did you ever read that wonderful poem about the sewing woman? Let me tell + you the last verse: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Winds that have sainted her, tell ye the story + Of the young life by the needle that bled, + Making a bridge over death's soundless waters + Out of a swaying, and soul-cutting thread— + Over it going, all the world knowing + That thousands have trod it, foot-bleeding, before: + God protect all of us! God pity all of us, + Should she look back from the opposite shore!" +</pre> + <p> + I cannot call this civilization. There must be something nearer a fairer + division in this world. + </p> + <p> + You can never get it by strikes. Never. The first strike that is a great + success will be the last, because the people who believe in law and order + will put the strikers down. The strike is no remedy. Boycotting is no + remedy. Brute force is no remedy. These questions have to be settled by + reason, by candor, by intelligence, by kindness; and nothing is + permanently settled in this world that has not for its corner-stone + justice, and is not protected by the profound conviction of the human + mind. + </p> + <p> + This is no country for Anarchy, no country for Communism, no country for + the Socialist. Why? Because the political power is equally divided. What + other reason? Speech is free. What other? The press is untrammeled. And + that is all that the right should ever ask—a free press, free + speech, and the protection of person. That is enough. That is all I ask. + In a country like Russia, where every mouth is a bastile and every tongue + a convict, there may be some excuse. Where the noblest and the best are + driven to Siberia, there may be a reason for the Nihilist. In a country + where no man is allowed to petition for redress, there is a reason, but + not here. This—say what you will against it—this is the best + Government ever founded by the human race! Say what you will of parties, + say what you will of dishonesty, the holiest flag that ever kissed the air + is ours! + </p> + <p> + Only a few years ago morally we were a low people—before we + abolished slavery—but now, when there is no chain except that of + custom, when every man has an opportunity, this is the grandest Government + of the earth. There is hardly a man in the United States to-day, of any + importance, whose voice anybody cares to hear, who was not nursed at the + loving breast of poverty. Look at the children of the rich. My God, what a + punishment for being rich! So, whatever happens, let every man say that + this Government, and this form of government, shall stand. + </p> + <p> + "But," say some, "these workingmen are dangerous." I deny it. We are all + in their power. They run all the cars. Our lives are in their hands almost + every day. They are working in all our homes. They do the labor of this + world. We are all at their mercy, and yet they do not commit more crimes, + according to number, than the rich. Remember that. I am not afraid of + them. Neither am I afraid of the monopolists, because, under our + institutions, when they become hurtful to the general good, the people + will stand it just to a certain point, and then comes the end—not in + anger, not in hate, but from a love of liberty and justice. + </p> + <p> + Now, we have in this country another class. We call them "criminals." Let + me take another step: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, + But to support him after." +</pre> + <p> + Recollect what I said in the first place—that every man is as he + must be. Every crime is a necessary product. The seeds were all sown, the + land thoroughly plowed, the crop well attended to, and carefully + harvested. Every crime is born of necessity. If you want less crime, you + must change the conditions. Poverty makes crime. Want, rags, crusts, + failure, misfortune—all these awake the wild beast in man, and + finally he takes, and takes contrary to law, and becomes a criminal. And + what do you do with him? You punish him. Why not punish a man for having + the consumption? The time will come when you will see that that is just as + logical. What do you do with the criminal? You send him to the + penitentiary. Is he made better? Worse. The first thing you do is to try + to trample out his manhood, by putting an indignity upon him. You mark + him. You put him in stripes. At night you put him in darkness. His feeling + for revenge grows. You make a wild beast of him, and he comes out of that + place branded in body and soul, and then you won't let him reform if he + wants to. You put on airs above him, because he has been in the + penitentiary. The next time you look with scorn upon a convict, let me beg + of you to do one thing. Maybe you are not as bad as I am, but do one + thing: think of all the crimes you have wanted to commit; think of all the + crimes you would have committed if you had had the opportunity; think of + all the temptations to which you would have yielded had nobody been + looking; and then put your hand on your heart and say whether you can + justly look with contempt even upon a convict. + </p> + <p> + None but the noblest should inflict punishment, even on the basest. + </p> + <p> + Society has no right to punish any man in revenge—no right to punish + any man except for two objects—one, the prevention of crime; the + other, the reformation of the criminal. How can you reform him? Kindness + is the sunshine in which virtue grows. Let it be understood by these men + that there is no revenge; let it be understood, too, that they can reform. + Only a little while ago I read of a case of a young man who had been in a + penitentiary and came out. He kept it a secret, and went to work for a + farmer. He got in love with the daughter, and wanted to marry her. He had + nobility enough to tell the truth—he told the father that he had + been in the penitentiary. The father said, "You cannot have my daughter, + because it would stain her life." The young man said, "Yes, it would stain + her life, therefore I will not marry her." He went out. In a few moments + afterward they heard the report of a pistol, and he was dead. He left just + a little note saying: "I am through. There is no need of my living longer, + when I stain with my life the one I love." And yet we call our society + civilized. There is a mistake. + </p> + <p> + I want that question thought of. I want all my fellow-citizens to think of + it. I want you to do what you can to do away with all cruelty. There are, + of course, some cases that have to be treated with what might be called + almost cruelty; but if there is the smallest seed of good in any human + heart, let kindness fall upon it until it grows, and in that way I know, + and so do you, that the world will get better and better day by day. + </p> + <p> + Let us, above all things, get acquainted with each other. Let every man + teach his son, teach his daughter, that labor is honorable. Let us say to + our children: It is your business to see that you never become a burden on + others. Your first duty is to take care of yourselves, and if there is a + surplus, with that surplus help your fellow-man. You owe it to yourself + above all things not to be a burden upon others. Teach your son that it is + his duty not only, but his highest joy, to become a home-builder, a + home-owner. Teach your children that the fireside is the happiest place in + this world. Teach them that whoever is an idler, whoever lives upon the + labor of others, whether he is a pirate or a king, is a dishonorable + person. Teach them that no civilized man wants anything for nothing, or + for less than it is worth; that he wants to go through this world paying + his way as he goes, and if he gets a little ahead, an extra joy, it should + be divided with another, if that other is doing something for himself. + Help others help themselves. + </p> + <p> + And let us teach that great wealth is not great happiness; that money will + not purchase love; it never did and never can purchase respect; it never + did and never can purchase the highest happiness. I believe with Robert + Burns: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "If happiness have not her seat + And center in the breast, + We may be wise, or rich, or great, + But never can be blest." +</pre> + <p> + We must teach this, and let our fellow-citizens know that we give them + every right that we claim for ourselves. We must discuss these questions + and have charity—and we will have it whenever we have the philosophy + that all men are as they must be, and that intelligence and kindness are + the only levers capable of raising mankind. + </p> + <p> + Then there is another thing. Let each one be true to himself. No matter + what his class, no matter what his circumstances, let him tell his + thought. Don't let his class bribe him. Don't let him talk like a banker + because he is a banker. Don't let him talk like the rest of the merchants + because he is a merchant. Let him be true to the human race instead of to + his little business—be true to the ideal in his heart and brain, + instead of to his little present and apparent selfishness—let him + have a larger and more intelligent selfishness—a generous + philosophy, that includes not only others but himself. + </p> + <p> + So far as I am concerned, I have made up my mind that no organization, + secular or religious, shall be my master. I have made up my mind that no + necessity of bread, or roof, or raiment shall ever put a padlock on my + lips. I have made up my mind that no hope of preferment, no honor, no + wealth, shall ever make me for one moment swerve from what I really + believe, no matter whether it is to my immediate interest, as one would + think, or not. And while I live, I am going to do what little I can to + help my fellow-men who have not been as fortunate as I have been. I shall + talk on their side, I shall vote on their side, and do what little I can + to convince men that happiness does not lie in the direction of great + wealth, but in the direction of achievement for the good of themselves and + for the good of their fellow-men. I shall do what little I can to hasten + the day when this earth shall be covered with homes, and when by countless + firesides shall sit the happy and the loving families of the world. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0007" id="link0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH. + </h2> + <p> + I. THE OLD TESTAMENT. + </p> + <p> + ONE of the foundation stones of our faith is the Old Testament. If that + book is not true, if its authors were unaided men, if it contains blunders + and falsehoods, then that stone crumbles to dust. + </p> + <p> + The geologists demonstrated that the author of Genesis was mistaken as to + the age of the world, and that the story of the universe having been + created in six days, about six thousand years ago could not be true. + </p> + <p> + The theologians then took the ground that the "days" spoken of in Genesis + were periods of time, epochs, six "long whiles," and that the work of + creation might have been commenced millions of years ago. + </p> + <p> + The change of days into epochs was considered by the believers of the + Bible as a great triumph over the hosts of infidelity. The fact that + Jehovah had ordered the Jews to keep the Sabbath, giving as a reason that + he had made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, did not + interfere with the acceptance of the "epoch" theory. + </p> + <p> + But there is still another question. How long has man been upon the earth? + </p> + <p> + According to the Bible, Adam was certainly the first man, and in his case + the epoch theory cannot change the account. The Bible gives the age at + which Adam died, and gives the generations to the flood—then to + Abraham and so on, and shows that from the creation of Adam to the birth + of Christ it was about four thousand and four years. + </p> + <p> + According to the sacred Scriptures man has been on this earth five + thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine years and no more. + </p> + <p> + Is this true? + </p> + <p> + Geologists have divided a few years of the worlds history into periods, + reaching from the azoic rocks to the soil of our time. With most of these + periods they associate certain forms of life, so that it is known that the + lowest forms of life belonged with the earliest periods, and the higher + with the more recent. It is also known that certain forms of life existed + in Europe many ages ago, and that many thousands of years ago these forms + disappeared. + </p> + <p> + For instance, it is well established that at one time there lived in + Europe, and in the British Islands some of the most gigantic mammals, the + mammoth, the woolly-haired rhinoceros, the Irish elk, elephants and other + forms that have in those countries become extinct. Geologists say that + many thousands of years have passed since these animals ceased to inhabit + those countries. + </p> + <p> + It was during the Drift Period that these forms of life existed in Europe + and England, and that must have been hundreds of thousands of years ago. + </p> + <p> + In caves, once inhabited by men, have been found implements of flint and + the bones of these extinct animals. With the flint tools man had split the + bones of these beasts that he might secure the marrow for food. + </p> + <p> + Many such caves and hundreds of such tools, and of such bones have been + found. And we now know that in the Drift Period man was the companion of + these extinct monsters. + </p> + <p> + It is therefore certain that many, many thousands of years before Adam + lived, men, women and children inhabited the earth. + </p> + <p> + It is certain that the account in the Bible of the creation of the first + man is a mistake. It is certain that the inspired writers knew nothing + about the origin of man. + </p> + <p> + Let me give you another fact: + </p> + <p> + The Egyptians were astronomers. A few years ago representations of the + stars were found on the walls of an old temple, and it was discovered by + calculating backward that the stars did occupy the exact positions as + represented about seven hundred and fifty years before Christ. Afterward + another representation of the stars was found, and by calculating in the + same way, it was found that the stars did occupy the exact positions + represented about three thousand eight hundred years before Christ. + </p> + <p> + According to the Bible the first man was created four thousand and four + years before Christ If this is true then Egypt was founded, its language + formed, its arts cultivated, its astronomical discoveries made and + recorded about two hundred years after the creation of the first man. + </p> + <p> + In other words, Adam was two or three hundred years old when the Egyptian + astronomers made these representations. + </p> + <p> + Nothing can be more absurd. + </p> + <p> + Again I say that the writers of the Bible were mistaken. + </p> + <p> + How do I know? + </p> + <p> + According to that same Bible there was a flood some fifteen or sixteen + hundred years after Adam was created that destroyed the entire human race + with the exception of eight persons, and according to the Bible the + Egyptians descended from one of the sons of Noah. How then did the + Egyptians represent the stars in the position they occupied twelve hundred + years before the flood? + </p> + <p> + No one pretends that Egypt existed as a nation before the flood. Yet the + astronomical representations found, must have been made more than a + thousand years before the world was drowned. + </p> + <p> + There is another mistake in the Bible. + </p> + <p> + According to that book the sun was made after the earth was created. + </p> + <p> + Is this true? + </p> + <p> + Did the earth exist before the sun? + </p> + <p> + The men of science are believers in the exact opposite. They believe that + the earth is a child of the sun—that the earth, as well as the other + planets belonging to our constellation, came from the sun. + </p> + <p> + The writers of the Bible were mistaken. + </p> + <p> + There is another point: + </p> + <p> + According to the Bible, Jehovah made the world in six days, and the work + done each day is described. What did Jehovah do on the second day? + </p> + <p> + This is the record: + </p> + <p> + "And God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and + let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament and + divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which + were above the firmament. And it was so, and God called the firmament + heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." + </p> + <p> + The writer of this believed in a solid firmament—the floor of + Jehovah's house. He believed that the waters had been divided, and that + the rain came from above the firmament. He did not understand the fact of + evaporation—did not know that the rain came from the water on the + earth. + </p> + <p> + Now we know that there is no firmament, and we know that the waters are + not divided by a firmament. Consequently we know that, according to the + Bible, Jehovah did nothing on the second day. He must have rested on + Tuesday. This being so, we ought to have two Sundays a week. + </p> + <p> + Can we rely on the historical parts of the Bible? + </p> + <p> + Seventy souls went down into Egypt, and in two hundred and fifteen years + increased to three millions. They could not have doubled more than four + times a century. Say nine times in two hundred and fifteen years. + </p> + <p> + This makes thirty-five thousand eight hundred and forty, (35,840.) instead + of three millions. + </p> + <p> + Can we believe the accounts of the battles? + </p> + <p> + Take one instance: + </p> + <p> + Jereboam had an army of eight hundred thousand men, Abijah of four hundred + thousand. They fought. The Lord was on Abijah's side, and he killed five + hundred thousand of Jereboam's men. + </p> + <p> + All these soldiers were Jews—all lived in Palestine, a poor + miserable little country about one-quarter as large as the State of New + York. Yet one million two hundred thousand soldiers were put in the field. + This required a population in the country of ten or twelve millions. Of + course this is absurd. Palestine in its palmiest days could not have + supported two millions of people. + </p> + <p> + The soil is poor. + </p> + <p> + If the Bible is inspired, is it true? + </p> + <p> + We are told by this inspired book of the gold and silver collected by King + David for the temple—the temple afterward completed by the virtuous + Solomon. + </p> + <p> + According to the blessed Bible, David collected about two thousand million + dollars in silver, and five thousand million dollars in gold, making a + total of seven thousand million dollars. + </p> + <p> + Is this true? + </p> + <p> + There is in the bank of France at the present time (1895) nearly six + hundred million dollars, and so far as we know, it is the greatest amount + that was ever gathered together. All the gold now known, coined and in + bullion, does not amount to much more than the sum collected by David. + </p> + <p> + Seven thousand millions. Where did David get this gold? The Jews had no + commerce. They owned no ships. They had no great factories, they produced + nothing for other countries. There were no gold or silver mines in + Palestine. Where then was this gold, this silver found? I will tell you: + In the imagination of a writer who had more patriotism than intelligence, + and who wrote, not for the sake of truth, but for the glory of the Jews. + </p> + <p> + Is it possible that David collected nearly eight thousand tons of gold—that + he by economy got together about sixty thousand tons of silver, making a + total of gold and silver of sixty-eight thousand tons? + </p> + <p> + The average freight car carries about fifteen tons—David's gold and + silver would load about four thousand five hundred and thirty-three cars, + making a train about thirty-two miles in length. And all this for the + temple at Jerusalem, a building ninety feet long and forty-five feet high + and thirty wide, to which was attached a porch thirty feet wide, ninety + feet long and one hundred and eighty feet high. + </p> + <p> + Probably the architect was inspired. + </p> + <p> + Is there a sensible man in the world who believes that David collected + seven thousand million dollars worth of gold or silver? + </p> + <p> + There is hardly five thousand million dollars of gold now used as money in + the whole world. Think of the millions taken from the mines of California, + Australia and Africa during the present century and yet the total scarcely + exceeds the amount collected by King David more than a thousand years + before the birth of Christ. Evidently the inspired historian made a + mistake. + </p> + <p> + It required a little imagination and a few ciphers to change seven million + dollars or seven hundred thousand dollars into seven thousand million + dollars. Drop four ciphers and the story becomes fairly reasonable. + </p> + <p> + The Old Testament must be thrown aside. It is no longer a foundation. It + has crumbled. + </p> + <p> + II. THE NEW TESTAMENT + </p> + <p> + BUT we have the New Testament, the sequel of the Old, in which Christians + find the fulfillment of prophecies made by inspired Jews. + </p> + <p> + The New Testament vouches for the truth, the inspiration, of the Old, and + if the old is false, the New cannot be true. + </p> + <p> + In the New Testament we find all that we know about the life and teachings + of Jesus Christ. + </p> + <p> + It is claimed that the writers were divinely inspired, and that all they + wrote is true. + </p> + <p> + Let us see if these writers agree. + </p> + <p> + Certainly there should be no difference about the birth of Christ. From + the Christian's point of view, nothing could have been of greater + importance than that event. + </p> + <p> + Matthew says: "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days + of Herod the King, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. + </p> + <p> + "Saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his + star in the east and are come to worship him." + </p> + <p> + Matthew does not tell us who these wise men were, from what country they + came, to what race they belonged. He did not even know their names. + </p> + <p> + We are also informed that when Herod heard these things he was troubled + and all Jerusalem with him; that he gathered the chief priests and asked + of them where Christ should be born and they told him that he was to be + born in Bethlehem. + </p> + <p> + Then Herod called the wise men and asked them when the star appeared, and + told them to go to Bethlehem and report to him. + </p> + <p> + When they left Herod, the star again appeared and went before them until + it stood over the place where the child was. + </p> + <p> + When they came to the child they worshiped him,—gave him gifts, and + being warned by God in a dream, they went back to their own country + without calling on Herod. + </p> + <p> + Then the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to + take Mary and the child into Egypt for fear of Herod. + </p> + <p> + So Joseph took Mary and the child to Egypt and remained there until the + death of Herod. + </p> + <p> + Then Herod, finding that he was mocked by the wise men, "sent forth and + slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof + from two years old and under." + </p> + <p> + After the death of Herod an angel again appeared in a dream to Joseph and + told him to take mother and child and go back to Palestine. + </p> + <p> + So he went back and dwelt in Nazareth. + </p> + <p> + Is this story true? Must we believe in the star and the wise men? Who were + these wise men? From what country did they come? What interest had they in + the birth of the King of the Jews? What became of them and their star? + </p> + <p> + Of course I know that the Holy Catholic Church has in her keeping the + three skulls that belonged to these wise men, but I do not know where the + church obtained these relics, nor exactly how their genuineness has been + established. + </p> + <p> + Must we believe that Herod murdered the babes of Bethlehem? + </p> + <p> + Is it not wonderful that the enemies of Herod did not charge him with this + horror? Is it not marvelous that Mark and Luke and John forgot to mention + this most heartless of massacres? + </p> + <p> + Luke also gives an account of the birth of Christ. He says that there went + out a decree from Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed; + that this was when Cyrenius was governor of Syria; that in accordance with + this decree, Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be taxed; that at that + place Christ was born and laid in a manger. He also says that shepherds, + in the neighborhood, were told of the birth by an angel, with whom was a + multitude of the heavenly host; that these shepherds visited Mary and the + child, and told others what they had seen and heard. + </p> + <p> + He tells us that after eight days the child was named, Jesus; that forty + days after his birth he was taken by Joseph and Mary to Jerusalem, and + that after they had performed all things according to the law they + returned to Nazareth. Luke also says that the child grew and waxed strong + in spirit, and that his parents went every year to Jerusalem. + </p> + <p> + Do the accounts in Matthew and Luke agree? Can both accounts be true? + </p> + <p> + Luke never heard of the star, and Matthew knew nothing of the heavenly + host. Luke never heard of the wise men, nor Matthew of the shepherds. Luke + knew nothing of the hatred of Herod, the murder of the babes or the flight + into Egypt. According to Matthew, Joseph, warned by an angel, took Mary + and the child and fled into Egypt. According to Luke they all went to + Jerusalem, and from there back to Nazareth. + </p> + <p> + Both of these accounts cannot be true. Will some Christian scholar tell us + which to believe? + </p> + <p> + When was Christ born? + </p> + <p> + Luke says that it took place when Cyrenius was governor. Here is another + mistake. Cyrenius was not appointed governor until after the death of + Herod, and the taxing could not have taken place until ten years after the + alleged birth of Christ. + </p> + <p> + According to Luke, Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, and for the purpose + of getting them to Bethlehem, so that the child could be born in the right + place, the taxing under Cyrenius was used, but the writer, being + "inspired" made a mistake of about ten years as to the time of the taxing + and of the birth. + </p> + <p> + Matthew says nothing about the date of the birth, except that he was born + when Herod was king. It is now known that Herod had been dead ten years + before the taxing under Cyrenius. So, if Luke tells the truth, Joseph, + being warned by an angel, fled from the hatred of Herod ten years after + Herod was dead. If Matthew and Luke are both right Christ was taken to + Egypt ten years before he was born, and Herod killed the babes ten years + after he was dead. + </p> + <p> + Will some Christian scholar have the goodness to harmonize these + "inspired" accounts? + </p> + <p> + There is another thing. + </p> + <p> + Matthew and Luke both try to show that Christ was of the blood of David, + that he was a descendant of that virtuous king. + </p> + <p> + As both of these writers were inspired and as both received their + information from God, they ought to agree. + </p> + <p> + According to Matthew there was between David and Jesus twenty-seven + generations, and he gives all the names. + </p> + <p> + According to Luke there were between David and Jesus forty-two + generations, and he gives all the names. + </p> + <p> + In these genealogies—both inspired—there is a difference + between David and Jesus, a difference of some fourteen or fifteen + generations. + </p> + <p> + Besides, the names of all the ancestors are different, with two + exceptions. + </p> + <p> + Matthew says that Joseph's father was Jacob. Luke says that Heli was + Joseph's father. + </p> + <p> + Both of these genealogies cannot be true, and the probability is that both + are false. + </p> + <p> + There is not in all the pulpits ingenuity enough to harmonize these + ignorant and stupid contradictions. + </p> + <p> + There are many curious mistakes in the words attributed to Christ. + </p> + <p> + We are told in Matthew, chapter xxiii, verse 35, that Christ said: + </p> + <p> + "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from + the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, + whom ye slew between the temple and the altar." + </p> + <p> + It is certain that these words were not spoken by Christ. He could not by + any possibility have known that the blood of Zacharias had been shed. As a + matter of fact, Zacharias was killed by the Jews, during the seige of + Jerusalem by Titus, and this seige took place seventy-one years after the + birth of Christ, thirty-eight years after he was dead. + </p> + <p> + There is still another mistake. + </p> + <p> + Zacharias was not the son of Barachias—no such + </p> + <p> + Zacharias was killed. The Zacharias that was slain was the son of Baruch. + </p> + <p> + But we must not expect the "inspired" to be accurate. + </p> + <p> + Matthew says that at the time of the crucifixion—"the graves were + opened and that many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out + of their graves <i>after</i> his resurrection, and went into the holy city + and appeared unto many." + </p> + <p> + According to this the graves were opened at the time of the crucifixion, + but the dead did not arise and come out until after the resurrection of + Christ. + </p> + <p> + They were polite enough to sit in their open graves and wait for Christ to + rise first. + </p> + <p> + To whom did these saints appear? What became of them? Did they slip back + into their graves and commit suicide? + </p> + <p> + Is it not wonderful that Mark, Luke and John never heard of these saints? + </p> + <p> + What kind of saints were they? Certainly they were not Christian saints. + </p> + <p> + So, the inspired writers do not agree in regard to Judas. + </p> + <p> + Certainly the inspired writers ought to have known what happened to Judas, + the betrayer. Matthew being duly "inspired" says that when Judas saw that + Jesus had been condemned, he repented and took back the money to the chief + priests and elders, saying that he had sinned in betraying the innocent + blood. They said to him: "What is that to us? See thou to that." Then + Judas threw down the pieces of silver and went and hanged himself. + </p> + <p> + The chief priests then took the pieces of silver and bought the potter's + field to bury strangers in, and it is called the field of blood. + </p> + <p> + We are told in Acts of the apostles that Peter stood up in the midst of + the disciples and said: "Now this man, (Judas) purchased a field with the + reward of iniquity—and falling headlong he burst asunder and all his + bowels gushed out—that field is called the field of blood." + </p> + <p> + Matthew says Judas repented and gave back the money. + </p> + <p> + Peter says that he bought a field with the money. + </p> + <p> + Matthew says that Judas hanged himself. Peter says that he fell down and + burst asunder. Which of these accounts is true? + </p> + <p> + Besides, it is hard to see why Christians hate, loathe and despise Judas. + According to their scheme of salvation, it was absolutely necessary that + Christ should be killed—necessary that he should be betrayed, and + had it not been for Judas, all the world, including Christ's mother, and + the part of Christ that was human, would have gone to hell. + </p> + <p> + Yet, according to the New Testament, Christ did not know that one of his + disciples was to betray him. + </p> + <p> + Jesus, when on his way to Jerusalem, for the last time, said, speaking to + the twelve disciples, Judas being present, that they, the disciples should + thereafter sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. + </p> + <p> + Yet, more than a year before this journey, John says that Christ said, + speaking to the twelve disciples: "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one + of you is a devil." And John adds: "He spake of Judas Iscariot, for it was + he that should betray him." + </p> + <p> + Why did Christ a year afterward, tell Judas that he should sit on a throne + and judge one of the tribes of Israel? + </p> + <p> + There is still another trouble. + </p> + <p> + Paul says that Jesus after his resurrection appeared to the twelve + disciples. According to Paul, Jesus appeared to Judas with the rest. + </p> + <p> + Certainly Paul had not heard the story of the betrayal. + </p> + <p> + Why did Christ select Judas as one of his disciples, knowing that he would + betray him? Did he desire to be betrayed? Was it his intention to be put + to death? + </p> + <p> + Why did he fail to defend himself before Pilate? + </p> + <p> + According to the accounts, Pilate wanted to save him. Did Christ wish to + be convicted? + </p> + <p> + The Christians are compelled to say that Christ intended to be sacrificed—that + he selected Judas with that end in view, and that he refused to defend + himself because he desired to be crucified. All this is in accordance with + the horrible idea that without the shedding of blood there is no remission + of sin. + </p> + <p> + III. JEHOVAH. + </p> + <p> + GOD the Father. + </p> + <p> + The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the God of the Christians. + </p> + <p> + He it was who created the Universe, who made all substance, all force, all + life, from nothing. He it is who has governed and still governs the world. + He has established and destroyed empires and kingdoms, despotisms and + republics. He has enslaved and liberated the sons of men. He has caused + the sun to rise on the good and on the evil, and his rain to fall on the + just and the unjust. + </p> + <p> + This shows his goodness. + </p> + <p> + He has caused his volcanoes to devour the good and the bad, his cyclones + to wreck and rend the generous and the cruel, his floods to drown the + loving and the hateful, his lightning to kill the virtuous and the + vicious, his famines to starve the innocent and criminal and his plagues + to destroy the wise and good, the ignorant and wicked. He has allowed his + enemies to imprison, to torture and to kill his friends. He has permitted + blasphemers to flay his worshipers alive, to dislocate their joints upon + racks, and to burn them at the stake. He has allowed men to enslave their + brothers and to sell babes from the breasts of mothers. + </p> + <p> + This shows his impartiality. + </p> + <p> + The pious negro who commenced his prayer: "O thou great and unscrupulous + God," was nearer right than he knew. + </p> + <p> + Ministers ask: Is it possible for God to forgive man? + </p> + <p> + And when I think of what has been suffered—of the centuries of agony + and tears, I ask: Is it possible for man to forgive God? + </p> + <p> + How do Christians prove the existence of their God? Is it possible to + think of an infinite being? Does the word God correspond with any image in + the mind? Does the word God stand for what we know or for what we do not + know? + </p> + <p> + Is not this unthinkable God a guess, an inference? + </p> + <p> + Can we think of a being without form, without body, without parts, without + passions? Why should we speak of a being without body as of the masculine + gender? + </p> + <p> + Why should the Bible speak of this God as a man?—of his walking in + the garden in the cool of the evening—of his talking, hearing and + smelling? If he has no passions why is he spoken of as jealous, + revengeful, angry, pleased and loving? + </p> + <p> + In the Bible God is spoken of as a person in the form of man, journeying + from place to place, as having a home and occupying a throne. These ideas + have been abandoned, and now the Christian's God is the infinite, the + incomprehensible, the formless, bodiless and passionless. + </p> + <p> + Of the existence of such a being there can be, in the nature of things, no + evidence. + </p> + <p> + Confronted with the universe, with fields of space sown thick with stars, + with all there is of life, the wise man, being asked the origin and + destiny of all, replies: "I do not know. These questions are beyond the + powers of my mind." The wise man is thoughtful and modest. He clings to + facts. Beyond his intellectual horizon he does not pretend to see. He does + not mistake hope for evidence or desire for demonstration. He is honest. + He neither deceives himself nor others. + </p> + <p> + The theologian arrives at the unthinkable, the inconceivable, and he calls + this God. The scientist arrives at the unthinkable, the inconceivable, and + calls it the Unknown. + </p> + <p> + The theologian insists that his inconceivable governs the world, that it, + or he, or they, can be influenced by prayers and ceremonies, that it, or + he, or they, punishes and rewards, that it, or he, or they, has priests + and temples. + </p> + <p> + The scientist insist that the Unknown is not changed so far as he knows by + prayers of people or priests. He admits that he does not know whether the + Unknown is good or bad—whether he, or it, wants or whether he, or + it, is worthy of worship. He does not say that the Unknown is God, that it + created substance and force, life and thought. He simply says that of the + Unknown he knows nothing. + </p> + <p> + Why should Christians insist that a God of infinite wisdom, goodness and + power governs the world? + </p> + <p> + Why did he allow millions of his children to be enslaved? Why did he allow + millions of mothers to be robbed of their babes? Why has he allowed + injustice to triumph? Why has he permitted the innocent to be imprisoned + and the good to be burned? Why has he withheld his rain and starved + millions of the children of men? Why has he allowed the volcanoes to + destroy, the earthquakes to devour, and the tempest to wreck and rend? + </p> + <p> + IV. THE TRINITY + </p> + <p> + THE New Testament informs us that Christ was the son of Joseph and the son + of God, and that Mary was his mother. + </p> + <p> + How is it established that Christ was the son of God? + </p> + <p> + It is said that Joseph was told so in a dream by an angel. + </p> + <p> + But Joseph wrote nothing on that subject—said nothing so far as we + know. Mary wrote nothing, said nothing. The angel that appeared to Joseph + or that informed Joseph said nothing to anybody else. Neither has the Holy + Ghost, the supposed father, ever said or written one word. We have + received no information from the parties who could have known anything on + the subject. We get all our facts from those who could not have known. + </p> + <p> + How is it possible to prove that the Holy Ghost was the father of Christ? + </p> + <p> + Who knows that such a being as the Holy Ghost ever existed? + </p> + <p> + How was it possible for Mary to know anything about the Holy Ghost? + </p> + <p> + How could Joseph know that he had been visited by an angel in a dream? + </p> + <p> + Could he know that the visitor was an angel? It all occurred in a dream + and poor Joseph was asleep. What is the testimony of one who was asleep + worth? + </p> + <p> + All the evidence we have is that somebody who wrote part of the New + Testament says that the Holy Ghost was the father of Christ, and that + somebody who wrote another part of the New Testament says that Joseph was + the father of Christ. + </p> + <p> + Matthew and Luke give the genealogy and both show that Christ was the son + of Joseph. + </p> + <p> + The "Incarnation" has to be believed without evidence. There is no way in + which it can be established. It is beyond the reach and realm of reason. + It defies observation and is independent of experience. + </p> + <p> + It is claimed not only that Christ was the Son of God, but that he was, + and is, God. + </p> + <p> + Was he God before he was born? Was the body of Mary the dwelling place of + God? + </p> + <p> + What evidence have we that Christ was God? + </p> + <p> + Somebody has said that Christ claimed that God was his father and that he + and his father were one. We do not know who this somebody was and do not + know from whom he received his information. + </p> + <p> + Somebody who was "inspired" has said that Christ was of the blood of David + through his father Joseph. + </p> + <p> + This is all the evidence we have. + </p> + <p> + Can we believe that God, the creator of the Universe, learned the trade of + a carpenter in Palestine, that he gathered a few disciples about him, and + after teaching for about three years, suffered himself to be crucified by + a few ignorant and pious Jews? + </p> + <p> + Christ, according to the faith, is the second person in the Trinity, the + Father being the first and the Holy Ghost the third. Each of these three + persons is God. Christ is his own father and his own son. The Holy Ghost + is neither father nor son, but both. The son was begotten by the father, + but existed before he was begotten—just the same before as after. + Christ is just as old as his father, and the father is just as young as + his son. The Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father and Son, but was equal + to the Father and Son before he proceeded, that is to say, before he + existed, but he is of the same age of the other two. + </p> + <p> + So, it is declared that the Father is God, and the Son God and the Holy + Ghost God, and that these three Gods make one God. + </p> + <p> + According to the celestial multiplication table, once one is three, and + three times one is one, and according to heavenly subtraction if we take + two from three, three are left. The addition is equally peculiar, if we + add two to one we have but one. Each one is equal to himself and the other + two. Nothing ever was, nothing ever can be more perfectly idiotic and + absurd than the dogma of the Trinity. + </p> + <p> + How is it possible to prove the existence of the Trinity? + </p> + <p> + Is it possible for a human being, who has been born but once, to + comprehend, or to imagine the existence of three beings, each of whom is + equal to the three? + </p> + <p> + Think of one of these beings as the father of one, and think of that one + as half human and all God, and think of the third as having proceeded from + the other two, and then think of all three as one. Think that after the + father begot the son, the father was still alone, and after the Holy Ghost + proceeded from the father and the son, the father was still alone—because + there never was and never will be but one God. + </p> + <p> + At this point, absurdity having reached its limit, nothing more can be + said except: "Let us pray." + </p> + <p> + V. THE THEOLOGICAL CHRIST + </p> + <p> + IN the New Testament we find the teachings and sayings of Christ. If we + say that the book is inspired, then we must admit that Christ really said + all the things attributed to him by the various writers. If the book is + inspired we must accept it all. We have no right to reject the + contradictory and absurd and accept the reasonable and good. We must take + it all just as it is. + </p> + <p> + My own observation has led me to believe that men are generally consistent + in their theories and inconsistent in their lives. + </p> + <p> + So, I think that Christ in his utterances was true to his theory, to his + philosophy. + </p> + <p> + If I find in the Testament sayings of a contradictory character, I + conclude that some of those sayings were never uttered by him. The sayings + that are, in my judgment, in accordance with what I believe to have been + his philosophy, I accept, and the others I throw away. + </p> + <p> + There are some of his sayings which show him to have been a devout Jew, + others that he wished to destroy Judaism, others showing that he held all + people except the Jews in contempt and that he wished to save no others, + others showing that he wished to convert the world, still others showing + that he was forgiving, self-denying and loving, others that he was + revengeful and malicious, others, that he was an ascetic, holding all + human ties in utter contempt. + </p> + <p> + The following passages show that Christ was a devout Jew. + </p> + <p> + "Swear not, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth + for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem for it is his holy city." + </p> + <p> + "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not + come to destroy, but to fulfill." "For after all these things, (clothing, + food and drink) do the Gentiles seek." + </p> + <p> + So, when he cured a leper, he said: "Go thy way, show thyself unto the + priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded." + </p> + <p> + Jesus sent his disciples forth saying: "Go not into the way of the + Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather + to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." + </p> + <p> + A woman came out of Canaan and cried to Jesus: "Have mercy on me, my + daughter is sorely vexed with a devil"—but he would not answer. Then + the disciples asked him to send her away, and he said: "I am not sent but + unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." + </p> + <p> + Then the woman worshiped him and said: "Lord help me." But he answered and + said: "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it unto dogs." + Yet for her faith he cured her child. + </p> + <p> + So, when the young man asked him what he must do to be saved, he said: + "Keep the commandments." + </p> + <p> + Christ said: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat, all + therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do." + </p> + <p> + "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law + to fail." + </p> + <p> + Christ went into the temple and cast out them that sold and bought there, + and said: "It is written, my house is the house of prayer: but ye have + made it a den of thieves." + </p> + <p> + "We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews." + </p> + <p> + Certainly all these passages were written by persons who regarded Christ + as the Messiah. + </p> + <p> + Many of the sayings attributed to Christ show that he was an ascetic, that + he cared nothing for kindred, nothing for father and mother, nothing for + brothers or sisters, and nothing for the pleasures of life. + </p> + <p> + Christ said to a man: "Follow me." The man said: "Suffer me first to go + and bury my father." Christ answered: "Let the dead bury their dead." + Another said: "I will follow thee, but first let me go bid them farewell + which are at home." + </p> + <p> + Jesus said: "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is + fit for the kingdom of God. If thine right eye offend thee pluck it out. + If thy right hand offend thee cut it off." + </p> + <p> + One said unto him: "Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, + desiring to speak with thee." And he answered: "Who is my mother, and who + are my brethren?" Then he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples + and said: "Behold my mother and my brethren." + </p> + <p> + "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren or sisters, or + father or mother, or wife or children, or lands for my name's sake shall + receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life." + </p> + <p> + "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he + that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." + </p> + <p> + Christ it seems had a philosophy. + </p> + <p> + He believed that God was a loving father, that he would take care of his + children, that they need do nothing except to rely implicitly on God. + </p> + <p> + "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." + </p> + <p> + "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate + you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." + </p> + <p> + "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, + nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.... For your heavenly Father + knoweth that ye have need of all these things." + </p> + <p> + "Ask and it shall be given you. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to + you, do ye even so to them. If ye forgive men their trespasses your + heavenly Father will also forgive you. The very hairs of your head are all + numbered." + </p> + <p> + Christ seemed to rely absolutely on the protection of God until the + darkness of death gathered about him, and then he cried: "My God! my God! + why hast thou forsaken me?" + </p> + <p> + While there are many passages in the New Testament showing Christ to have + been forgiving and tender, there are many others, showing that he was + exactly the opposite. + </p> + <p> + What must have been the spirit of one who said: "I am come to send fire on + the earth? Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, + nay, but rather division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one + house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall + be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother + against the daughter and the daughter against the mother, the + mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against + her mother-in-law." + </p> + <p> + "If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and + children and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot + be my disciple." + </p> + <p> + "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, + bring hither and slay them before me." + </p> + <p> + This passage built dungeons and lighted fagots. + </p> + <p> + "Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his + angels." + </p> + <p> + "I came not to bring peace but a sword." + </p> + <p> + All these sayings could not have been uttered by the same person. They are + inconsistent with each other. Love does not speak the words of hatred. The + real philanthropist does not despise all nations but his own. The teacher + of universal forgiveness cannot believe in eternal torture. + </p> + <p> + From the interpolations, legends, accretions, mistakes and falsehoods in + the New Testament is it possible to free the actual man? Clad in mist and + myth, hidden by the draperies of gods, deformed, indistinct as faces in + clouds, is it possible to find and recognize the features, the natural + face of the actual Christ? + </p> + <p> + For many centuries our fathers closed their eyes to the contradictions and + inconsistencies of the Testament and in spite of their reason harmonized + the interpolations and mistakes. + </p> + <p> + This is no longer possible. The contradictions are too many, too glaring. + There are contradictions of fact not only, but of philosophy, of theory. + </p> + <p> + The accounts of the trial, the crucifixion, and ascension of Christ do not + agree. They are full of mistakes and contradictions. + </p> + <p> + According to one account Christ ascended the day of, or the day after his + resurrection. According to another he remained forty days after rising + from the dead. According to one account, he was seen after his + resurrection only by a few women and his disciples. According to another + he was seen by the women, by his disciples on several occasions and by + hundreds of others. + </p> + <p> + According to Matthew, Luke and Mark, Christ remained for the most part in + the country, seldom going to Jerusalem. According to John he remained + mostly in Jerusalem, going occasionally into the country, and then + generally to avoid his enemies. + </p> + <p> + According to Matthew, Mark and Luke, Christ taught that if you would + forgive others God would forgive you. According to John, Christ said that + the only way to get to heaven was to believe on him and be born again. + </p> + <p> + These contradictions are gross and palpable and demonstrate that the New + Testament is not inspired, and that many of its statements must be false. + </p> + <p> + If we wish to save the character of Christ, many of the passages must be + thrown away. + </p> + <p> + We must discard the miracles or admit that he was insane or an impostor. + We must discard the passages that breathe the spirit of hatred and + revenge, or admit that he was malevolent. + </p> + <p> + If Matthew was mistaken about the genealogy of Christ, about the wise men, + the star, the flight into Egypt and the massacre of the babes by Herod,—then + he may have been mistaken in many passages that he put in the mouth of + Christ. + </p> + <p> + The same may be said in regard to Mark, Luke and John. + </p> + <p> + The church must admit that the writers of the New Testament were + uninspired men—that they made many mistakes, that they accepted + impossible legends as historical facts, that they were ignorant and + superstitious, that they put malevolent, stupid, insane and unworthy words + in the mouth of Christ, described him as the worker of impossible miracles + and in many ways stained and belittled his character. + </p> + <p> + The best that can be said about Christ is that nearly nineteen centuries + ago he was born in the land of Palestine in a country without wealth, + without commerce, in the midst of a people who knew nothing of the greater + world—a people enslaved, crushed by the mighty power of Rome. That + this babe, this child of poverty and want grew to manhood without + education, knowing nothing of art, or science, and at about the age of + thirty began wandering about the hills and hamlets of his native land, + discussing with priests, talking with the poor and sorrowful, writing + nothing, but leaving his words in the memory or forgetfulness of those to + whom he spoke. + </p> + <p> + That he attacked the religion of his time because it was cruel. That this + excited the hatred of those in power, and that Christ was arrested, tried + and crucified. + </p> + <p> + For many centuries this great Peasant of Palestine has been worshiped as + God. + </p> + <p> + Millions and millions have given their lives to his service. The wealth of + the world was lavished on his shrines. His name carried consolation to the + diseased and dying. His name dispelled the darkness of death, and filled + the dungeon with light. His name gave courage to the martyr, and in the + midst of fire, with shriveling lips the sufferer uttered it again, and + again. The outcasts, the deserted, the fallen, felt that Christ was their + friend, felt that he knew their sorrows and pitied their sufferings. + </p> + <p> + The poor mother, holding her dead babe in her arms, lovingly whispered his + name. His gospel has been carried by millions to all parts of the globe, + and his story has been told by the self-denying and faithful to countless + thousands of the sons of men. In his name have been preached charity,—forgiveness + and love. + </p> + <p> + He it was, who according to the faith, brought immortality to light, and + many millions have entered the valley of the shadow with their hands in + his. + </p> + <p> + All this is true, and if it were all, how beautiful, how touching, how + glorious it would be. But it is not all. There is another side. + </p> + <p> + In his name millions and millions of men and women have been imprisoned, + tortured and killed. In his name millions and millions have been enslaved. + In his name the thinkers, the investigators, have been branded as + criminals, and his followers have shed the blood of the wisest and best. + In his name the progress of many nations was stayed for a thousand years. + In his gospel was found the dogma of eternal pain, and his words added an + infinite horror to death. His gospel filled the world with hatred and + revenge; made intellectual honesty a crime; made happiness here the road + to hell, denounced love as base and bestial, canonized credulity, crowned + bigotry and destroyed the liberty of man. + </p> + <p> + It would have been far better had the New Testament never been written—far + better had the theological Christ never lived. Had the writers of the + Testament been regarded as uninspired, had Christ been thought of only as + a man, had the good been accepted and the absurd, the impossible, and the + revengeful thrown away, mankind would have escaped the wars, the tortures, + the scaffolds, the dungeons, the agony and tears, the crimes and sorrows + of a thousand years. + </p> + <p> + VI. THE "SCHEME" + </p> + <p> + WE have also the scheme of redemption. + </p> + <p> + According to this "scheme," by the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of + Eden, human nature became evil, corrupt and depraved. It became impossible + for human beings to keep, in all things, the law of God. In spite of this, + God allowed the people to live and multiply for some fifteen hundred + years, and then on account of their wickedness drowned them all with the + exception of eight persons. + </p> + <p> + The nature of these eight persons was evil, corrupt and depraved, and in + the nature of things their children would be cursed with the same nature. + Yet God gave them another trial, knowing exactly what the result would be. + A few of these wretches he selected and made them objects of his love and + care, the rest of the world he gave to indifference and neglect. To + civilize the people he had chosen, he assisted them in conquering and + killing their neighbors, and gave them the assistance of priests and + inspired prophets. For their preservation and punishment he wrought + countless miracles, gave them many laws and a great deal of advice. He + taught them to sacrifice oxen, sheep, and doves, to the end that their + sins might be forgiven. The idea was inculcated that there was a certain + relation between the sin and the sacrifice,—the greater the sin, the + greater the sacrifice. He also taught the savagery that without the + shedding of blood there was no remission of sin. + </p> + <p> + In spite of all his efforts, the people grew gradually worse. They would + not, they could not keep his laws. + </p> + <p> + A sacrifice had to be made for the sins of the people. The sins were too + great to be washed out by the blood of animals or men. It became necessary + for. God himself to be sacrificed. All mankind were under the curse of the + law. Either all the world must be lost or God must die. + </p> + <p> + In only one way could the guilty be justified, and that was by the death, + the sacrifice of the innocent. And the innocent being sacrificed must be + great enough to atone for the world; There was but one such being—God. + </p> + <p> + Thereupon God took upon himself flesh, was born into the world—was + known as Christ—was murdered, sacrificed by the Jews, and became an + atonement for the sins of the human race. + </p> + <p> + This is the scheme of Redemption,—the atonement. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to conceive of anything more utterly absurd. + </p> + <p> + A man steals, and then sacrifices a dove, or gives a lamb to a priest. His + crime remains the same. He need not kill something. Let him give back the + thing stolen, and in future live an honest life. + </p> + <p> + A man slanders his neighbor and then kills an ox. What has that to do with + the slander. Let him take back his slander, make all the reparation that + he can, and let the ox alone. + </p> + <p> + There is no sense in sacrifice, never was and never will be. + </p> + <p> + Make restitution, reparation, undo the wrong and you need shed no blood. + </p> + <p> + A good law, one springing from the nature of things, cannot demand, and + cannot accept, and cannot be satisfied with the punishment, or the agony + of the innocent. A god could not accept his own sufferings in + justification of the guilty.—This is a complete subversion of all + ideas of justice and morality. A god could not make a law for man, then + suffer in the place of the man who had violated it, and say that the law + had been carried out, and the penalty duly enforced. A man has committed + murder, has been tried, convicted and condemned to death. Another man goes + to the governor and says that he is willing to die in place of the + murderer. The governor says: "All right, I accept your offer, a murder has + been committed, somebody must be hung and your death will satisfy the + law." + </p> + <p> + But that is not the law. The law says, not that somebody shall be hanged, + but that the murderer shall suffer death. + </p> + <p> + Even if the governor should die in the place of the criminal, it would be + no better. There would be two murders instead of one, two innocent men + killed, one by the first murderer and one by the State, and the real + murderer free. + </p> + <p> + This, Christians call, "satisfying the law." + </p> + <p> + VII. BELIEF. + </p> + <p> + WE are told that all who believe in this scheme of redemption and have + faith in the redeemer will be rewarded with eternal joy. Some think that + men can be saved by faith without works, and some think that faith and + works are both essential, but all agree that without faith there is no + salvation. If you repent and believe on Jesus Christ, then his goodness + will be imputed to you and the penalty of the law, so far as you are + concerned, will be satisfied by the sufferings of Christ. + </p> + <p> + You may repent and reform, you may make restitution, you may practice all + the virtues, but without this belief in Christ, the gates of heaven will + be shut against you forever. + </p> + <p> + Where is this heaven? The Christians do not know. + </p> + <p> + Does the Christian go there at death, or must he wait for the general + resurrection? + </p> + <p> + They do not know. + </p> + <p> + The Testament teaches that the bodies of the dead are to be raised? Where + are their souls in the meantime? They do not know. + </p> + <p> + Can the dead be raised? The atoms composing their bodies enter into new + combinations, into new forms, into wheat and corn, into the flesh of + animals and into the bodies of other men. Where one man dies, and some of + his atoms pass into the body of another man and he dies, to whom will + these atoms belong in the day of resurrection? + </p> + <p> + If Christianity were only stupid and unscientific, if its God was ignorant + and kind, if it promised eternal joy to believers and if the believers + practiced the forgiveness they teach, for one I should let the faith + alone. + </p> + <p> + But there is another side to Christianity. It is not only stupid, but + malicious. It is not only unscientific, but it is heartless. Its god is + not only ignorant, but infinitely cruel. It not only promises the faithful + an eternal reward, but declares that nearly all of the children of men, + imprisoned in the dungeons of God will suffer eternal pain. This is the + savagery of Christianity. This is why I hate its unthinkable God, its + impossible Christ, its inspired lies, and its selfish, heartless heaven. + </p> + <p> + Christians believe in infinite torture, in eternal pain. + </p> + <p> + Eternal Pain! + </p> + <p> + All the meanness of which the heart of man is capable is in that one word—Hell. + </p> + <p> + That word is a den, a cave, in which crawl the slimy reptiles of revenge. + </p> + <p> + That word certifies to the savagery of primitive man. + </p> + <p> + That word is the depth, the dungeon, the abyss, from which civilized man + has emerged. + </p> + <p> + That word is the disgrace, the shame, the infamy, of our revealed + religion. + </p> + <p> + That word fills all the future with the shrieks of the damned. + </p> + <p> + That word brutalizes the New Testament, changes the Sermon on the Mount to + hypocrisy and cant, and pollutes and hardens the very heart of Christ. + </p> + <p> + That word adds an infinite horror to death, and makes the cradle as + terrible as the coffin. + </p> + <p> + That word is the assassin of joy, the mocking murderer of hope. That word + extinguishes the light of life and wraps the world in gloom. That word + drives reason from his throne, and gives the crown to madness. + </p> + <p> + That word drove pity from the hearts of men, stained countless swords with + blood, lighted fagots, forged chains, built dungeons, erected scaffolds, + and filled the world with poverty and pain. + </p> + <p> + That word is a coiled serpent in the mother's breast, that lifts its + fanged head and hisses in her ear:—"Your child will be the fuel of + eternal fire." + </p> + <p> + That word blots from the firmament the star of hope and leaves the heavens + black. + </p> + <p> + That word makes the Christian's God an eternal torturer, an everlasting + inquisitor—an infinite wild beast. + </p> + <p> + This is the Christian prophecy of the eternal future: + </p> + <p> + No hope in hell. + </p> + <p> + No pity in heaven. + </p> + <p> + No mercy in the heart of God. + </p> + <p> + VIII. CONCLUSION + </p> + <p> + THE Old Testament is absurd, ignorant and cruel,—the New Testament + is a mingling of the false and true—it is good and bad. + </p> + <p> + The Jehovah of the Jews is an impossible monster. The Trinity absurd and + idiotic, Christ is a myth or a man. + </p> + <p> + The fall of man is contradicted by every fact concerning human history + that we know. The scheme of redemption—through the atonement—is + immoral and senseless. Hell was imagined by revenge, and the orthodox + heaven is the selfish dream of heartless serfs and slaves. The foundations + of the faith have crumbled and faded away. They were miracles, mistakes, + and myths, ignorant and untrue, absurd, impossible, immoral, unnatural, + cruel, childish, savage. Beneath the gaze of the scientist they vanished, + confronted by facts they disappeared. The orthodox religion of our day has + no foundation in truth. Beneath the superstructure can be found no fact. + </p> + <p> + Some may ask, "Are you trying to take our religion away?" + </p> + <p> + I answer, No—superstition is not religion. Belief without evidence + is not religion. Faith without facts is not religion. + </p> + <p> + To love justice, to long for the right, to love mercy, to pity the + suffering, to assist the weak, to forget wrongs and remember benefits—to + love the truth, to be sincere, to utter honest words, to love liberty, to + wage relentless war against slavery in all its forms, to love wife and + child and friend, to make a happy home, to love the beautiful in art, in + nature, to cultivate the mind, to be familiar with the mighty thoughts + that genius has expressed, the noble deeds of all the world, to cultivate + courage and cheerfulness, to make others happy, to fill life with the + splendor of generous acts, the warmth of loving words, to discard error, + to destroy prejudice, to receive new truths with gladness, to cultivate + hope, to see the calm beyond the storm, the dawn beyond the night, to do + the best that can be done and then to be resigned this is the religion of + reason, the creed of science. This satisfies the brain and heart. + </p> + <p> + But, says the prejudiced priest, the malicious minister, "You take away a + future life." + </p> + <p> + I am not trying to destroy another world, but I am endeavoring to prevent + the theologians from destroying this. + </p> + <p> + If we are immortal it is a fact in nature, and that fact does not depend + on bibles, or Christs, or priests or creeds. + </p> + <p> + The hope of another life was in the heart, long before the "sacred books" + were written, and will remain there long after all the "sacred books" are + known to be the work of savage and superstitious men. Hope is the + consolation of the world. + </p> + <p> + The wanderers hope for home.—Hope builds the house and plants the + flowers and fills the air with song. + </p> + <p> + The sick and suffering hope for health.—Hope gives them health and + paints the roses in their cheeks. + </p> + <p> + The lonely, the forsaken, hope for love.—Hope brings the lover to + their arms. They feel the kisses on their eager lips. + </p> + <p> + The poor in tenements and huts, in spite of rags and hunger hope for + wealth.—Hope fills their thin and trembling hands with gold. + </p> + <p> + The dying hopes that death is but another birth, and Love leans above the + pallid face and whispers, "We shall meet again." + </p> + <p> + Hope is the consolation of the world. + </p> + <p> + Let us hope, if there be a God that he is wise and good. + </p> + <p> + Let us hope that if there be another life it will bring peace and joy to + all the children of men. + </p> + <p> + And let us hope that this poor earth on which we live, may be a perfect + world—a world without a crime—without a tear. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0008" id="link0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + SUPERSTITION. + </h2> + <p> + I. WHAT IS SUPERSTITION? + </p> + <p> + To believe in spite of evidence or without evidence. To account for one + mystery by another. + </p> + <p> + To believe that the world is governed by chance or caprice. + </p> + <p> + To disregard the true relation between cause and effect. + </p> + <p> + To put thought, intention and design back of nature. + </p> + <p> + To believe that mind created and controls matter. To believe in force + apart from substance, or in substance apart from force. + </p> + <p> + To believe in miracles, spells and charms, in dreams and prophecies. + </p> + <p> + To believe in the supernatural. + </p> + <p> + The foundation of superstition is ignorance, the superstructure is faith + and the dome is a vain hope. + </p> + <p> + Superstition is the child of ignorance and the mother of misery. + </p> + <p> + In nearly every brain is found some cloud of superstition. + </p> + <p> + A woman drops a cloth with which she is washing dishes, and she exclaims: + "That means company." + </p> + <p> + Most people will admit that there is no possible connection between + dropping the cloth and the coming of visitors. The falling cloth could not + have put the visit desire in the minds of people not present, and how + could the cloth produce the desire to visit the particular person who + dropped it? There is no possible connection between the dropping of the + cloth and the anticipated effects. + </p> + <p> + A man catches a glimpse of the new moon over his left shoulder, and he + says: "This is bad luck." + </p> + <p> + To see the moon over the right or left shoulder, or not to see it, could + not by any possibility affect the moon, neither could it change the effect + or influence of the moon on any earthly thing. Certainly the left-shoulder + glance could in no way affect the nature of things. All the facts in + nature would remain the same as though the glance had been over the right + shoulder. We see no connection between the left-shoulder glance and any + possible evil effects upon the one who saw the moon in this way. + </p> + <p> + A girl counts the leaves of a flower, and she says: "One, he comes; two, + he tarries; three, he courts; four, he marries; five, he goes away." + </p> + <p> + Of course the flower did not grow, and the number of its leaves was not + determined with reference to the courtship or marriage of this girl, + neither could there have been any intelligence that guided her hand when + she selected that particular flower. So, count' ing the seeds in an apple + cannot in any way determine whether the future of an individual is to be + happy or miserable. + </p> + <p> + Thousands of persons believe in lucky and unlucky days, numbers, signs and + jewels. + </p> + <p> + Many people regard Friday as an unlucky day—as a bad day to commence + a journey, to marry, to make any investment. The only reason given is that + Friday is an unlucky day. + </p> + <p> + Starting across the sea on Friday could have no possible effect upon the + winds, or waves, or tides, any more than starting on any other day, and + the only possible reason for thinking Friday unlucky is the assertion that + it is so. + </p> + <p> + So it is thought by many that it is dangerous for thirteen people to dine + together. Now, if thirteen is a dangerous number, twenty-six ought to be + twice as dangerous, and fifty-two four times as terrible. + </p> + <p> + It is said that one of the thirteen will die in a year. Now, there is no + possible relation between the number and the digestion of each, between + the number and the individual diseases. If fourteen dine together there is + greater probability, if we take into account only the number, of a death + within the year, than there would be if only thirteen were at the table. + </p> + <p> + Overturning the salt is very unlucky, but spilling the vinegar makes no + difference. + </p> + <p> + Why salt should be revengeful and vinegar forgiving has never been told. + </p> + <p> + If the first person who enters a theatre is crosseyed, the audience will + be small and the "run" a failure. + </p> + <p> + How the peculiarity of the eyes of the first one who enters, changes the + intention of a community, or how the intentions of a community cause the + cross-eyed man to go early, has never been satisfactorily explained. + Between this so-called cause and the so-called effect there is, so far as + we can see, no possible relation. + </p> + <p> + To wear an opal is bad luck, but rubies bring health. How these stones + affect the future, how they destroy causes and defeat effects, no one + pretends to know. + </p> + <p> + So, there are thousands of lucky and unlucky tilings, warnings, omens and + prophecies, but all sensible, sane and reasoning human beings know that + every one is an absurd and idiotic superstition. + </p> + <p> + Let us take another step: + </p> + <p> + For many centuries it was believed that eclipses of the sun and moon were + prophetic of pestilence or famine, and that comets foretold the death of + kings, or the destruction of nations, the coming of war or plague. All + strange appearances in the heavens—the Northern Lights, circles + about the moon, sun dogs, falling stars—filled our intelligent + ancestors with terror. They fell upon their knees—did their best + with sacrifice and prayer to avoid the threatened disaster. Their faces + were ashen with fear as they closed their eyes and cried to the heavens + for help. The clergy, who were as familiar with God then as the orthodox + preachers are now, knew exactly the meaning of eclipses and sun dogs and + Northern Lights; knew that God's patience was nearly exhausted; that he + was then whetting the sword of his wrath, and that the people could save + themselves only by obeying the priests, by counting their beads and + doubling their subscriptions. + </p> + <p> + Earthquakes and cyclones filled the coffers of the church. In the midst of + disasters the miser, with trembling hands, opened his purse. In the gloom + of eclipses thieves and robbers divided their booty with God, and poor, + honest, ignorant girls, remembering that they had forgotten to say a + prayer, gave their little earnings to soften the heart of God. + </p> + <p> + Now we know that all these signs and wonders in the heavens have nothing + to do with the fate of kings, nations or individuals; that they had no + more reference to human beings than to colonies of ants, hives of bees or + the eggs of insects. We now know that the signs and eclipses, the comets, + and the falling stars, would have been just the same if not a human being + had been upon the earth. We know now that eclipses come at certain times + and that their coming can be exactly foretold. + </p> + <p> + A little while ago the belief was general that there were certain healing + virtues in inanimate things, in the bones of holy men and women, in the + rags that had been tom from the foul clothing of still fouler saints, in + hairs from martyrs, in bits of wood and rusty nails from the true cross, + in the teeth and finger nails of pious men, and in a thousand other sacred + things. + </p> + <p> + The diseased were cured by kissing a box in which was kept some bone, or + rag, or bit of wood, some holy hairs, provided the kiss was preceded or + followed by a gift—a something for the church. + </p> + <p> + In some mysterious way the virtue in the bone, or rag, or piece of wood, + crept or flowed from the box, took possession of the sick who had the + necessary faith, and in the name of God drove out the devils who were the + real disease. + </p> + <p> + This belief in the efficacy of bones or rags and holy hair was born of + another belief—the belief that all diseases were produced by evil + spirits. The insane were supposed to be possessed by devils. Epilepsy and + hysteria were produced by the imps of Satan. In short, every human + affliction was the work of the malicious emissaries of the god of hell. + This belief was almost universal, and even in our time the sacred bones + are believed in by millions of people. + </p> + <p> + But to-day no intelligent man believes in the existence of devils—no + intelligent man believes that evil spirits cause disease—consequently, + no intelligent person believes that holy bones or rags, sacred hairs or + pieces of wood, can drive disease out, or in any way bring back to the + pallid cheek the rose of health. + </p> + <p> + Intelligent people now know that the bone of a saint has in it no greater + virtue than the bone of any animal. That a rag from a wandering beggar is + just as good as one from a saint, and that the hair of a horse will cure + disease just as quickly and surely as the hair of a martyr. We now know + that all the sacred relics are religious rubbish; that those who use them + are for the most part dishonest, and that those who rely on them are + almost idiotic. + </p> + <p> + This belief in amulets and charms, in ghosts and devils, is superstition, + pure and simple. + </p> + <p> + Our ancestors did not regard these relics as medicine, having a curative + power, but the idea was that evil spirits stood in dread of holy things—that + they fled from the bone of a saint, that they feared a piece of the true + cross, and that when holy water was sprinkled on a man they immediately + left the premises. So, these devils hated and dreaded the sound of holy + bells, the light of sacred tapers, and, above all, the ever-blessed cross. + </p> + <p> + In those days the priests were fishers for money, and they used these + relics for bait. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + Let us take another step: + </p> + <p> + This belief in the Devil and evil spirits laid the foundation for another + belief: Witchcraft. + </p> + <p> + It was believed that the devil had certain things to give in exchange for + a soul. The old man, bowed and broken, could get back his youth—the + rounded form, the brown hair, the leaping heart of life's morning—if + he would sign and seal away his soul. So, it was thought that the + malicious could by charm and spell obtain revenge, that the poor could be + enriched, and that the ambitious could rise to place and power. All the + good things of this life were at the disposal of the Devil. For those who + resisted the temptations of the Evil One, rewards were waiting in another + world, but the Devil rewarded here in this life. No one has imagination + enough to paint the agonies that were endured by reason of this belief in + witchcraft. Think of the families destroyed, of the fathers and mothers + cast in prison, tortured and burned, of the firesides darkened, of the + children murdered, of the old, the poor and helpless that were stretched + on racks mangled and flayed! + </p> + <p> + Think of the days when superstition and fear were in every house, in every + mind, when accusation was conviction, when assertion of innocence was + regarded as a confession of guilt, and when Christendom was insane! + </p> + <p> + Now we know that all of these horrors were the result of superstition. Now + we know that ignorance was the mother of all the agonies endured. Now we + know that witches never lived, that human beings never bargained with any + devil, and that our pious savage ancestors were mistaken. + </p> + <p> + Let us take another step: + </p> + <p> + Our fathers believed in miracles, in signs and wonders, eclipses and + comets, in the virtues of bones, and in the powers attributed to evil + spirits. All these belonged to the miraculous. The world was supposed to + be full of magic; the spirits were sleight-of-hand performers—necromancers. + There were no natural causes behind events. A devil wished, and it + happened. One who had sold his soul to Satan made a few motions, uttered + some strange words, and the event was present. Natural causes were not + believed in. Delusion and illusion, the monstrous and miraculous, ruled + the world. The foundation was gone—reason had abdicated. Credulity + gave tongues and wings to lies, while the dumb and limping facts were left + behind—were disregarded and remained untold. + </p> + <p> + WHAT IS A MIRACLE? + </p> + <p> + An act performed by a master of nature without reference to the facts in + nature. This is the only honest definition of a miracle. + </p> + <p> + If a man could make a perfect circle, the diameter of which was exactly + one-half the circumference, that would be a miracle in geometry. If a man + could make twice four, nine, that would be a miracle in mathematics. If a + man could make a stone, falling in the air, pass through a space of ten + feet the first second, twenty-five feet the second second, and five feet + the third second, that would be a miracle in physics. If a man could put + together hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen and produce pure gold, that would + be a miracle in chemistry. If a minister were to prove his creed, that + would be a theological miracle. If Congress by law would make fifty cents + worth of silver worth a dollar, that would be a financial miracle. To make + a square triangle would be a most wonderful miracle. To cause a mirror to + reflect the faces of persons who stand behind it, instead of those who + stand in front, would be a miracle. To make echo answer a question would + be a miracle. In other words, to do anything contrary to or without regard + to the facts in nature is to perform a miracle. + </p> + <p> + Now we are convinced of what is called the "uniformity of nature." We + believe that all things act and are acted upon in accordance with their + nature; that under like conditions the results will always be + substantially the same; that like ever has and ever will produce like. We + now believe that events have natural parents and that none die childless. + </p> + <p> + Miracles are not simply impossible, but they are unthinkable by any man + capable of thinking. + </p> + <p> + Now an intelligent man cannot believe that a miracle ever was, or ever + will be, performed. + </p> + <p> + Ignorance is the soil in which belief in miracles grows. + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + Let us take another step: + </p> + <p> + While our ancestors filled the darkness with evil spirits, enemies of + mankind, they also believed in the existence of good spirits. These good + spirits sustained the same relation to God that the evil ones did to the + Devil. These good spirits protected the faithful from the temptations and + snares of the Evil One. They took care of those who carried amulets and + charms, of those who repeated prayers and counted beads, of those who + fasted and performed ceremonies. These good spirits would turn aside the + sword and arrow from the breast of the faithful. They made poison + harmless, they protected the credulous, and in a thousand ways defended + and rescued the true believer. They drove doubts from the minds of the + pious, sowed the seeds of credulity and faith, saved saints from the wiles + of women, painted the glories of heaven for those who fasted and prayed, + made it possible for the really good to dispense with the pleasures of + sense and to hate the Devil. + </p> + <p> + These angels watched over infants who had been baptized, over persons who + had made holy vows, over priests and nuns and wandering beggars who + believed. + </p> + <p> + These spirits were of various kinds: Some had once been men or women, some + had never lived in this world, and some had been angels from the + commencement. Nobody pretended to know exactly what they were, or exactly + how they looked, or in what way they went from place to place, or how they + affected or controlled the minds of men. + </p> + <p> + It was believed that the king of all these evil spirits was the Devil, and + that the king of all the good spirits was God. It was also believed that + God was in fact the king of all, and that the Devil himself was one of the + children of this God. This God and this Devil were at war, each trying to + secure the souls of men. God offered the rewards of eternal joy and + threatened eternal pain. The Devil baited his traps with present pleasure, + with the gratification of the senses, with the ecstasies of love, and + laughed at the joys of heaven and the pangs of hell. With malicious hand + he sowed the seeds of doubt—induced men to investigate, to reason, + to call for evidence, to rely upon themselves; planted in their hearts the + love of liberty, assisted them to break their chains, to escape from their + prisons and besought them to think. In this way he corrupted the children + of men. + </p> + <p> + Our fathers believed that they could by prayer, by sacrifice, by fasting, + by performing certain ceremonies, gain the assistance of this God and of + these good spirits. They were not quite logical. They did not believe that + the Devil was the author of all evil. They thought that flood and famine, + plague and cyclone, earthquake and war, were sometimes sent by God as + punishment for unbelief. They fell upon their knees and with white lips, + prayed the good God to stay his hand. They humbled themselves, confessed + their sins, and filled the heavens with their vows and cries. With priests + and prayers they tried to stay the plague. They kissed the relics, fell at + shrines, besought the Virgin and the saints, but the prayers all died in + the heartless air, and the plague swept on to its natural end. Our poor + fathers knew nothing of any science. Back of all events they put spirits, + good or bad, angels or demons, gods or devils. To them nothing had what we + call a natural cause. Everything was the work of spirits. All was done by + the supernatural, and everything was done by evil spirits that they could + do to ruin, punish, mislead and damn the children of men. This world was a + field of battle, and here the hosts of heaven and hell waged war. + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + Now no man in whose brain the torch of reason bums, no man who + investigates, who really thinks, who is capable of weighing evidence, + believes in signs, in lucky or unlucky days, in lucky or unlucky numbers. + He knows that Fridays and Thursdays are alike; that thirteen is no more + deadly than twelve. He knows that opals affect the wearer the same as + rubies, diamonds or common glass. He knows that the matrimonial chances of + a maiden are not increased or decreased by the number of leaves of a + flower or seeds in an apple. He knows that a glance at the moon over the + left shoulder is as healthful and lucky as one over the right. He does not + care whether the first comer to a theatre is crosseyed or hump-backed, + bow-legged, or as well-proportioned as Apollo. He knows that a strange cat + could be denied asylum without bringing any misfortune to the family. He + knows that an owl does not hoot in the full of the moon because a + distinguished man is about to die. He knows that comets and eclipses would + come if all the folks were dead. He is not frightened by sun dogs, or the + Morning of the North when the glittering lances pierce the shield of + night. + </p> + <p> + He knows that all these things occur without the slightest reference to + the human race. He feels certain that floods would destroy and cyclones + rend and earthquakes devour; that the stars would shine; that day and + night would still pursue each other around the world; that flowers would + give their perfume to the air, and light would paint the seven-hued arch + upon the dusky bosom of the cloud if every human being was unconscious + dust. + </p> + <p> + A man of thought and sense does not believe in the existence of the Devil. + He feels certain that imps, goblins, demons and evil spirits exist only in + the imagination of the ignorant and frightened. He knows how these + malevolent myths were made. He knows the part they have played in all + religions. He knows that for many centuries a belief in these devils, + these evil spirits, was substantially universal. He knows that the priest + believed as firmly as the peasant. In those days the best educated and the + most ignorant were equal dupes. Kings and courtiers, ladies and clowns, + soldiers and artists, slaves and convicts, believed as firmly in the Devil + as they did in God. + </p> + <p> + Back of this belief there is no evidence, and there never has been. This + belief did not rest on any fact. It was supported by mistakes, + exaggerations and lies. The mistakes were natural, the exaggerations were + mostly unconscious and the lies were generally honest. Back of these + mistakes, these exaggerations, these lies, was the love of the marvelous. + Wonder listened with greedy ears, with wide eyes, and ignorance with open + mouth. + </p> + <p> + The man of sense knows the history of this belief, and he knows, also, + that for many centuries its truth was established by the Holy Bible. He + knows that the Old Testament is filled with allusions to the Devil, to + evil spirits, and that the New Testament is the same. He knows that Christ + himself was a believer in the Devil, in evil spirits, and that his + principal business was casting out devils from the bodies of men and + women. He knows that Christ himself, according to the New Testament, was + not only tempted by the Devil, but was carried by his Satanic Highness to + the top of the temple. If the New Testament is the inspired word of God, + then I admit that these devils, these imps, do actually exist and that + they do take possession of human beings. + </p> + <p> + To deny the existence of these evil spirits, to deny the existence of the + Devil, is to deny the truth of the New Testament. To deny the existence of + these imps of darkness is to contradict the words of Jesus Christ. If + these devils do not exist, if they do not cause disease, if they do not + tempt and mislead their victims, then Christ was an ignorant, + superstitious man, insane, an impostor, or the New Testament is not a true + record of what he said and what he pretended to do. If we give up the + belief in devils, we must give up the inspiration of the Old and New + Testament. We must give up the divinity of Christ. To deny the existence + of evil spirits is to utterly destroy the foundation of Christianity. + There is no half-way ground. Compromise is impossible. If all the accounts + in the New Testament of casting out devils are false, what part of the + Blessed Book is true? + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, the success of the Devil in the Garden of Eden made + the coming of Christ a necessity, laid the foundation for the atonement, + crucified the Savior and gave us the Trinity. + </p> + <p> + If the Devil does not exist, the Christian creeds all crumble, and the + superstructure known as "Christianity," built by the fathers, by popes, by + priests and theologians—built with mistakes and falsehoods, with + miracles and wonders, with blood and flame, with lies and legends borrowed + from the savage world, becomes a shapeless ruin. + </p> + <p> + If we give up the belief in devils and evil spirits, we are compelled to + say that a witch never lived. No sensible human being now believes in + witchcraft. We know that it was a delusion. We now know that thousands and + thousands of innocent men, women and children were tortured and burned for + having been found guilty of an impossible crime, and we also know, if our + minds have not been deformed by faith, that all the books in which the + existence of witches is taught were written by ignorant and superstitious + men. We also know that the Old Testament asserted the existence of + witches. According to that Holy Book, Jehovah was a believer in + witchcraft, and said to his chosen people: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch + to live." + </p> + <p> + This one commandment—this simple line—demonstrates that + Jehovah was not only not God, but that he was a poor, ignorant, + superstitious savage. This one line proves beyond all possible doubt that + the Old Testament was written by men, by barbarians. + </p> + <p> + John Wesley was right when he said that to give up a belief in witchcraft + was to give up the Bible. + </p> + <p> + Give up the Devil, and what can you do with the Book of Job? How will you + account for the lying spirits that Jehovah sent to mislead Ahab? + </p> + <p> + Ministers who admit that witchcraft is a superstition will read the story + of the Witch of Endor—will read it in a solemn, reverential voice—with + a theological voice—and will have the impudence to say that they + believe it. + </p> + <p> + It would be delightful to know that angels hover in the air; that they + guard the innocent, protect the good; that they bend over the cradles and + give health and happy dreams to pallid babes; that they fill dungeons with + the light of their presence and give hope to the imprisoned; that they + follow the fallen, the erring, the outcasts, the friendless, and win them + back to virtue, love and joy. But we have no more evidence of the + existence of good spirits than of bad. The angels that visited Abraham and + the mother of Samson are as unreal as the ghosts and goblins of the Middle + Ages. The angel that stopped the donkey of Balaam, the one who walked in + the furnace flames with Meshech, Shadrack and Abed-nego, the one who slew + the Assyrians and the one who in a dream removed the suspicions of Joseph, + were all created by the imagination of the credulous, by the lovers of the + marvelous, and they have been handed down from dotage to infancy, from + ignorance to ignorance, through all the years. Except in Catholic + countries, no winged citizen of the celestial realm has visited the world + for hundreds of years. Only those who are blind to facts can see these + beautiful creatures, and only those who reach conclusions without the + assistance of evidence can believe in their existence. It is told that the + great Angelo, in decorating a church, painted some angels wearing sandals. + A cardinal looking at the picture said to the artist: "Whoever saw angels + with sandals?" Angelo answered with another question: "Whoever saw an + angel barefooted?" + </p> + <p> + The existence of angels has never been established. Of course, we know + that millions and millions have believed in seraphim and cherubim; have + believed that the angel Gabriel contended with the Devil for the body of + Moses; that angels shut the mouths of the lions for the protection of + Daniel; that angels ministered unto Christ, and that countless angels will + accompany the Savior when he comes to take possession of the world. And we + know that all these millions believe through blind, unreasoning faith, + holding all evidence and all facts in theological contempt. + </p> + <p> + But the angels come no more. They bring no balm to any wounded heart. Long + ago they folded their pinions and faded from the earth and air. These + winged guardians no longer protect the innocent; no longer cheer the + suffering; no longer whisper words of comfort to the helpless. They have + become dreams—vanished visions. + </p> + <p> + V. + </p> + <p> + In the dear old religious days the earth was flat—a little dishing, + if anything—and just above it was Jehovah's house, and just below it + was where the Devil lived. God and his angels inhabited the third story, + the Devil and his imps the basement, and the human race the second floor. + </p> + <p> + Then they knew where heaven was. They could almost hear the harps and + hallelujahs. They knew where hell was, and they could almost hear the + groans and smell the sulphurous fumes. They regarded the volcanoes as + chimneys. They were perfectly acquainted with the celestial, the + terrestrial and the infernal. They were quite familiar with the New + Jerusalem, with its golden streets and gates of pearl. Then the + translation of Enoch seemed reasonable enough, and no one doubted that + before the flood the sons of God came down and made love to the daughters + of men. The theologians thought that the builders of Babel would have + succeeded if God had not come down and caused them to forget the meaning + of words. + </p> + <p> + In those blessed days the priests knew all about heaven and hell. They + knew that God governed the world by hope and fear, by promise and threat, + by reward and punishment. The reward was to be eternal and so was the + punishment. It was not God's plan to develop the human brain, so that man + would perceive and comprehend the right and avoid the wrong. He taught + ignorance nothing but obedience, and for obedience he offered eternal joy. + He loved the submissive—the kneelers and crawlers. He hated the + doubters, the investigators, the thinkers, the philosophers. For them he + created the eternal prison where he could feed forever the hunger of his + hate. He loved the credulous—those who believed without evidence—and + for them he prepared a home in the realm of fadeless light. He delighted + in the company of the questionless. + </p> + <p> + But where is this heaven, and where is this hell? We now know that heaven + is not just above the clouds and that hell is not just below the earth. + The telescope has done away with the ancient heaven, and the revolving + world has quenched the flames of the ancient hell. These theological + countries, these imagined worlds, have disappeared. No one knows, and no + one pretends to know, where heaven is; and no one knows, and no one + pretends to know, the locality of hell. Now the theologians say that hell + and heaven are not places, but states of mind—conditions. + </p> + <p> + The belief in gods and devils has been substantially universal. Back of + the good, man placed a god; back of the evil, a devil; back of health, + sunshine and harvest was a good deity; back of disease, misfortune and + death he placed a malicious fiend. + </p> + <p> + Is there any evidence that gods and devils exist? The evidence of the + existence of a god and of a devil is substantially the same. Both of these + deities are inferences; each one is a perhaps. They have not been seen—they + are invisible—and they have not ventured within the horizon of the + senses. The old lady who said there must be a devil, else how could they + make pictures that looked exactly like him, reasoned like a trained + theologian—like a doctor of divinity. + </p> + <p> + Now no intelligent man believes in the existence of a devil—no + longer fears the leering fiend. Most people who think have given up a + personal God, a creative deity. They now talk about the "Unknown," the + "Infinite Energy," but they put Jehovah with Jupiter. They regard them + both as broken dolls from the nursery of the past. + </p> + <p> + The men or women who ask for evidence—who desire to know the truth—care + nothing for signs; nothing for what are called wonders; nothing for lucky + or unlucky jewels, days or numbers; nothing for charms or amulets; nothing + for comets or eclipses, and have no belief in good or evil spirits, in + gods or devils. They place no reliance on general or special providence—on + any power that rescues, protects and saves the good or punishes the vile + and vicious. They do not believe that in the whole history of mankind a + prayer has been answered. They think that all the sacrifices have been + wasted, and that all the incense has ascended in vain. They do not believe + that the world was created and prepared for man any more than it was + created and prepared for insects. They do not think it probable that + whales were invented to supply the Eskimo with blubber, or that flames + were created to attract and destroy moths. On every hand there seems to be + evidence of design—design for the accomplishment of good, design for + the accomplishment of evil. On every side are the benevolent and malicious—something + toiling to preserve, something laboring to destroy. Everything surrounded + by friends and enemies—by the love that protects, by the hate that + kills. Design is as apparent in decay, as in growth; in failure, as in + success; in grief, as in joy. Nature with one hand building, with one hand + tearing down, armed with sword and shield—slaying and protecting, + and protecting but to slay. All life journeying toward death, and all + death hastening back to life. Everywhere waste and economy, care and + negligence. + </p> + <p> + We watch the flow and ebb of life and death—the great drama that + forever holds the stage, where players act their parts and disappear; the + great drama in which all must act—ignorant and learned, idiotic and + insane—without rehearsal and without the slightest knowledge of a + part, or of any plot or purpose in the play. The scene shifts; some actors + disappear and others come, and again the scene shifts; mystery everywhere. + We try to explain, and the explanation of one fact contradicts another. + Behind each veil removed, another. All things equal in wonder. One drop of + water as wonderful as all the seas; one grain of sand as all the world; + one moth with painted wings as all the things that live; one egg from + which warmth, in darkness, woos to life an organized and breathing form—a + form with sinews, bones and nerves, with blood and brain, with instincts, + passions, thoughts and wants—as all the stars that wheel in space. + </p> + <p> + The smallest seed that, wrapped in soil, has dreams of April rains and + days of June, withholds its secret from the wisest men. The wisdom of the + world cannot explain one blade of grass, the faintest motion of the + smallest leaf. And yet theologians, popes, priests, parsons, who + speechless stand before the wonder of the smallest thing that is, know all + about the origin of worlds, know when the beginning was, when the end will + be, know all about the God who with a wish created all, know what his plan + and purpose was, the means he uses and the end he seeks. To them all + mysteries have been revealed, except the mystery of things that touch the + senses of a living man. + </p> + <p> + But honest men do not pretend to know; they are candid and sincere; they + love the truth; they admit their ignorance, and they say, "We do not + know." + </p> + <p> + After all, why should we worship our ignorance, why should we kneel to the + Unknown, why should we prostrate ourselves before a guess? + </p> + <p> + If God exists, how do we know that he is good, that he cares for us? The + Christians say that their God has existed from eternity; that he forever + has been, and forever will be, infinite, wise and good. Could this God + have avoided being God? Could he have avoided being good? Was he wise and + good without his wish or will? + </p> + <p> + Being from eternity, he was not produced. He was back of all cause. What + he is, he was, and will be, unchanged, unchangeable. He had nothing to do + with the making or developing of his character. + </p> + <p> + Nothing to do with the development of his mind. What he was, he is. He has + made no progress. What he is, he will be, there can be no change. Why + then, I ask, should we praise him? He could not have been different from + what he was and is. Why should we pray to him? He cannot change. + </p> + <p> + And yet Christians implore their God not to do wrong. + </p> + <p> + The meanest thing charged against the Devil is that he leads the children + of men into temptation, and yet, in the Lord's Prayer, God is insultingly + asked not to imitate the king of fiends. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Lead us not into temptation." +</pre> + <p> + Why should God demand praise? He is as lie was. He has never learned + anything; has never practiced any self-denial; was never tempted, never + touched by fear or hope, and never had a want. Why should he demand our + praise? + </p> + <p> + Does anyone know that this God exists; that he ever heard or answered any + prayer? Is it known that he governs the world; that he interferes in the + affairs of men; that he protects the good or punishes the wicked? Can + evidence of this be found in the history of mankind? If God governs the + world, why should we credit him for the good and not charge him with the + evil? To justify this God we must say that good is good and that evil is + also good. If all is done by this God we should make no distinction + between his actions—between the actions of the infinitely wise, + powerful and good. If we thank him for sunshine and harvest we should also + thank him for plague and famine. If we thank him for liberty, the slave + should raise his chained hands in worship and thank God that he toils + unpaid with the lash upon his naked back. If we thank him for victory we + should thank him for defeat. + </p> + <p> + Only a few days ago our President, by proclamation, thanked God for giving + us the victory at Santiago. He did not thank him for sending the yellow + fever. To be consistent the President should have thanked him equally for + both. + </p> + <p> + The truth is that good and evil spirits—gods and devils—are + beyond the realm of experience; beyond the horizon of our senses; beyond + the limits of our thoughts; beyond imagination's utmost flight. + </p> + <p> + Man should think; he should use all his senses; he should examine; he + should reason. The man who cannot think is less than man; the man who will + not think is traitor to himself; the man who fears to think is + superstition's slave. + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + What harm does superstition do? What harm in believing in fables, in + legends? + </p> + <p> + To believe in signs and wonders, in amulets, charms and miracles, in gods + and devils, in heavens and hells, makes the brain an insane ward, the + world a madhouse, takes all certainty from the mind, makes experience a + snare, destroys the kinship of effect and cause—the unity of nature—and + makes man a trembling serf and slave. With this belief a knowledge of + nature sheds no light upon the path to be pursued. Nature becomes a puppet + of the unseen powers. The fairy, called the supernatural, touches with her + wand a fact, it disappears. Causes are barren of effects, and effects are + independent of all natural causes. Caprice is king. The foundation is + gone. The great dome rests on air. There is no constancy in qualities, + relations or results. Reason abdicates and superstition wears her crown. + </p> + <p> + The heart hardens and the brain softens. + </p> + <p> + The energies of man are wasted in a vain effort to secure the protection + of the supernatural. Credulity, ceremony, worship, sacrifice and prayer + take the place of honest work, of investigation, of intellectual effort, + of observation, of experience. Progress becomes impossible. + </p> + <p> + Superstition is, always lias been, and forever will be, the enemy of + liberty. + </p> + <p> + Superstition created all the gods and angels, all the devils and ghosts, + all the witches, demons and goblins, gave us all the augurs, soothsayers + and prophets, filled the heavens with signs and wonders, broke the chain + of cause and effect, and wrote the history of man in miracles and lies. + Superstition made all the popes, cardinals, bishops and priests, all the + monks and nuns, the begging friars and the filthy saints, all the + preachers and exhorters, all the "called" and "set apart." Superstition + made men fall upon their knees before beasts and stones, caused them to + worship snakes and trees and insane phantoms of the air, beguiled them of + their gold and toil, and made them shed their children's blood and give + their babes to flames. Superstition built the cathedrals and temples, all + the altars, mosques and churches, filled the world with amulets and + charms, with images and idols, with sacred bones and holy hairs, with + martyrs' blood and rags, with bits, of wood that frighten devils from the + breasts of men. Superstition invented and used the instruments of torture, + flayed men and women alive, loaded millions, with chains and destroyed + hundreds of thousands with fire. Superstition mistook insanity for + inspiration and the ravings of maniacs for prophesy, for the wisdom of + God. Superstition imprisoned the virtuous, tortured the thoughtful, killed + the heroic, put chains on the body, manacles on the brain, and utterly + destroyed the liberty of speech. Superstition gave us all the prayers and + ceremonies; taught all the kneelings, genuflections and prostrations; + taught men to hate themselves, to despise pleasure, to scar their flesh, + to grovel in the dust, to desert their wives and children, to shun their + fellow-men, and to spend their lives in useless pain and prayer. + Superstition taught that human love is degrading, low and vile; taught + that monks are purer than fathers, that nuns are holier than mothers, that + faith is superior to fact, that credulity leads to heaven, that doubt is + the road to hell, that belief is better than knowledge, and that to ask + for evidence is to insult God. Superstition is, always has been, and + forever will be, the foe of progress, the enemy of education and the + assassin of freedom. It sacrifices the known to the unknown, the present + to the future, this actual world to the shadowy next. It has given us a + selfish heaven, and a hell of infinite revenge; it has filled the world + with hatred, war and crime, with the malice of meekness and the arrogance + of humility. Superstition is the only enemy of science in all the world. + </p> + <p> + Nations, races, have been destroyed by this monster. For nearly two + thousand years the infallible agent of God has lived in Italy. That + country has been covered with nunneries, monasteries, cathedrals and + temples—filled with all varieties of priests and holy men. For + centuries Italy was enriched with the gold of the faithful. All roads led + to Rome, and these roads were filled with pilgrims bearing gifts, and yet + Italy, in spite of all the prayers, steadily pursued the downward path, + died and was buried, and would at this moment be in her grave had it not + been for Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi. For her poverty, her misery, she + is indebted to the holy Catholic Church, to the infallible agents of God. + For the life she has she is indebted to the enemies of superstition. A few + years ago Italy was great enough to build a monument to Giordano Bruno—Bruno, + the victim of the "Triumphant Beast;"—Bruno, the sublimest of her + sons. + </p> + <p> + Spain was at one time owner of half the earth, and held within her greedy + hands the gold and silver of the world. At that time all nations were in + the darkness of superstition. At that time the world was governed by + priests. Spain clung to her creed. Some nations began to think, but Spain + continued to believe. In some countries, priests lost power, but not in + Spain. The power behind her throne was the cowled monk. In some countries + men began to interest themselves in science, but not in Spain. Spain told + her beads and continued to pray to the Virgin. Spain was busy-saving her + soul. In her zeal she destroyed herself. She relied on the supernatural; + not on knowledge, but superstition. Her prayers were never answered. The + saints were dead. They could not help, and the Blessed Virgin did not + hear. Some countries were in the dawn of a new day, but Spain gladly + remained in the night. With fire and sword she exterminated the men who + thought. Her greatest festival was the <i>Auto da Fe</i>. Other nations + grew great while Spain grew small. Day by day her power waned, but her + faith increased. One by one her colonies were lost, but she kept her + creed. She gave her gold to superstition, her brain to priests, but she + faithfully counted her beads. Only a few days ago, relying on her God and + his priests, on charms and amulets, on holy water and pieces of the true + cross, she waged war against the great Republic. Bishops blessed her + armies and sprinkled holy water on her ships, and yet her armies were + defeated and captured, lier ships battered, beached and burned, and in her + helplessness she sued for peace. But she has her creed; her superstition + is not lost. Poor Spain, wrecked by faith, the victim of religion! + </p> + <p> + Portugal, slowly dying, growing poorer every day, still clings to the + faith. Her prayers are never answered, but she makes them still. Austria + is nearly gone, a victim of superstition. Germany is traveling toward the + night. God placed her Kaiser on the throne. The people must obey. + Philosophers and scientists fall upon, their knees and become the puppets + of the divinely crowned. + </p> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + The believers in the supernatural, in a power superior to nature, in God, + have what they call "inspired books." These books contain the absolute + truth. They must be believed. He who denies them will be punished with + eternal pain. These books are not addressed to human reason. They are + above reason. They care nothing for what a man calls "facts." Facts that + do not agree with these books are mistakes. These books are independent of + human experience, of human reason. + </p> + <p> + Our inspired books constitute what we call the "Bible." The man who reads + this inspired book, looking for contradictions, mistakes and + interpolations, imperils the salvation of his soul. While he reads he has + no right to think, no right to reason. To believe is his only duty. + </p> + <p> + Millions of men have wasted their lives in the study of this book—in + trying to harmonize contradictions and to explain the obscure and + seemingly absurd. In doing this they have justified nearly every crime and + every cruelty. In its follies they have found the profoundest wisdom. + Hundreds of creeds have been constructed from its inspired passages. + </p> + <p> + Probably no two of its readers have agreed as to its meaning. Thousands + have studied Hebrew and Greek that they might read the Old and New + Testament in the languages in which they were written. The more they + studied, the more they differed. By the same book they proved that nearly + everybody is to be lost, and that all are to be saved; that slavery is a + divine institution, and that all men should be free; that polygamy is + right, and that no man should have more than one wife; that the powers + that be are ordained of God, and that the people have a right to overturn + and destroy the powers that be; that all the actions of men were + predestined—preordained from eternity, and yet that man is free; + that all the heathen will be lost; that all the heathen will be saved; + that all men who live according to the light of nature will be damned for + their pains; that you must be baptized by sprinkling; that you must be + baptized by immersion; that there is no salvation without baptism; that + baptism is useless; that you must believe in the Trinity; that it is + sufficient to believe in God; that you must believe that a Hebrew peasant + was God; that at the same time he was half man, that he was of the blood + of David through his supposed father Joseph, who was not his father, and + that it is not necessary to believe that Christ was God; that you must + believe that the Holy Ghost proceeded; that it makes no difference whether + you do or not; that you must keep the Sabbath holy; that Christ taught + nothing of the kind; that Christ established a church; that he established + no church; that the dead are to be raised; that there is to be no + resurrection; that Christ is coming again; that he has made his last + visit; that Christ went to hell and preached to the spirits in prison; + that he did nothing of the kind; that all the Jews are going to perdition; + that they are all going to heaven; that all the miracles described in the + Bible were performed; that some of them were not, because they are + foolish, childish and idiotic; that all the Bible is inspired; that some + of the books are not inspired; that there is to be a general judgment, + when the sheep and goats are to be divided; that there never will be any + general judgment; that the sacramental bread and wine are changed into the + flesh and blood of God and the Trinity; that they are not changed; that + God has no flesh or blood; that there is a place called "purgatory;" that + there is no such place; that unbaptized infants will be lost; that they + will be saved; that we must believe the Apostles' Creed; that the apostles + made no creed; that the Holy Ghost was the father of Christ; that Joseph + was his father; that the Holy Ghost had the form of a dove; that there is + no Holy Ghost; that heretics should be killed; that you must not resist + evil; that you should murder unbelievers; that you must love your enemies; + that you should take no thought for the morrow, but should be diligent in + business; that you should lend to all who ask, and that One who does not + provide for his own household is worse than an infidel. + </p> + <p> + In defence of all these creeds, all these contradictions, thousands of + volumes have been written, millions of sermons have been preached, + countless swords reddened with blood, and thousands and thousands of + nights made lurid with the faggot's flames. + </p> + <p> + Hundreds and hundreds of commentators have obscured and darkened the + meaning of the plainest texts, spiritualized dates, names, numbers and + even genealogies. They have degraded the poetic, changed parables to + history, and imagery to stupid and impossible facts. They have wrestled + with rhapsody and prophecy, with visions and dreams, with illusions and + delusions, with myths and miracles, with the blunders of ignorance, the + ravings of insanity and the ecstasy of hysterics. Millions of priests and + preachers have added to the mysteries of the inspired book by explanation, + by showing the wisdom of foolishness, the foolishness of wisdom, the mercy + of cruelty and the probability of the impossible. + </p> + <p> + The theologians made the Bible a master and the people its slaves. With + this book they destroyed intellectual veracity, the natural manliness of + man. With this book they banished pity from the heart, subverted all ideas + of justice and fairness, imprisoned the soul in the dungeon of fear and + made honest doubt a crime. + </p> + <p> + Think of what the world has suffered from fear. Think of the millions who + were driven to insanity. Think of the fearful nights—nights filled + with phantoms, with flying, crawling monsters, with hissing serpents that + slowly uncoiled, with vague and formless horrors, with burning and + malicious eyes. + </p> + <p> + Think of the fear of death, of infinite wrath, of everlasting revenge in + the prisons of fire, of an eternity, of thirst, of endless regret, of the + sobs and sighs, the shrieks and groans of eternal pain! + </p> + <p> + Think of the hearts hardened, of the hearts broken, of the cruelties + inflicted, of the agonies endured, of the lives darkened. + </p> + <p> + The inspired Bible has been and is the greatest curse of Christendom, and + will so remain as long as it is held to be inspired. + </p> + <p> + VIII. + </p> + <p> + Our God was made by men, sculptured by savages who did the best they + could. They made our God somewhat like themselves, and gave to him their + passions, their ideas of right and wrong. + </p> + <p> + As man advanced he slowly changed his God—took a little ferocity + from his heart, and put the light of kindness in his eyes. As man + progressed he obtained a wider view, extended the intellectual horizon, + and again he changed his God, making him as nearly perfect as he could, + and yet this God was patterned after those who made him. As man became + civilized, as he became merciful, he began to love justice, and as his + mind expanded his ideal became purer, nobler, and so his God became more + merciful, more loving. + </p> + <p> + In our day Jehovah has been outgrown. He is no longer the perfect. Now + theologians talk, not about Jehovah, but about a God of love, call him the + Eternal Father and the perpetual friend and providence of man. But, while + they talk about this God of love, cyclones wreck and rend, the earthquake + devours, the flood destroys, the red bolt leaping from the cloud still + crashes the life out of men, and plague and fever still are tireless + reapers in the harvest fields of death. + </p> + <p> + They tell us now that all is good; that evil is but blessing in disguise, + that pain makes strong and virtuous men—makes character—while + pleasure enfeebles and degrades. If this be so, the souls in hell should + grow to greatness, while those in heaven should shrink and shrivel. + </p> + <p> + But we know that good is good. We know that good is not evil, and that + evil is not good. We know that light is not darkness, and that darkness is + not light. But we do not feel that good and evil were planned and caused + by a supernatural God. We regard them both as necessities. We neither + thank nor curse. We know that some evil can be avoided and that the good + can be increased. We know that this can be done by increasing knowledge, + by developing the brain. + </p> + <p> + As Christians have changed their God, so they have accordingly changed + their Bible. The impossible and absurd, the cruel and the infamous, have + been mostly thrown aside, and thousands are now engaged in trying to save + the inspired word. Of course, the orthodox still cling to every word, and + still insist that every line is true. They are literalists. + </p> + <p> + To them the Bible means exactly what it says. + </p> + <p> + They want no explanation. They care nothing for commentators. + Contradictions cannot disturb their faith. They deny that any + contradictions exist. They loyally stand by the sacred text, and they give + it the narrowest possible interpretation. They are like the janitor of an + apartment house who refused to rent a flat to a gentleman because he said + he had children. "But," said the gentleman, "my children are both married + and live in Iowa." "That makes no difference," said the janitor, "I am not + allowed to rent a flat to any man who has children." + </p> + <p> + All the orthodox churches are obstructions on the highway of progress. + Every orthodox creed is a chain, a dungeon. Every believer in the + "inspired book" is a slave who drives reason from her throne, and in her + stead crowns fear. + </p> + <p> + Reason is the light, the sun, of the brain. It is the compass of the mind, + the ever-constant Northern Star, the mountain peak that lifts itself above + all clouds. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + There were centuries of darkness when religion had control of Christendom. + Superstition was almost universal. Not one in twenty thousand could read + or write. During these centuries the people lived with their back to the + sunrise, and pursued their way toward the dens of ignorance and faith. + There was no progress, no invention, no discovery. On every hand cruelty + and worship, persecution and prayer. The priests were the enemies of + thought, of investigation. They were the shepherds, and the people were + their sheep and it was their business to guard the flock from the wolves + of thought and doubt. This world was of no importance compared with the + next. This life was to be spent in preparing for the life to come. The + gold and labor of men were wasted in building cathedrals and in supporting + the pious and the useless. During these Dark Ages of Christianity, as I + said before, nothing was invented, nothing was discovered, calculated to + increase the well-being of men. The energies of Christendom were wasted in + the vain effort to obtain assistance from the supernatural. + </p> + <p> + For centuries the business of Christians was to wrest from the followers + of Mohammed the empty sepulcher of Christ. Upon the altar of this folly + millions of lives were sacrificed, and yet the soldiers of the impostor + were victorious, and the wretches who carried the banner of Christ were + scattered like leaves before the storm. + </p> + <p> + There was, I believe, one invention during these ages. It is said that, in + the thirteenth century, Roger Bacon, a Franciscan monk, invented + gunpowder, but this invention was without a fellow. Yet we cannot give + Christianity the credit, because Bacon was an infidel, and was great + enough to say that in all things reason must be the standard. He was + persecuted and imprisoned, as most sensible men were in those blessed + days. The church was triumphant. The sceptre and mitre were in her hands, + and yet her success was the result of force and fraud, and it carried + within itself the seeds of its defeat. The church attempted the + impossible. It endeavored to make the world of one belief; to force all + minds to a common form, and utterly destroy the individuality of man. To + accomplish this it employed every art and artifice that cunning could + suggest It inflicted every cruelty by every means that malice could + invent. + </p> + <p> + But, in spite of all, a few men began to think. + </p> + <p> + They became interested in the affairs of this world—in the great + panorama of nature. They began to seek for causes, for the explanations of + phenomena. They were not satisfied with the assertions of the church. + These thinkers withdrew their gaze from the skies and looked at their own + surroundings. They were unspiritual enough to desire comfort here. They + became sensible and secular, worldly and wise. + </p> + <p> + What was the result? They began to invent, to discover, to find the + relation between facts, the conditions of happiness and the means that + would increase the well-being of their fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + Movable types were invented, paper was borrowed from the Moors, books + appeared, and it became possible to save the intellectual wealth so that + each generation could hand it to the next. History began to take the place + of legend and rumor. The telescope was invented. The orbits of the stars + were traced, and men became citizens of the universe. The steam engine was + constructed, and now steam, the great slave, does the work of hundreds of + millions of men. The Black Art, the impossible, was abandoned, and + chemistry, the useful, took its place. Astrology became astronomy. Kepler + discovered the three great laws, one of the greatest triumphs of human + genius, and our constellation became a poem, a symphony. Newton gave us + the mathematical expression of the attraction of gravitation. Harvey + discovered the circulation of the blood. He gave us the fact, and Draper + gave us the reason. Steamships conquered the seas and railways covered the + land. Houses and streets were lighted with gas. Through the invention of + matches fire became the companion of man. The art of photography became + known; the sun became an artist. Telegraphs and cables were invented. The + lightning became a carrier of thought, and the nations became neighbors. + Anaesthetics were discovered and pain was lost in sleep. Surgery became a + science. The telephone was invented—the telephone that carries and + deposits in listening ears the waves of words. The phonograph, that + catches and retains in marks and dots and gives again the echoes of our + speech. + </p> + <p> + Then came electric light that fills the night with day, and all the + wonderful machines that use the subtle force—the same force that + leaps from the summer cloud to ravage and destroy. + </p> + <p> + The Spectrum Analysis that tells us of the substance of the sun; the Röntgen + rays that change the opaque to the transparent. The great thinkers + demonstrated the indestructibility of force and matter—demonstrated + that the indestructible could not have been created. The geologist, in + rocks and deposits and mountains and continents, read a little of the + story of the world—of its changes, of the glacial epoch—the + story of vegetable and animal life. + </p> + <p> + The biologists, through the fossil forms of life, established the + antiquity of man and demonstrated the worthlessness of Holy Writ. Then + came evolution, the survival of the fittest and natural selection. + Thousands of mysteries were explained and science wrested the sceptre from + superstition. The cell theory was advanced, and embryology was studied; + the microscope discovered germs of disease and taught us how to stay the + plague. These great theories and discoveries, together with countless + inventions, are the children of intellectual liberty. + </p> + <p> + X. + </p> + <p> + After all we know but little. In the darkness of life there are a few + gleams of light. Possibly the dropping of a dishcloth prophesies the + coming of company, but we have no evidence. Possibly it is dangerous for + thirteen to dine together, but we have no evidence. Possibly a maiden's + matrimonial chances are determined by the number of seeds in an apple, or + by the number of leaves on a flower, but we have no evidence. Possibly + certain stones give good luck to the wearer, while the wearing of others + brings loss and death. Possibly a glimpse of the new moon over the left + shoulder brings misfortune. Possibly there are curative virtues in old + bones, in sacred rags and holy hairs, in images and bits of wood, in rusty + nails and dried blood, but the trouble is we have no evidence. Possibly + comets, eclipses and shooting stars foretell the death of kings, the + destruction of nations or the coming of plague. Possibly devils take + possession of the bodies and minds of men. Possibly witches, with the + Devil's help, control the winds, breed storms on sea and land, fill + summer's lap with frosts and snow, and work with charm and spell against + the public weal, but of this we have no evidence. It may be that all the + miracles described in the Old and New Testament were performed; that the + pallid flesh of the dead felt once more the thrill of life; that the + corpse arose and felt upon his smiling lips the kiss of wife and child. + Possibly water was turned into wine, loaves and fishes increased, and + possibly devils were expelled from men and women; possibly fishes were + found with money in their mouths; possibly clay and spittle brought back + the light to sightless eyes, and possibly words cured disease and made the + leper clean, but of this we have no evidence. + </p> + <p> + Possibly iron floated, rivers divided, waters burst from dry bones, birds + carried food to prophets and angels flourished drawn swords, but of this + we have no evidence. + </p> + <p> + Possibly Jehovah employed lying spirits to deceive a king, and all the + wonders of the savage world may have happened, but the trouble is there is + no proof. + </p> + <p> + So there may be a Devil, almost infinite in cunning and power, and he may + have a countless number of imps whose only business is to sow the seeds of + evil and to vex, mislead, capture and imprison in eternal flames the souls + of men. All this, so far as we know, is possible. All we know is that we + have no evidence except the assertions of ignorant priests. + </p> + <p> + Possibly there is a place called "hell," where all the devils live—a + hell whose flames are waiting for, all the men who think and have the + courage to express their thoughts, for all who fail to credit priests and + sacred books, for all who walk the path that reason lights, for all the + good and brave who lack credulity and faith—but of this, I am happy + to say, there is no proof. + </p> + <p> + And so there may be a place called "heaven," the home of God, where angels + float and fly and play on harps and hear with joy the groans and shrieks + of the lost in hell, but of this there is no evidence. + </p> + <p> + It all rests on dreams and visions of the insane. + </p> + <p> + There may be a power superior to nature, a power that governs and directs + all things, but the existence of this power has not been established. + </p> + <p> + In the presence of the mysteries of life and thought, of force and + substance, of growth and decay, of birth and death, of joy and pain, of + the sufferings of the good, the triumphs of wrong, the intelligent honest + man is compelled to say: "I do not know." + </p> + <p> + But we do know how gods and devils, heavens and hells, have been made. We + know the history of inspired books—the origin of religions. We know + how the seeds of superstition were planted and what made them grow. We + know that all superstitions, all creeds, all follies and mistakes, all + crimes and cruelties, all virtues, vices, hopes and fears, all discoveries + and inventions, have been naturally produced. By the light of reason we + divide the useful from the hurtful, the false from the true. + </p> + <p> + We know the past—the paths that man has traveled—his mistakes, + his triumphs. We know a few facts, a few fragments, and the imagination, + the artist of the mind, with these facts, these fragments, rebuilds the + past, and on the canvas of the future deftly paints the things to be. + </p> + <p> + We believe in the natural, in the unbroken and unbreakable succession of + causes and effects. We deny the existence of the supernatural. We do not + believe in any God who can be pleased with incense, with kneeling, with + bell-ringing, psalm-singing, bead-counting, fasting or prayer—in any + God who can be flattered by words of faith or fear. + </p> + <p> + We believe in the natural. We have no fear of devils, ghosts or hells. We + believe that Mahatmas, astral bodies, materializations of spirits, crystal + gazing, seeing the future, telepathy, mind reading and Christian Science + are only cunning frauds, the genuineness of which is established by the + testimony of incompetent, honest witnesses. We believe that Cunning plates + fraud with the gold of honesty, and veneers vice with virtue. + </p> + <p> + We know that millions are seeking the impossible—trying to secure + the aid of the supernatural—to solve the problem of life—to + guess the riddle of destiny, and to pluck from the future its secret. We + know that all their efforts are in vain. + </p> + <p> + We believe in the natural. We believe in home and fireside—in wife + and child and friend—in the realities of this world. We have faith + in facts—in knowledge—in the development of the brain. We + throw away superstition and welcome science. We banish the phantoms, the + mistakes and lies and cling to the truth. We do not enthrone the unknown + and crown our ignorance. We do not stand with our backs to the sun and + mistake our shadow for God. + </p> + <p> + We do not create a master and thankfully wear his chains. We do not + enslave ourselves. We want no leaders—no followers. Our desire is + that every human being shall be true to himself, to his ideal, unbribed by + promises, careless of threats. We want no tyrant on the earth or in the + air. + </p> + <p> + We know that superstition has given us delusions and illusions, dreams and + visions, ceremonies and cruelties, faith and fanaticism, beggars and + bigots, persecutions and prayers, theology and torture, piety and poverty, + saints and slaves, miracles and mummeries, disease and death. + </p> + <p> + We know that science has given us all we have of value. Science is the + only civilizer. It has freed the slave, clothed the naked, fed the hungry, + lengthened life, given us homes and hearths, pictures and books, ships and + railways, telegraphs and cables, engines that tirelessly turn the + countless wheels, and it has destroyed the monsters, the phantoms, the + winged horrors that filled the savage brain. + </p> + <p> + Science is the real redeemer. It will put honesty above hypocrisy; mental + veracity above all belief. It will teach the religion of usefulness. It + will destroy bigotry in all its forms. It will put thoughtful doubt above + thoughtless faith. It will give us philosophers, thinkers and savants, + instead of priests, theologians and saints. It will abolish poverty and + crime, and greater, grander, nobler than all else, it will make the whole + world free. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0009" id="link0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE DEVIL. + </h2> + <p> + IF THE DEVIL SHOULD DIE WOULD GOD MAKE ANOTHER? + </p> + <p> + A little while ago I delivered a lecture on "Superstition," in which, + among other things, I said that the Christian world could not deny the + existence of the Devil; that the Devil was really the keystone of the + arch, and that to take him away was to destroy the entire system. + </p> + <p> + A great many clergymen answered or criticised this statement. Some of + these ministers avowed their belief in the existence of his Satanic + Majesty, while others actually denied his existence; but some, without + stating their own position, said that others believed, not in the + existence of a personal devil, but in the personification of evil, and + that all references to the Devil in the Scriptures could be explained on + the hypothesis that the Devil thus alluded to was simply a personification + of evil. + </p> + <p> + When I read these answers I thought of this line from Heine: "Christ rode + on an ass, but now asses ride on Christ." + </p> + <p> + Now, the questions are, first, whether the Devil does really exist; + second, whether the sacred Scriptures teach the existence of the Devil and + of unclean spirits, and third, whether this belief in devils is a + necessary part of what is known as "orthodox Christianity." + </p> + <p> + Now, where did the idea that a Devil exists come from? How was it + produced? + </p> + <p> + Fear is an artist—a sculptor—a painter. All tribes and + nations, having suffered, having been the sport and prey of natural + phenomena, having been struck by lightning, poisoned by weeds, overwhelmed + by volcanoes, destroyed by earthquakes, believed in the existence of a + Devil, who was the king—the ruler—of innumerable smaller + devils, and all these devils have been from time immemorial regarded as + the enemies of men. + </p> + <p> + Along the banks of the Ganges wandered the Asuras, the most powerful of + evil spirits. Their business was to war against the Devas—that is to + say, the gods—and at the same time against human beings. There, too, + were the ogres, the Jakshas and many others who killed and devoured human + beings. + </p> + <p> + The Persians turned this around, and with them the Asuras were good and + the Devas bad. Ormuzd was the good—the god—Ahriman the evil—the + devil —and between the god and the devil was waged a perpetual war. + Some of the Persians thought that the evil would finally triumph, but + others insisted that the good would be the victor. + </p> + <p> + In Egypt the devil was Set—or, as usually called, Typhon—and + the good god was Osiris. Set and his legions fought against Osiris and + against the human race. + </p> + <p> + Among the Greeks, the Titans were the enemies of the gods. Ate was the + spirit that tempted, and such was her power that at one time she tempted + and misled the god of gods, even Zeus himself. + </p> + <p> + These ideas about gods and devils often changed, because in the days of + Socrates a demon was not a devil, but a guardian angel. + </p> + <p> + We obtain our Devil from the Jews, and they got him from Babylon. The Jews + cultivated the science of Demonology, and at one time it was believed that + there were nine kinds of demons: Beelzebub, prince of the false gods of + the other nations; the Pythian Apollo, prince of liars; Belial, prince of + mischief-makers; Asmodeus, prince of revengeful devils; Satan, prince of + witches and magicians; Meresin, prince of aerial devils, who caused + thunderstorms and plagues; Abaddon, who caused wars, tumults and + combustions; Diabolus, who drives to despair, and Mammon, prince of the + tempters. + </p> + <p> + It was believed that demons and sorcerers frequently came together and + held what were called "Sabbats;" that is to say, orgies. It was also known + that sorcerers and witches had marks on their bodies that had been + imprinted by the Devil. + </p> + <p> + Of course these devils were all made by the people, and in these devils we + find the prejudices of their makers. The Europeans always represent their + devils as black, while the Africans believed that theirs were white. + </p> + <p> + So, it was believed that people by the aid of the Devil could assume any + shape that they wished. Witches and wizards were changed into wolves, + dogs, cats and serpents. This change to animal form was exceedingly + common. + </p> + <p> + Within two years, between 1598 and 1600, in one district of France, the + district of Jura, more than six hundred men and women were tried and + convicted before one judge of having changed themselves into wolves, and + all were put to death. + </p> + <p> + This is only one instance. There are thousands. + </p> + <p> + There is no time to give the history of this belief in devils. It has been + universal. The consequences have been terrible beyond the imagination. + Millions and millions of men, women and children, of fathers and mothers, + have been sacrificed upon the altar of this ignorant and idiotic belief. + </p> + <p> + Of course, the Christians of to-day do not believe that the devils of the + Hindus, Egyptians, Persians or Babylonians existed. They think that those + nations created their own devils, precisely the same as they did their own + gods. But the Christians of to-day admit that for many centuries + Christians did believe in the existence of countless devils; that the + Fathers of the church believed as sincerely in the Devil and his demons as + in God and his angels; that they were just as sure about hell as heaven. + </p> + <p> + I admit that people did the best they could to account for what they saw, + for what they experienced. I admit that the devils as well as the gods + were naturally produced—the effect of nature upon the human brain. + The cause of phenomena filled our ancestors not only with wonder, but with + terror. The miraculous, the supernatural, was not only believed in, but + was always expected. + </p> + <p> + A man walking in the woods at night—just a glimmering of the moon—everything + uncertain and shadowy—sees a monstrous form. One arm is raised. His + blood grows cold, his hair lifts. In the gloom he sees the eyes of an ogre—eyes + that flame with malice. He feels that the something is approaching. He + turns, and with a cry of horror takes to his heels. He is afraid to look + back. Spent, out of breath, shaking with fear, he reaches his hut and + falls at the door. When he regains consciousness, he tells his story and, + of course, the children believe. When they become men and women they tell + father's story of having seen the Devil to their children, and so the + children and grandchildren not only believe, but think they know, that + their father—their grandfather—actually saw a devil. + </p> + <p> + An old woman sitting by the fire at night—a storm raging without—hears + the mournful sough of the wind. To her it becomes a voice. Her imagination + is touched, and the voice seems to utter words. Out of these words she + constructs a message or a warning from the unseen world. If the words are + good, she has heard an angel; if they are threatening and malicious, she + has heard a devil. She tells this to her children and they believe. They + say that mother's religion is good enough for them. A girl suffering from + hysteria falls into a trance—has visions of the infernal world. The + priest sprinkles holy water on her pallid face, saying: "She hath a + devil." A man utters a terrible cry; falls to the ground; foam and blood + issue from his mouth; his limbs are convulsed. The spectators say: "This + is the Devil's work." + </p> + <p> + Through all the ages people have mistaken dreams and visions of fear for + realities. To them the insane were inspired; epileptics were possessed by + devils; apoplexy was the work of an unclean spirit. For many centuries + people believed that they had actually seen the malicious phantoms of the + night, and so thorough was this belief—so vivid—that they made + pictures of them. They knew how they looked. They drew and chiseled their + hoofs, their horns—all their malicious deformities. + </p> + <p> + Now, I admit that all these monsters were naturally produced. The people + believed that hell was their native land; that the Devil was a king, and + that lie and his imps waged war against the children of men. Curiously + enough some of these devils were made out of degraded gods, and, naturally + enough, many devils were made out of the gods of other nations. So that + frequently the gods of one people were the devils of another. + </p> + <p> + In nature there are opposing forces. Some of the forces work for what man + calls good; some for what he calls evil. Back of these forces our + ancestors put will, intelligence and design. They could not believe that + the good and evil came from the same being. So back of the good they put + God; back of the evil, the Devil. + </p> + <p> + II. THE ATLAS OF CHRISTIANITY IS THE DEVIL. + </p> + <p> + The religion known as "Christianity" was invented by God himself to repair + in part the wreck and ruin that had resulted from the Devil's work. + </p> + <p> + Take the Devil from the scheme of salvation—from the atonement—from + the dogma of eternal pain—and the foundation is gone. + </p> + <p> + The Devil is the keystone of the arch. + </p> + <p> + He inflicted the wounds that Christ came to heal. He corrupted the human + race. + </p> + <p> + The question now is: Does the Old Testament teach the existence of the + Devil? + </p> + <p> + If the Old Testament teaches anything, it does teach the existence of the + Devil, of Satan, of the Serpent, of the enemy of God and man, the deceiver + of men and women. + </p> + <p> + Those who believe the Scriptures are compelled to say that this Devil was + created by God, and that God knew when he created him just what he would + do—the exact measure of his success; knew that he would be a + successful rival; knew that he would deceive and corrupt the children of + men; knew that, by reason of this Devil, countless millions of human + beings would suffer eternal torment in the prison of pain. And this God + also knew when he created the Devil, that he, God, would be compelled to + leave his throne, to be bom a babe in Palestine, and to suffer a cruel + death. All this he knew when he created the Devil. Why did he create him? + </p> + <p> + It is no answer to say that this Devil was once an angel of light and fell + from his high estate because he was free. God knew what he would do with + his freedom when he made him and gave him liberty of action, and as a + matter of fact must have made him with the intention that he should rebel; + that he should fall; that he should become a devil; that he should tempt + and corrupt the father and mother of the human race; that he should make + hell a necessity, and that, in consequence of his creation, countless + millions of the children of men would suffer eternal pain. Why did he + create him? + </p> + <p> + Admit that God is infinitely wise. Has he ingenuity enough to frame an + excuse for the creation of the Devil? + </p> + <p> + Does the Old Testament teach the existence of a real, living Devil? + </p> + <p> + The first account of this being is found in Genesis, and in that account + he is called the "Serpent." He is declared to have been more subtle than + any beast of the field. According to the account, this Serpent had a + conversation with Eve, the first woman. We are not told in what language + they conversed, or how they understood each other, as this was the first + time they had met. Where did Eve get her language? Where did the Serpent + get his? Of course, such questions are impudent, but at the same time they + are natural. + </p> + <p> + The result of this conversation was that Eve ate the forbidden fruit and + induced Adam to do the same. This is what is called the "Fall," and for + this they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. + </p> + <p> + On account of this, God cursed the earth with weeds and thorns and + brambles, cursed man with toil, made woman a slave, and cursed maternity + with pain and sorrow. + </p> + <p> + How men—good men—can worship this God; how women—good + women—can love this Jehovah, is beyond my imagination. + </p> + <p> + In addition to the other curses the Serpent was cursed—condemned to + crawl on his belly and to eat dust. We do not know by what means, before + that time, he moved from place to place—whether he walked or flew; + neither do we know on what food he lived; all we know is that after that + time he crawled and lived on dust. Jehovah told him that this he should do + all the days of his life. It would seem from this that the Serpent was not + at that time immortal—that there was somewhere in the future a + milepost at which the life of this Serpent stopped. Whether he is living + yet or not, I am not certain. + </p> + <p> + It will not do to say that this is allegory, or a poem, because this + proves too much. If the Serpent did not in fact exist, how do we know that + Adam and Eve existed? Is all that is said about God allegory, and poetic, + or mythical? Is the whole account, after all, an ignorant dream? + </p> + <p> + Neither will it do to say that the Devil—the Serpent—was a + personification of evil. Do personifications of evil talk? Can a + personification of evil crawl on its belly? Can a personification of evil + eat dust? If we say that the Devil was a personification of evil, are we + not at the same time compelled to say that Jehovah was a personification + of good; that the Garden of Eden was the personification of a place, and + that the whole story is a personification of something that did not + happen? Maybe that Adam and Eve were not driven out of the Garden; they + may have suffered only the personification of exile. And maybe the + cherubim placed at the gate of Eden, with flaming swords, were only + personifications of policemen. + </p> + <p> + There is no escape. If the Old Testament is true, the Devil does exist, + and it is impossible to explain him away without at the same time + explaining God away. + </p> + <p> + So there are many references to devils, and spirits of divination and of + evil which I have not the time to call attention to; but, in the Book of + Job, Satan, the Devil has a conversation with God. It is this Devil that + brings the sorrows and losses on the upright man. It is this Devil that + raises the storm that wrecks the homes of Job's children. It is this Devil + that kills the children of Job. Take this Devil from that book, and all + meaning, plot and purpose fade away. + </p> + <p> + Is it possible to say that the Devil in Job was only a personification of + evil? + </p> + <p> + In Chronicles we are told that Satan provoked David to number Israel. For + this act of David, caused by the Devil, God did not smite the Devil, did + not punish David, but he killed 70,000 poor innocent Jews who had done + nothing but stand up and be counted. + </p> + <p> + Was this Devil who tempted David a personification of evil, or was Jehovah + a personification of the devilish? + </p> + <p> + In Zachariah we are told that Joshua stood before the angel of the Lord, + and that Satan stood at his right hand to resist him, and that the Lord + rebuked Satan. + </p> + <p> + If words convey any meaning, the Old Testament teaches the existence of + the Devil. + </p> + <p> + All the passages about witches and those having familiar spirits were born + of a belief in the Devil. + </p> + <p> + When a man who loved Jehovah wanted revenge on his enemy he fell on his + holy knees, and from a heart full of religion he cried: "Let Satan stand + at his right hand." + </p> + <p> + III. TAKE THE DEVIL FROM THE DRAMA OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE PLOT IS GONE. + </p> + <p> + The next question is: Does the New Testament teach the existence of the + Devil? + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, the New Testament is far more explicit than the Old. + The Jews, believing that Jehovah was God, had very little business for a + devil. Jehovah was wicked enough and malicious enough to take the Devil's + place. + </p> + <p> + The first reference in the New Testament to the Devil is in the fourth + chapter of Matthew. We are told that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the + wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. + </p> + <p> + It seems that he was not led by the Devil into the wilderness, but by the + Spirit; that the Spirit and the Devil were acting together in a kind of + pious conspiracy. + </p> + <p> + In the wilderness Jesus fasted forty days, and then the Devil asked him to + turn stones into bread. The Devil also took him to Jerusalem and set him + on a pinnacle of the temple, and tried to induce him to leap to the earth. + The Devil also took him to the top of a mountain and showed him all the + kingdoms of the world and offered them all to him in exchange for his + worship. Jesus refused. The Devil went away and angels came and ministered + to Christ. + </p> + <p> + Now, the question is: Did the author of this account believe in the + existence of the Devil, or did he regard this Devil as a personification + of evil, and did he intend that his account should be understood as an + allegory, or as a poem, or as a myth. + </p> + <p> + Was Jesus tempted? If he was tempted, who tempted him? Did anybody offer + him the kingdoms of the world? + </p> + <p> + Did the writer of the account try to convey to the reader the thought that + Christ was tempted by the Devil? + </p> + <p> + If Christ was not tempted by the Devil, then the temptation was bom in his + own heart. If that be true, can it be said that he was divine? If these + adders, these vipers, were coiled in his bosom, was he the son of God? Was + he pure? + </p> + <p> + In the same chapter we are told that Christ healed "those which were + possessed of devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the + palsy." From this it is evident that a distinction was made between those + possessed with devils and those whose minds were affected and those who + were afflicted with diseases. + </p> + <p> + In the eighth chapter we are told that people brought unto Christ many + that were possessed with devils, and that he cast out the spirits with his + word. Now, can we say that these people were possessed with + personifications of evil, and that these personifications of evil were + cast out? Are these personifications entities? Have they form and shape? + Do they occupy space? + </p> + <p> + Then comes the story of the two men possessed with devils who came from + the tombs, and were exceeding fierce. It is said that when they saw Jesus + they cried out: "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art + thou come hither to torment us before the time?" + </p> + <p> + If these were simply personifications of evil, how did they know that + Jesus was the Son of God, and how can a personification of evil be + tormented? + </p> + <p> + We are told that at the same time, a good way off, many swine were + feeding, and that the devils besought Christ, saying: "If thou cast us + out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine." And he said unto them: + "Go." + </p> + <p> + Is it possible that personifications of evil would desire to enter the + bodies of swine, and is it possible that it was necessary for them to have + the consent of Christ before they could enter the swine? The question + naturally arises: How did they enter into the body of the man? Did they do + that without Christ's consent, and is it a fact that Christ protects swine + and neglects human beings? Can personifications have desires? + </p> + <p> + In the ninth chapter of Matthew there was a dumb man brought to Jesus, + possessed with a devil. Jesus cast out the devil and the dumb man spake. + </p> + <p> + Did a personification of evil prevent the dumb man from talking? Did it in + some way paralyze his organs of speech? Could it have done this had it + only been a personification of evil? + </p> + <p> + In the tenth chapter Jesus gives his twelve disciples power to cast out + unclean spirits. What were unclean spirits supposed to be? Did they really + exist? Were they shadows, impersonations, allegories? + </p> + <p> + When Jesus sent his disciples forth on the great mission to convert the + world, among other things he told them to heal the sick, to raise the dead + and to cast out devils. Here a distinction is made between the sick and + those who were possessed by evil spirits. + </p> + <p> + Now, what did Christ mean by devils? + </p> + <p> + In the twelfth chapter we are told of a very remarkable case. There was + brought unto Jesus one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb, and Jesus + healed him. The blind and dumb both spake and saw. Thereupon the Pharisees + said: "This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub, the prince + of devils." + </p> + <p> + Jesus answered by saying: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought + to desolation. If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself." + </p> + <p> + Why did not Christ tell the Pharisees that he did not cast out devils—only + personifications of evil; and that with these personifications Beelzebub + had nothing to do? + </p> + <p> + Another question: Did the Pharisees believe in the existence of devils, or + had they the personification idea? + </p> + <p> + At the same time Christ said: "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, + then the kingdom of God is come unto you." + </p> + <p> + If he meant anything by these words he certainly intended to convey the + idea that what he did demonstrated the superiority of God over the Devil. + </p> + <p> + Did Christ believe in the existence of the Devil? + </p> + <p> + In the fifteenth chapter is the account of the woman of Canaan who cried + unto Jesus, saying: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My + daughter is sorely vexed with a devil." On account of her faith Christ + made the daughter whole. + </p> + <p> + In the sixteenth chapter a man brought his son to Jesus. The boy was a + lunatic, sore vexed, oftentimes falling in the fire and water. The + disciples had tried to cure him and had failed. Jesus rebuked the devil, + and the devil departed out of him and the boy was cured. Was the devil in + this case a personification of evil? + </p> + <p> + The disciples then asked Jesus why they could not cast that devil out. + Jesus told them that it was because of their unbelief, and then added: + "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." From this it + would seem that some personifications were easier to expel than others. + </p> + <p> + The first chapter of Mark throws a little light on the story of the + temptation of Christ. Matthew tells us that Jesus was led up of the Spirit + into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. In Mark we are told who + this Spirit was: + </p> + <p> + "And straightway coming up out of the water he saw the heavens opened, and + the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. + </p> + <p> + "And there came a voice from heaven, saying: 'Thou art my beloved Son, in + whom I am well pleased.' + </p> + <p> + "And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness." + </p> + <p> + Why the Holy Ghost should hand Christ over to the tender mercies of the + Devil is not explained. And it is all the more wonderful when we remember + that the Holy Ghost was the third person in the Trinity and Christ the + second, and that this Holy Ghost was, in fact, God, and that Christ also + was, in fact, God, so that God led God into the wilderness to be tempted + of the Devil. + </p> + <p> + We are told that Christ was in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan, + and was with the wild beasts, and that the angels ministered unto him. + </p> + <p> + Were these angels real angels, or were they personifications of good, of + comfort? + </p> + <p> + So we see that the same Spirit that came out of heaven, the same Spirit + that said "This is my beloved son," drove Christ into the wilderness to be + tempted of Satan. + </p> + <p> + Was this Devil a real being? Was this Spirit who claimed to be the father + of Christ a real being, or was he a personification? Are the heavens a + real place? Are they a personification? Did the wild beasts live and did + the angels minister unto Christ? In other words, is the story true, or is + it poetry, or metaphor, or mistake, or falsehood? + </p> + <p> + It might be asked: Why did God wish to be tempted by the Devil? Was God + ambitious to obtain a victory over Satan? Was Satan foolish enough to + think that he could mislead God, and is it possible that the Devil offered + to give the world as a bribe to its creator and owner, knowing at the same + time that Christ was the creator and owner, and also knowing that he + (Christ) knew that he (the Devil) knew that he (Christ) was the creator + and owner? + </p> + <p> + Is not the whole story absurdly idiotic? The Devil knew that Christ was + God, and knew that Christ knew that the tempter was the Devil. + </p> + <p> + It may be asked how I know that the Devil knew that Christ was God. My + answer is found in the same chapter. There is an account of what a devil + said to Christ: + </p> + <p> + "Let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art + thou come to destroy us? I know thee. Thou art the holy one of God." + Certainly, if the little devils knew this, the Devil himself must have had + like information. Jesus rebuked this devil and said to him: "Hold thy + peace, and come out of him." And when the unclean spirit had torn him and + cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. + </p> + <p> + So we are told that Jesus cast out many devils, and suffered not the + devils to speak because they knew him. So it is said in the third chapter + that "unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried, + saying, 'Thou art the son of God.'" + </p> + <p> + In the fifth chapter is an account of casting out the devils that went + into the swine, and we are told that "all the devils besought him saying, + 'Send us into the swine.' And Jesus gave them leave." + </p> + <p> + Again I ask: Was it necessary for the devils to get the permission of + Christ before they could enter swine? Again I ask: By whose permission did + they enter into the man? + </p> + <p> + Could personifications of evil enter a herd of swine, or could + personifications of evil make a bargain with Christ? + </p> + <p> + In the sixth chapter we are told that the disciples "cast out many devils + and anointed with oil many that were sick." Here again the distinction is + made between those possessed by devils and those afflicted by disease. It + will not do to say that the devils were diseases or personifications. + </p> + <p> + In the seventh chapter a Greek woman whose daughter was possessed by a + devil besought Christ to cast this devil out. At last Christ said: "The + devil is gone out of thy daughter." + </p> + <p> + In the ninth chapter one of the multitude said unto Christ: "I have + brought unto thee my son which hath a dumb spirit. I spoke unto thy + disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not." + </p> + <p> + So they brought this boy before Christ, and when the boy saw him, the + spirit tare him, and he fell on the ground and "wallowed, foaming." + </p> + <p> + Christ asked the father: "How long is it ago since this came unto him?" + And he answered: "Of a child, and ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire + and into the waters to destroy him." + </p> + <p> + Then Christ said: "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of + him, and enter no more into him." + </p> + <p> + "And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him; and he was + as one dead; insomuch that many said, 'He is dead.'" + </p> + <p> + Then the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast them out, and Jesus + said: "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting." + </p> + <p> + Is there any doubt about the belief of the man who wrote this account? Is + there any allegory, or poetry, or myth in this story? The devil, in this + case, was not an ordinary, every-day devil. He was dumb and deaf; it was + no use to order him out, because he could not hear. The only way was to + pray and fast. + </p> + <p> + Is there such a thing as a dumb and deaf devil? If so, the devils must be + organized. They must have ears and organs of speech, and they must be dumb + because there is something the matter with the apparatus of speaking, and + they must be deaf because something is the matter with their ears. It + would seem from this that they are not simply spiritual beings, but + organized on a physical basis. Now, we know that the ears do not hear. It + is the brain that hears. So these devils must have brains; that is to say, + they must have been what we call "organized beings." + </p> + <p> + Now, it is hardly possible that personifications of evil are dumb or deaf. + That is to say, that they have physical imperfections. + </p> + <p> + In the same chapter John tells Christ that he saw one casting out devils + in Christ's name who did not follow with them, and Jesus said: "Forbid him + not." + </p> + <p> + By this he seemed to admit that some one, not a follower of his, was + casting out devils in his name, and he was willing that he should go on, + because, as he said: "For there is no man which shall do a miracle in my + name that can lightly speak evil of me." In the fourth chapter of Luke the + story of the temptation of Christ by the Devil is again told with a few + additions. All the writers, having been inspired, did not remember exactly + the same things. + </p> + <p> + Luke tells us that the Devil said unto Christ, having shown him all the + kingdoms of the world in a moment of time: "All this power will I give + thee and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to + whomsoever I will I give it. If thou wilt worship me, all shall be thine." + </p> + <p> + We are also told that when the Devil had ended all the temptation he + departed from him for a season. The date of his return is not given. + </p> + <p> + In the same chapter we are told that a man in the synagogue had a "spirit + of an unclean devil." This devil recognized Jesus and admitted that he was + the Holy One of God. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, the apostles seemed to have relied upon the evidence + of devils to substantiate the divinity of their Lord. + </p> + <p> + Jesus said to this devil: "Hold thy peace and come out of him." And the + devil, after throwing the man down, came out. + </p> + <p> + In the forty-first verse of the same chapter it is said: "And devils also + came out of many, crying out and saying, 'Thou art Christ, the Son of + God.'" + </p> + <p> + It is also said that Christ rebuked them and suffered them not to speak, + for they knew that he was Christ. + </p> + <p> + Now, it will not do to say that these devils were diseases, because + diseases could not talk, and diseases would not recognize Christ as the + Son of God. After all, epilepsy is not a theologian. I admit that lunacy + comes nearer. + </p> + <p> + In the eighth chapter is told again the story of the devils and the swine. + In this account, Jesus asked the devil his name, and the devil replied + "Legion." In the ninth chapter is told the story of the devil that the + disciples could not cast out, but was cast out by Christ, and in the + thirteenth chapter it is said that the Pharisees came to Jesus, telling + him to go away, because Herod would kill him, and Jesus said unto these + Pharisees; "Go ye, and tell that fox, behold, I cast out devils." + </p> + <p> + What did he mean by this? Did he mean that he cured diseases? No. Because + in the same sentence he says, "And I do cures to-day," making a + distinction between devils and diseases. + </p> + <p> + In the twenty-second chapter an account of the betrayal of Christ by Judas + is given in these words: + </p> + <p> + "Then entered Satan into Judas Iscariot, being of the number of the + twelve." + </p> + <p> + "And he went his way and communed with the chief priests and captains how + he might betray him unto them. + </p> + <p> + "And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money." + </p> + <p> + According to Christ the little devils knew that he was the Son of God. + Certainly, then, Satan, king of all the fiends, knew that Christ was + divine. And he not only knew that, but he knew all about the scheme of + salvation. He knew that Christ wished to make an atonement of blood by the + sacrifice of himself. + </p> + <p> + According to Christian theologians, the Devil has always done his utmost + to gain possession of the souls of men. At the time he entered into Judas, + persuading him to betray Christ, he knew that if Christ was betrayed he + would be crucified, and that he would make an atonement for all believers, + and that, as a result, he, the Devil, would lose all the souls that Christ + gained. + </p> + <p> + What interest had the Devil in defeating himself? If he could have + prevented the betrayal, then Christ would not have been crucified. No + atonement would have been made, and the whole world would have gone to + hell. The success of the Devil would have been complete. But, according to + this story, the Devil outwitted himself. + </p> + <p> + How thankful we should be to his Satanic Majesty. He opened for us the + gates of Paradise and made it possible for us to obtain eternal life. + Without Satan, without Judas, not a single human being could have become + an angel of light. All would have been wingless devils in the prison of + flame. In Jerusalem, to the extent of his power, Satan repaired the wreck + and ruin he had wrought in the Garden of Eden. + </p> + <p> + Certainly the writers of the New Testament believed in the existence of + the Devil. + </p> + <p> + In the eighth chapter it is said that out of Mary Magdalene were cast + seven devils. To me Mary Magdalene is the most beautiful character in the + New Testament. She is the one true disciple. In the darkness of the + crucifixion she lingered near. She was the first at the sepulcher. Defeat, + disaster, disgrace, could not conquer her love. And yet, according to the + account, when she met the risen Christ, he said: "Touch me not." This was + the reward of her infinite devotion. + </p> + <p> + In the Gospel of John we are told that John the Baptist said that he saw + the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and that it abode upon + Christ. But in the Gospel of John nothing is said about the Spirit driving + Christ into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Possibly John never + heard of that, or forgot it, or did not believe it. But in the thirteenth + chapter I find this: + </p> + <p> + "And supper being ended, the Devil having now put into the heart of Judas + Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him."... + </p> + <p> + In John there are no accounts of the casting out of devils by Christ or + his apostles. On that subject there is no word. Possibly John had his + doubts. + </p> + <p> + In the fifth chapter of Acts we are told that the people brought the sick + and those which were vexed with unclean spirits to the apostles, and the + apostles healed them. Here again there is made a clear distinction between + the sick and those possessed by devils. And in the eighth chapter we are + told that "unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of them." + </p> + <p> + In the thirteen chapter Paul calls Elymas the child of the Devil, and in + the sixteenth chapter an account is given of "a damsel possessed with a + spirit of divination, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying." + </p> + <p> + Paul and Silas, it would seem, cast out this spirit, and by reason of that + suffered great persecution. + </p> + <p> + In the nineteenth chapter certain vagabond Jews pronounced over those who + had evil spirits the name of Jesus, and the evil spirits answered: "Jesus + I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?" + </p> + <p> + "And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them so that they fled + naked and wounded." + </p> + <p> + Paul, writing to the Corinthians, in the eighth chapter says; "I would not + that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the + Lord and the cup of devils. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and + the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?" + </p> + <p> + In the eleventh chapter he says that long hair is the glory of woman, but + that she ought to keep her head covered because of the angels. + </p> + <p> + In those intellectual days people believed in what were called the Incubi + and the Succubi. The Incubi were male angels and the Succubi were female + angels, and according to the belief of that time nothing so attracted the + Incubi as the beautiful hair of women, and for this reason Paul said that + women should keep their heads covered. Paul calls the Devil the "prince of + the power of the air." + </p> + <p> + So in Jude we are told "that Michael, the archangel, when contending with + the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him + a railing accusation, but said, 'The Lord rebuke thee.'" Was this devil + with whom Michael contended a personification of evil, or a poem, or a + myth? + </p> + <p> + In First Peter we are told to be sober, vigilant, "because your adversary, + the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." + </p> + <p> + Are people devoured by personifications or myths? Has an allegory an + appetite, or is a poem a cannibal? + </p> + <p> + So in Ephesians we are warned not to give place to the Devil, and in the + same book we are told: "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able + to stand against the wiles of the Devil." + </p> + <p> + And in Hebrews it is said that "him that had the power of death—that + is, the Devil;" showing that the Devil has the power of death. + </p> + <p> + And in James it is said that if we resist the Devil he will flee from us; + and in First John we are told that he that committeth sin is of the Devil, + for the reason that the Devil sinneth from the beginning; and we are also + told that "for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he may + destroy the works of the Devil." + </p> + <p> + No Devil—no Christ. + </p> + <p> + In Revelation, the insanest of all books, I find the following: "And there + was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and + the dragon fought and his angels. + </p> + <p> + "And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. + </p> + <p> + "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, + and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the + earth, and his angels were cast out with him. + </p> + <p> + "Therefore, rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the + inhabiters of the earth and of the sea; for the devil is come down unto + you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short + time." + </p> + <p> + From this it would appear that the Devil once lived in heaven, raised a + rebellion, was defeated and cast out, and the inspired writer + congratulates the angels that they are rid of him and commiserates us that + we have him. + </p> + <p> + In the twentieth chapter of Revelation is the following: + </p> + <p> + "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the + bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. + </p> + <p> + "And he laid Hold on the dragon—that old serpent, which is the Devil + and Satan—and bound him a thousand years. + </p> + <p> + "And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal + upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand + years should be fulfilled; and after he must be loosed a little season." + </p> + <p> + It is hard to understand how one could be confined in a pit without a + bottom, and how a chain of iron could hold one in eternal fire, or what + use there would be to lock a bottomless pit; but these are questions + probably suggested by the Devil. + </p> + <p> + We are further told that "when the thousand years are expired Satan shall + be loosed out of his prison." + </p> + <p> + "And the Devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the + beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night + forever." + </p> + <p> + In the light of the passages that I have read we can clearly see what the + writers of the New Testament believed. About this there can be no honest + difference. If the gospels teach the existence of God—of Christ—they + teach the existence of the Devil. If the Devil does not exist—if + little devils do not enter the bodies of men—the New Testament may + be inspired, but it is not true. + </p> + <p> + The early Christians proved that Christ was divine because he cast out + devils. The evidence they offered was more absurd than the statement they + sought to prove. They were like the old man who said that he saw a + grindstone floating down the river. Some one said that a grindstone would + not float. "Ah," said the old man, "but the one I saw had an iron crank in + it." + </p> + <p> + Of course, I do not blame the authors of the gospels. They lived in' a + superstitious age, at a time when Rumor was the historian, when Gossip + corrected the "proof," and when everything was believed except the facts. + </p> + <p> + The apostles, like their fellows, believed in miracles and magic. + Credulity was regarded as a virtue. + </p> + <p> + The Rev. Mr. Parkhurst denounces the apostles as worthless cravens. + Certainly I do not agree with him. I think that they were good men. I do + not believe that any one of them ever tried to reform Jerusalem on the + Parkhurst plan. I admit that they honestly believed in devils—that + they were credulous and superstitious. + </p> + <p> + There is one story in the New Testament that illustrates my meaning. + </p> + <p> + In the fifth chapter of John is the following: + </p> + <p> + "Now, there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep market, a pool, which is called + in the Hebrew tongue 'Bethesda,' having five porches. + </p> + <p> + "In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk—of blind, halt, + withered—waiting for the moving of the water. + </p> + <p> + "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the + water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in + was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. + </p> + <p> + "And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight + years. + </p> + <p> + "When Jesus saw him he and knew that he had been now a long time in that + case, he saith unto him: 'Wilt thou be made whole??' + </p> + <p> + "The impotent man answered him: 'Sir, I have no man when the water is + troubled to put me into the pool; but while I am coming another steppeth + down before me.' + </p> + <p> + "Jesus saith unto him: 'Rise, take up thy bed and walk.' + </p> + <p> + "And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked." + </p> + <p> + Does any sensible human being now believe this story? Was the water of + Bethesda troubled by an angel? Where did the angel come from? Where do + angels live? Did the angel put medicine in the water—just enough to + cure one? Did he put in different medicines for different diseases, or did + he have a medicine, like those that are patented now, that cured all + diseases just the same? + </p> + <p> + Was the water troubled by an angel? Possibly, what apostles and + theologians call an angel a scientist knows as carbonic acid gas. + </p> + <p> + John does not say that the people thought the water was troubled by an + angel, but he states it as a fact. And he tells us, also, as a fact, that + the first invalid that got in the water after it had been troubled was + cured of what disease he had. + </p> + <p> + What is the evidence of John worth? + </p> + <p> + Again I say that if the Devil does not exist the gospels are not inspired. + If devils do not exist Christ was either honestly mistaken, insane or an + impostor. + </p> + <p> + If devils do not exist the fall of man is a mistake and the atonement an + absurdity. If devils do not exist hell becomes only a dream of revenge. + </p> + <p> + Beneath the structure called "Christianity" are four corner-stones—the + Father, Son, Holy Ghost and Devil. + </p> + <p> + IV. THE EVIDENCE OF THE CHURCH. + </p> + <p> + The Devil, was Forced to Father the Failures of God. + </p> + <p> + All the fathers of the church believed in devils. All the saints won their + crowns by overcoming devils. All the popes and cardinals, bishops and + priests, believed in devils. Most of their time was occupied in fighting + devils. The whole Catholic world, from the lowest layman to the highest + priest, believed in devils. They proved the existence of devils by the New + Testament. They knew that these devils were citizens of hell. They knew + that Satan was their king. They knew that hell was made for the Devil and + his angels. + </p> + <p> + The founders of all the Protestant churches—the makers of all the + orthodox creeds—all the leading Protestant theologians, from Luther + to the president of Princeton College—were, and are, firm believers + in the Devil. All the great commentators believed in the Devil as firmly + as they did in God. + </p> + <p> + Under the "Scheme of Salvation" the Devil was a necessity. Somebody had to + be responsible for the thorns and thistles, for the cruelties and crimes. + Somebody had to father the mistakes of God. The Devil was the scapegoat of + Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + For hundreds of years, good, honest, zealous Christians contended against + the Devil. They fought him day and night, and the thought that they had + beaten him gave to their dying lips the smile of victory. + </p> + <p> + For centuries the church taught that the natural man was totally depraved; + that he was by nature a child of the Devil, and that new-born babes were + tenanted by unclean spirits. + </p> + <p> + As late as the middle of the sixteenth century, every infant that was + baptized was, by that ceremony, freed from a devil. When the holy water + was applied the priest said: "I command thee, thou unclean spirit, in the + name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out + and depart from this infant, whom our Lord Jesus Christ has vouchsafed to + call to his holy baptism, to be made a member of his body, and of his holy + congregation." + </p> + <p> + At that time the fathers—the theologians, the commentators—agreed + that unbaptized children, including those that were born dead, went to + hell. + </p> + <p> + And these same fathers—theologians and commentators—said: "God + is love." + </p> + <p> + These babes were pure as Pity's tears, innocent as their mother's loving + smiles, and yet the makers of our creeds believed and taught that leering, + unclean fiends inhabited their dimpled flesh. O, the unsearchable riches + of Christianity! + </p> + <p> + For many centuries the church filled the world with devils—with + malicious spirits that caused storm and tempest, disease, accident and + death—that filled the night with visions of despair; with prophecies + that drove the dreamers mad. These devils assumed a thousand forms—countless + disguises in their efforts to capture souls and destroy the church. They + deceived sometimes the wisest and the best; made priests forget their + vows. They melted virtue's snow in passion's fire, and in cunning ways + entrapped and smirched the innocent and good. These devils gave witches + and wizards their supernatural powers, and told them the secrets of the + future. + </p> + <p> + Millions of men and women were destroyed because they had sold themselves + to the Devil. + </p> + <p> + At that time Christians really believed the New Testament. They knew it + was the inspired word of God, and so believing, so knowing—as they + thought—they became insane. + </p> + <p> + No man has genius enough to describe the agonies that have been inflicted + on innocent men and women because of this absurd belief. How it darkened + the mind, hardened the heart, and poisoned life! It made the Universe a + madhouse presided over by an insane God. + </p> + <p> + Think! Why would a merciful God allow his children to be the victims of + devils? Why would a decent God allow his worshipers to believe in devils, + and by reason of that belief to persecute, torture and burn their + fellow-men? + </p> + <p> + Christians did not ask these questions. They believed the Bible; they had + confidence in the words of Christ. + </p> + <p> + V. PERSONIFICATIONS OF EVIL. + </p> + <p> + The Orthodox Ostrich Thrusts His Head into the Sand. + </p> + <p> + Many of the clergy are now ashamed to say that they believe in devils. The + belief has become ignorant and vulgar. They are ashamed of the lake of + fire and brimstone. It is too savage. + </p> + <p> + At the same time they do not wish to give up the inspiration of the Bible. + They give new meanings to the inspired words. Now they say that devils + were only personifications of evil. If the devils were only + personifications of evil, what were the angels? Was the angel who told + Joseph who the father of Christ was, a personification? Was the Holy Ghost + only the personification of a father? Was the angel who told Joseph that + Herod was dead a personification of news? + </p> + <p> + Were the angels who rolled away the stone and sat clothed in shining + garments in the empty sepulcher of Christ a couple of personifications? + Were all the angels described in the Old Testament imaginary shadows—bodiless + personifications? If the angels of the Bible are real angels, the devils + are real devils. + </p> + <p> + Let us be honest with ourselves and each other and give to the Bible its + natural, obvious meaning. Let us admit that the writers believed what they + wrote. If we believe that they were mistaken, let us have the honesty and + courage to say so. Certainly we have no right to change or avoid their + meaning, or to dishonestly correct their mistakes. Timid preachers sully + their own souls when they change what the writers of the Bible believed to + be facts to allegories, parables, poems and myths. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible for any man who believes in the inspiration of the Bible + to explain away the Devil. + </p> + <p> + If the Bible is true the Devil exists. There is no escape from this. + </p> + <p> + If the Devil does not exist the Bible is not true. There is no escape from + this. + </p> + <p> + I admit that the Devil of the Bible is an impossible contradiction; an + impossible being. + </p> + <p> + This Devil is the enemy of God and God is his. Now, why should this Devil, + in another world, torment sinners, who are his friends, to please God, his + enemy? + </p> + <p> + If the Devil is a personification, so is hell and the lake of fire and + brimstone. All these horrors fade into allegories; into ignorant lies. + </p> + <p> + Any clergyman who can read the Bible and then say that devils are + personifications of evil is himself a personification of stupidity or + hypocrisy. + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + Does any intelligent man now, whose brain has not been deformed by + superstition, believe in the existence of the Devil? What evidence have we + that he exists? Where does this Devil live? What does he do for a + livelihood? What does he eat? If he does not eat, he cannot think. He + cannot think without the expenditure of force. He cannot create force; he + must borrow it—that is to say, he must eat. How does lie move from + place to place? Does he walk or does he fly, or has he invented some + machine? What object has he in life? What idea of success? This Devil, + according to the Bible, knows that he is to be defeated; knows that the + end is absolute and eternal failure; knows that every step he takes leads + to the infinite catastrophe. Why does he act as he does? + </p> + <p> + Our fathers thought that everything in this world came from some other + realm; that all ideas of right and wrong came from above; that conscience + dropped from the clouds; that the darkness was filled with imps from + perdition, and the day with angels from heaven; that souls had been + breathed into man by Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + What there is in this world that lives and breathes was produced here. + Life was not imported. Mind is not an exotic. Of this planet man is a + native. This world is his mother. The maker did not descend from the + heavens. The maker was and is here. Matter and force in their countless + forms, affinities and repulsions produced the living, breathing world. + </p> + <p> + How can we account for devils? Is it possible that they creep into the + bodies of men and swine? Do they stay in the stomach or brain, in the + heart or liver? + </p> + <p> + Are these devils immortal or do they multiply and die? Were they all + created at the same time or did they spring from a single pair? If they + are subject to death what becomes of them after death? Do they go to some + other world, are they annihilated, or can they get to heaven by believing + on Christ? + </p> + <p> + In the brain of science the devils have never lived. There you will find + no goblins, ghosts, wraiths or imps—no witches, spooks or sorcerers. + There the supernatural does not exist. No man of sense in the whole world + believes in devils any more than he does in mermaids, vampires, gorgons, + hydras, naiads, dryads, nymphs, fairies or the anthropophagi—any + more than he does in the Fountain of Youth, the Philosopher's Stone, + Perpetual Motion or Fiat Money. + </p> + <p> + There is the same difference between religion and science that there is + between a madhouse and a university—between a fortune teller and a + mathematician—between emotion and philosophy—between guess and + demonstration. + </p> + <p> + The devils have gone, and with them they have taken the miracles of + Christ. They have carried away our Lord. They have taken away the + inspiration of the Bible, and we are left in the darkness of nature + without the consolation of hell. + </p> + <p> + But let me ask the clergy a few questions: + </p> + <p> + How did your Devil, who was at one time an angel of light, come to sin? + There was no other devil to tempt him. He was in perfectly good society—in + the company of God—of the Trinity. All of his associates were + perfect. How did he fall? He knew that God was infinite, and yet he waged + war against him and induced about a third of the angels to volunteer. He + knew that he could not succeed; knew that he would be defeated and cast + out; knew that he was fighting for failure. + </p> + <p> + Why was God so unpopular? Why were the angels so bad? + </p> + <p> + According to the Christians, these angels were spirits. They had never + been corrupted by flesh—by the passion of love. Why were they so + wicked? + </p> + <p> + Why did God create those angels, knowing that they would rebel? Why did he + deliberately sow the seeds of discord in heaven, knowing that he would + cast them into the lake of eternal fire—knowing that for them he + would create the eternal prison, whose dungeons would echo forever the + sobs and shrieks of endless pain? + </p> + <p> + How foolish is infinite wisdom! + </p> + <p> + How malicious is mercy! + </p> + <p> + How revengeful is boundless love! + </p> + <p> + Again, I say that no sensible man in all the world believes in devils. + </p> + <p> + Why does God allow these devils to enjoy themselves at the expense of his + ignorant children? Why does he allow them to leave their prison? Does he + give them furloughs or tickets-of-leave? + </p> + <p> + Does he want his children misled and corrupted so that he can have the + pleasure of damning their souls? + </p> + <p> + VII. THE MAN OF STRAW. + </p> + <p> + Some of the preachers who have answered me say that I am fighting a man of + straw. + </p> + <p> + I am fighting the supernatural—the dogma of inspiration—the + belief in devils—the atonement, salvation by faith—the + forgiveness of sins and the savagery of eternal pain. I am fighting the + absurd,-the monstrous, the cruel. + </p> + <p> + The ministers pretend that they have advanced—that they do not + believe the things that I attack. In this they are not honest. + </p> + <p> + Who is the "man of straw"? + </p> + <p> + The man of straw is their master. In every orthodox pulpit stands this man + of straw—stands beside the preacher—stands with a club, called + a "creed," in his upraised hand. The shadow of this club falls athwart the + open Bible—falls upon the preacher's brain, darkens the light of his + reason and compels him to betray himself. + </p> + <p> + The man of straw rules every sectarian school and college—every + orthodox church. He is the censor who passes on every sermon. Now and then + some minister puts a little sense in his discourse—tries to take a + forward step. Down comes the club, and the man of straw demands an + explanation—a retraction. If the minister takes it back—good. + If he does not, he is brought to book. The man of straw put the plaster of + silence on the lips of Prof. Briggs, and he was forced to leave the church + or remain dumb. + </p> + <p> + The man of straw closed the mouth of Prof. Smith, and he has not opened it + since. + </p> + <p> + The man of straw would not allow the Presbyterian creed to be changed. + </p> + <p> + The man of straw took Father McGlynn by the collar, forced him to his + knees, made him take back his words and ask forgiveness for having been + abused. + </p> + <p> + The man of straw pitched Prof. Swing out of the pulpit and drove the Rev. + Mr. Thomas from the Methodist Church. + </p> + <p> + Let me tell the orthodox ministers that they are trying to cover their + retreat. + </p> + <p> + You have given up the geology and astronomy of the Bible. You have + admitted that its history is untrue. You are retreating still. You are + giving up the dogma of inspiration; you have your doubts about the flood + and Babel; you have given up the witches and wizards; you are beginning to + throw away the miraculous; you have killed the little devils, and in a + little while you will murder the Devil himself. + </p> + <p> + In a few years you will take the Bible for what it is worth. The good and + true will be treasured in the heart; the foolish, the infamous, will be + thrown away. + </p> + <p> + The man of straw will then be dead. + </p> + <p> + Of course, the real old petrified, orthodox Christian will cling to the + Devil. He expects to have all of his sins charged to the Devil, and at the + same time he will be credited with all the virtues of Christ. Upon this + showing on the books, upon this balance, he will be entitled to his halo + and harp. What a glorious, what an equitable, transaction! The sorcerer + Superstition changes debt to credit. He waves his wand, and he who + deserves the tortures of hell receives an eternal reward. + </p> + <p> + But if a man lacks faith the scheme is exactly reversed. While in one case + a soul is rewarded for the virtues of another, in the other case a soul is + damned for the sins of another. This is justice when it blossoms in mercy. + </p> + <p> + Beyond this idiocy cannot go. + </p> + <p> + VIII. KEEP THE DEVILS OUT OF CHILDREN. + </p> + <p> + William Kingdon Clifford, one of the greatest men of this century, said: + "If there is one lesson that history forces upon us in every page, it is + this: Keep your children away from the priest, or he will make them the + enemies of mankind." + </p> + <p> + In every orthodox Sunday school children are taught to believe in devils. + Every little brain becomes a menagerie, filled with wild beasts from hell. + The imagination is polluted with the deformed, the monstrous and + malicious. To fill the minds of children with leering fiends—with + mocking devils—is one of the meanest and basest of crimes. In these + pious prisons—these divine dungeons—these Protestant and + Catholic inquisitions—children are tortured with these cruel lies. + Here they are taught that to really think is wicked; that to express your + honest thought is blasphemy; and that to live a free and joyous life, + depending on fact instead of faith, is the sin against the Holy Ghost. + </p> + <p> + Children thus taught—thus corrupted and deformed—become the + enemies of investigation—of progress. They are no longer true to + themselves. They have lost the veracity of the soul. In the language of + Prof. Clifford, "they are the enemies of the human race." + </p> + <p> + So I say to all fathers and mothers, keep your children away from priests; + away from orthodox Sunday schools; away from the slaves of superstition. + </p> + <p> + They will teach them to believe in the Devil; in hell; in the prison of + God; in the eternal dungeon, where the souls of men are to suffer forever. + These frightful things are a part of Christianity. Take these lies from + the creed and the whole scheme falls into shapeless ruin. This dogma of + hell is the infinite of savagery—the dream of insane revenge. It + makes God a wild beast—an infinite hyena. It makes Christ as + merciless as the fangs of a viper. Save poor children from the pollution + of this horror. Protect them from this infinite lie. + </p> + <p> + IX. CONCLUSION. + </p> + <p> + I admit that there are many good and beautiful passages in the Old and New + Testament; that from the lips of Christ dropped many pearls of kindness—of + love. Every verse that is true and tender I treasure in my heart. Every + thought, behind which is the tear of pity, I appreciate and love. But I + cannot accept it all. Many utterances attributed to Christ shock my brain + and heart. They are absurd and cruel. + </p> + <p> + Take from the New Testament the infinite savagery, the shoreless + malevolence of eternal pain, the absurdity of salvation by faith, the + ignorant belief in the existence of devils, the immorality and cruelty of + the atonement, the doctrine of non-resistance that denies to virtue the + right of self-defence, and how glorious it would be to know that the + remainder is true! Compared with this knowledge, how everything else in + nature would shrink and shrivel! What ecstasy it would be to know that God + exists; that he is our father and that he loves and cares for the children + of men! To know that all the paths that human beings travel, turn and wind + as they may, lead to the gates of stainless peace! How the heart would + thrill and throb to know that Christ was the conqueror of Death; that at + his grave the all-devouring monster was baffled and beaten forever; that + from that moment the tomb became the door that opens on eternal life! To + know this would change all sorrow into gladness. Poverty, failure, + disaster, defeat, power, place and wealth would become meaningless sounds. + To take your babe upon your knee and say: "Mine and mine forever!" What + joy! To clasp the woman you love in your arms and to know that she is + yours and forever—yours though suns darken and constellations + vanish! This is enough: To know that the loved and dead are not lost; that + they still live and love and wait for you. To know that Christ dispelled + the darkness of death and filled the grave with eternal light. To know + this would be all that the heart could bear. Beyond this joy cannot go. + Beyond this there is no place for hope. + </p> + <p> + How beautiful, how enchanting, Death would be! How we would long to see + his fleshless skull! What rays of glory would stream from his sightless + sockets, and how the heart would long for the touch of his stilling hand! + The shroud would become a robe of glory, the funeral procession a harvest + home, and the grave would mark the end of sorrow, the beginning of eternal + joy. + </p> + <p> + And yet it were better far that all this should be false than that all of + the New Testament should be true. + </p> + <p> + It is far better to have no heaven than to have heaven and hell; better to + have no God than God and Devil; better to rest iii eternal sleep than to + be an angel and know that the ones you love are suffering eternal pain; + better to live a free and loving life—a life that ends forever at + the grave—than to be an immortal slave. + </p> + <p> + The master cannot be great enough to make slavery sweet. I have no + ambition to become a winged servant, a winged slave. Better eternal sleep. + But they say, "If you give up these superstitions, what have you left?" + </p> + <p> + Let me now give you the declaration of a creed. + </p> + <p> + DECLARATION OF THE FREE + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + We have no falsehoods to defend— + We want the facts; + Our force, our thought, we do not spend + In vain attacks. + And we will never meanly try + To save some fair and pleasing lie. + + The simple truth is what we ask, + Not the ideal; + We've set ourselves the noble task + To find the real. + If all there is is naught but dross, + We want to know and bear our loss. + + We will not willingly be fooled, + By fables nursed; + Our hearts, by earnest thought, are schooled + To bear the worst; + And we can stand erect and dare + All things, all facts that really are. + + We have no God to serve or fear, + No hell to shun, + No devil with malicious leer. + When life is done + An endless sleep may close our eyes, + A sleep with neither dreams nor sighs. + + We have no master on the land— + No king in air— + Without a manacle we stand, + Without a prayer, + Without a fear of coming night, + We seek the truth, we love the light. + + We do not bow before a guess, + A vague unknown; + A senseless force we do not bless + In solemn tone. + When evil comes we do not curse, + Or thank because it is no worse. + + When cyclones rend—when lightning blights, + 'Tis naught but fate; + There is no God of wrath who smites + In heartless hate. + Behind the things that injure man + There is no purpose, thought, or plan. + + We waste no time in useless dread, + In trembling fear; + The present lives, the past is dead, + And we are here, + All welcome guests at life's great feast— + We need no help from ghost or priest. + + Our life is joyous, jocund, free— + Not one a slave + Who bends in fear the trembling knee, + And seeks to save + A coward soul from future pain; + Not one will cringe or crawl for gain. + + The jeweled cup of love we drain, + And friendship's wine + Now swiftly flows in every vein + With warmth divine. + And so we love and hope and dream + That in death's sky there is a gleam. + + We walk according to our light, + Pursue the path + That leads to honor's stainless height, + Careless of wrath + Or curse of God, or priestly spite, + Longing to know and do the right. + + We love our fellow-man, our kind, + Wife, child, and friend. + To phantoms we are deaf and blind, + But we extend + The helping hand to the distressed; + By lifting others we are blessed. + + Love's sacred flame within the heart + And friendship's glow; + While all the miracles of art + Their wealth bestow + Upon the thrilled and joyous brain, + And present raptures banish pain. + + We love no phantoms of the skies, + But living flesh, + With passion's soft and soulful eyes, + Lips warm and fresh, + And cheeks with health's red flag unfurled, + The breathing angels of this world. + + The hands that help are better far + Than lips that pray. + Love is the ever gleaming star + That leads the way, + That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, + But on a paradise in this. + + We do not pray, or weep, or wail; + We have no dread, + No fear to pass beyond the veil + That hides the dead. + And yet we question, dream, and guess, + But knowledge we do not possess. + + We ask, yet nothing seems to know; + We cry in vain. + There is no "master of the show" + Who will explain, + Or from the future tear the mask; + And yet we dream, and still we ask + + Is there beyond the silent night + An endless day? + Is death a door that leads to light? + We cannot say. + The tongueless secret locked in fate + We do not know.— + + We hope and wait. +</pre> + <p> + <a name="link0010" id="link0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + PROGRESS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * This is the first lecture ever delivered by Mr. Ingersoll. + The stars indicate the words missing in the manuscript. It + was delivered in Pekin, 111., in 1860, and again in + Bloomington, 111., in 1804. +</pre> + <p> + IT is admitted by all that happiness is the only good, happiness in its + highest and grandest sense and the most * * springs * * of * * refined * * + generous * * + </p> + <p> + Conscience * * tends * * indirectly * * truly we * * physically * * to + develop the wonderful powers of the mind is progress. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible for men to become educated and refined without leisure + and there can be no leisure without wealth and all wealth is produced by + labor, nothing else. Nothing can * * the hands * * and * * fabrics * + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + America labor is not honored as it deserves. + </p> + <p> + We should remember that the prosperity of the world depends upon the men + who walk in the fresh furrows and through the rustling corn, upon those + whose faces are radiant with the glare of furnaces, upon the delvers in + dark mines, the workers in shops, upon those who give to the wintry air + the ringing music of the axe, and upon those who wrestle with the wild + waves of the raging sea. + </p> + <p> + And it is from the surplus produced by labor that schools are built, that + colleges and universities are founded and endowed. From this surplus the + painter is paid for the immortal productions of the pencil. This pays the + sculptor for chiseling the shapeless rock into forms of beauty almost + divine, and the poet for singing the hopes, the loves and aspirations of + the world. + </p> + <p> + This surplus has erected all the palaces and temples, all the galleries of + art, has given to us all the books in which we converse, as it were, with + the dead kings of the human race, and has supplied us with all there is of + elegance, of beauty and of refined happiness in the world. + </p> + <p> + I am aware that the subject chosen by me is almost infinite and that in + its broadest sense it is absolutely beyond the present comprehension of + man. + </p> + <p> + I am also aware that there are many opinions as to what progress really + is, that what one calls progress, another denominates barbarism; that many + have a wonderful veneration for all that is ancient, merely because it is + ancient, and they see no beauty in anything from which they do not have to + blow the dust of ages with the breath of praise. + </p> + <p> + They say, no masters like the old, no governments like the ancient, no + orators, no poets, no statesmen like those who have been dust for two + thousand years. Others despise antiquity and admire only the modern, + merely because it is modern. They find so much to condemn in the past, + that they condemn all. I hope, however, that I have gratitude enough to + acknowledge the obligations I am under to the great and heroic minds of + antiquity, and that I have manliness and independence enough not to + believe what they said merely because they said it, and that I have moral + courage enough to advocate ideas, however modern they may be, if I believe + that they are right. Truth is neither young nor old, is neither ancient + nor modern, but is the same for all times and places and should be sought + for with ceaseless activity, eagerly acknowledged, loved more than life, + and abandoned—never. In accordance with the idea that labor is the + basis of all prosperity and happiness, is another idea or truth, and that + is, that labor in order to make the laborer and the world at large happy, + must be free. That the laborer must be a free man, the thinker must be + free. I do not intend in what I may say upon this subject to carry you + back to the remotest antiquity,—back to Asia, the cradle of the + world, where we could stand in the ashes and ruins of a civilization so + old that history has not recorded even its decay. It will answer my + present purpose to commence with the Middle Ages. In those times there was + no freedom of either mind or body in Europe. Labor was despised, and a + laborer was considered as scarcely above the beasts. Ignorance like a + mantle covered the world, and superstition ran riot with the human + imagination. The air was filled with angels, demons and monsters. + Everything assumed the air of the miraculous. Credulity occupied the + throne of reason and faith put out the eyes of the soul. A man to be + distinguished had either to be a soldier or a monk. He could take his + choice between killing and lying. You must remember that in those days + nations carried on war as an end, not as a means. War and theology were + the business of mankind. No man could win more than a bare existence by + industry, much less fame and glory. Comparatively speaking, there was no + commerce. Nations instead of buying and selling from and to each other, + took what they wanted by brute force. And every Christian country + maintained that it was no robbery to take the property of Mohammedans, and + no murder to kill the owners with or without just cause of quarrel. Lord + Bacon was the first man of note who maintained that a Christian country + was bound to keep its plighted faith with an Infidel one. In those days + reading and writing were considered very dangerous arts, and any layman + who had acquired the art of reading was suspected of being a heretic or a + wizard. + </p> + <p> + It is almost impossible for us to conceive of the ignorance, the cruelty, + the superstition and the mental blindness of that period. In reading the + history of those dark and bloody years, I am amazed at the wickedness, the + folly and presumption of mankind. And yet, the solution of the whole + matter is, they despised liberty; they hated freedom of mind and of body. + They forged chains of superstition for the one and of iron for the other. + They were ruled by that terrible trinity, the cowl, the sword and chain. + </p> + <p> + You cannot form a correct opinion of those ages without reading the + standard authors, so to speak, of that time, the laws then in force, and + by ascertaining the habits and customs of the people, their mode of + administering the laws, and the ideas that were commonly received as + correct. No one believed that honest error could be innocent; no one + dreamed of such a thing as religious freedom. In the fifteenth century the + following law was in force in England: "That whatsoever they were that + should read the Scriptures in the mother tongue, they should forfeit land, + cattle, body, life, and goods from their heirs forever, and so be + condemned for heretics to God, enemies to the crown, and most arrant + traitors to the land." The next year after this law was in force, in one + day thirty-nine were hanged for its violation and their bodies afterward + burned. + </p> + <p> + Laws equally unjust, bloody and cruel were in force in all parts of + Europe. In the sixteenth century a man was burned in France because he + refused to kneel to a procession of dirty monks. I could enumerate + thousands of instances of the most horrid cruelty perpetrated upon men, + women and even little children, for no other reason in the world than for + a difference of opinion upon a subject that neither party knew anything + about. But you are all, no doubt, perfectly familiar with the history of + religious persecution. + </p> + <p> + There is one thing, however, that is strange indeed, and that is that the + reformers of those days, the men who rose against the horrid tyranny of + the times, the moment they attained power, persecuted with a zeal and + bitterness never excelled. Luther, one of the grand men of the world, cast + in the heroic mould, although he gave utterance to the following sublime + sentiment: "Every one has the right to read for himself that he may + prepare himself to live and to die," still had no idea of what we call + religious freedom. He considered universal toleration an error, so did + Melancthon, and Erasmus, and yet, strange as it may appear, they were + exercising the very right they denied to others, and maintaining their + right with a courage and energy absolutely sublime. + </p> + <p> + John Knox was only in favor of religious freedom when he was in the + minority, and Baxter entertained the same sentiment. Castalio, a professor + at Geneva, in Switzerland, was the first clergyman in Europe who declared + the innocence of honest error, and who proclaimed himself in favor of + universal toleration. The name of this man should never be forgotten. He + had the goodness, the courage, although surrounded with prisons and + inquisitions, and in the midst of millions of fierce bigots, to declare + the innocence of honest error, and that every man had a right to worship + the good God in his own way. + </p> + <p> + For the utterance of this sublime sentiment his professorship was taken + from him, he was driven from Geneva by John Calvin and his adherents, + although he had belonged to their sect. + </p> + <p> + He was denounced as a child of the Devil, a dog of Satan, as a murderer of + souls, as a corrupter of the faith, and as one who by his doctrines + crucified the Savior afresh. Not content with merely driving him from his + home, they pursued him absolutely to the grave, with a malignity that + increased rather than diminished. You must not think that Calvin was alone + in this; on the contrary he was fully sustained by public opinion, and + would have been sustained even though he had procured the burning of the + noble Castalio at the stake. I cite this instance not merely for the + purpose of casting odium upon Calvin, but to show you what public opinion + was at that time, when such things were ordinary transactions. Bodi-nus, a + lawyer in France, about the same time advocated something like religious + liberty, but public opinion was overwhelmingly against him and the people + were at all times ready with torch and brand, chain, and fagot to get the + abominable heresy out of the human mind, that a man had a right to think + for himself. And yet Luther, Calvin, Knox and Baxter, in spite, as it + were, of themselves, conferred a great and lasting benefit upon mankind; + for what they did was at least in favor of individual judgment, and one + successful stand against the church produced others, all of which tended + to establish universal toleration. In those times you will remember that + failing to convert a man or woman by the ordinary means, they resorted to + every engine of torture that the ingenuity of bigotry could devise; they + crushed their feet in what they called iron boots; they roasted them upon + slow fires; they plucked out their nails, and then into the bleeding quick + thrust needles; and all this to convince them of the truth. I suppose that + we should love our neighbor as ourselves. + </p> + <p> + Montaigne was the first man who raised his voice against torture in + France; a man blessed with so much common sense, that he was the most + uncommon man of the age in which he lived. But what was one voice against + the terrible cry of ignorant millions?—a drowning man in the wild + roar of the infinite sea. It is impossible to read the history of the long + and seemingly hopeless war waged for religious freedom, without being + filled with horror and disgust. Millions of men, women and children, at + least one hundred millions of human beings with hopes and loves and + aspirations like ourselves, have been sacrificed upon the altar of + bigotry. They have perished at the stake, in prisons, by famine and by + sword; they have died wandering, homeless, in deserts, groping in caves, + until their blood cried from the earth for vengeance. But the principle, + gathering strength from their weakness, nourished by blood and flame, + rendered holier still by their sufferings—grander by their heroism, + and immortal by their death, triumphed at last, and is now acknowledged by + the whole civilized world. Enormous as the cost has been the principle is + worth a thousand times as much. There must be freedom in religion, for + without freedom there can be no real religion. And as for myself I glory + in the fact that upon American soil that principle was first firmly + established, and that the Constitution of the United States was the first + of any great nation in which religious toleration was made one of the + fundamental laws of the land. And it is not only the law of our country + but the law is sustained by an enlightened public opinion. Without liberty + there is no religion—no worship. What light is to the eyes—what + air is to the lungs—what love is to the heart, liberty is to the + soul of man. Without liberty, the brain is a dungeon, where the chained + thoughts die with their pinions pressed against the hingeless doors. + </p> + <p> + WITCHCRAFT + </p> + <p> + THE next fact to which I call your attention is, that during the Middle + Ages the people, the whole people, the learned and the ignorant, the + masters and the slaves, the clergy, the lawyers, doctors and statesmen, + all believed in witchcraft—in the evil eye, and that the devil + entered into people, into animals and even into insects to accomplish his + dark designs. And all the people believed it their solemn duty to thwart + the devil by all means in their power, and they accordingly set themselves + at work hanging and burning everybody suspected of being in league with + the Enemy of mankind. If you grant their premises, you justify their + actions. If these persons had actually entered into partnership with the + devil for the purpose of injuring their neighbors, the people would have + been justified in exterminating them all. And the crime of witchcraft was + proven over and over again in court after court in every town of Europe. + Thousands of people who were charged with being in league with the devil + confessed the crime, gave all the particulars of the bargain, told just + what the devil said and what they replied, and exactly how the bargain was + consummated, admitted in the presence of death, on the very edge of the + grave, when they knew that the confession would confiscate all their + property and leave their children homeless wanderers, and render their own + names infamous after death. + </p> + <p> + We can account for a man suffering death for what he believes to be right. + He knows that he has the sympathy of all the truly good, and he hopes that + his name will be gratefully remembered in the far future, and above all, + he hopes to win the approval of a just God. But the man who confessed + himself guilty of being a wizard, knew that his memory would be execrated + and expected that his soul would be eternally lost. What motive could then + have induced so many to confess? Strange as it is, I believe that they + actually believed themselves guilty. They considered their case hopeless; + they confessed and died without a prayer. These things are enough to make + one think that sometimes the world becomes insane and that the earth is a + vast asylum without a keeper. I repeat that I am convinced that the people + that confessed themselves guilty believed that they were so. In the first + place, they believed in witchcraft and that people often were possessed of + Satan, and when they were accused the fright and consternation produced by + the accusation, in connection with their belief, often produced insanity + or something akin to it, and the poor creatures charged with a crime that + it was impossible to disprove, deserted and abhorred by their friends, + left alone with their superstitions and fears, driven to despair, looked + upon death as a blessed relief from a torture that you and I cannot at + this day understand. People were charged with the most impossible crimes. + In the time of James the First, a man was burned in Scotland for having + produced a storm at sea for the purpose of drowning one of the royal + family. A woman was tried before Sir Matthew Hale, one of the most learned + and celebrated lawyers of England, for having caused children to + vomit-crooked pins. She was also charged with nursing demons. Of course + she was found guilty, and the learned Judge charged the jury that there + was no doubt as to the existence of witches, that all history, sacred and + profane, and that the experience of every country proved it beyond any + manner of doubt. And the woman was either hanged or burned for a crime for + which it was impossible for her to be guilty. In those times they also + believed in Lycanthropy—that is, that persons of whom the devil had + taken possession could assume the appearance of wolves. + </p> + <p> + One instance is related where a man was attacked by what appeared to be a + wolf. He defended himself and succeeded in cutting off one of the wolf's + paws, whereupon the wolf ran and the man picked up the paw and putting it + in his pocket went home. When he took the paw out of his pocket it had + changed to a human hand, and his wife sat in the house with one of her + hands gone and the stump of her arm bleeding. He denounced his wife as a + witch, she confessed the crime and was burned at the stake. People were + burned for causing frosts in the summer, for destroying crops with hail, + for causing cows to become dry, and even for souring beer. The life of no + one was secure, malicious enemies had only to charge one with witchcraft, + prove a few odd sayings and queer actions to secure the death of their + victim. And this belief in witchcraft was so intense that to express a + doubt upon the subject was to be suspected and probably executed. + Believing that animals were also taken possession of by evil spirits and + also believing that if they killed an animal containing one of the evil + spirits that they caused the death of the spirit, they absolutely tried + animals, convicted and executed them. At Basle, in 1474, a rooster was + tried, charged with having laid an egg, and as rooster eggs were used only + in making witch ointment it was a serious charge, and everyone of course + admitted that the devil must have been the cause, as roosters could not + very well lay eggs without some help. And the egg having been produced in + court, the rooster was duly convicted and he together with his miraculous + egg were publicly and with all due solemnity burned in the public square. + So a hog and six pigs were tried for having killed, and partially eaten a + child, the hog was convicted and executed, but the pigs were acquitted on + the ground of their extreme youth. Asiate as 1740 a cow was absolutely + tried on a charge of being possessed of the devil. Our forefathers used to + rid themselves of rats, leeches, locusts and vermin by pronouncing what + they called a public exorcism. + </p> + <p> + On some occasions animals were received as witnesses in judicial + proceedings. + </p> + <p> + The law was in some of the countries of Europe, that if a man's house was + broken into between sunset and sunrise and the owner killed the intruder, + it should be considered justifiable homicide. + </p> + <p> + But it was also considered that it was just possible that a man living + alone might entice another to his house in the night-time, kill him and + then pretend that his victim was a robber. In order to prevent this, it + was enacted that when a person was killed by a man living alone and under + such circumstances, the solitary householder should not be held innocent + unless he produced in court some animal, a dog or a cat, that had been an + inmate of the house and had witnessed the death of the person killed. The + prisoner was then compelled in the presence of such animal to make a + solemn declaration of his innocence, and if the animal failed to + contradict him, he was declared guiltless,—the law taking it for + granted that the Deity would cause a miraculous manifestation by a dumb + animal, rather than allow a murderer to escape. It was the law in England + that any one convicted of a crime, could appeal to what was called corsned + or morsel of execration. This was a piece of cheese or bread of about an + ounce in weight, which was first consecrated with a form of exorcism + desiring that the Almighty, if the man were guilty, would cause + convulsions and paleness, and that it might stick in his throat, but that + it might if the man were innocent, turn to health and nourishment. Godwin, + the Earl of Kent, during the reign of Edward the Confessor, appealed to + the corsned, which sticking in his throat, produced death. There were also + trials by water and by fire. Persons were made to handle red hot iron, and + if it burned them their guilt was established; so their hands and feet + were tied, and they were thrown into the water, and if they sank they were + pronounced guilty and allowed to drown. I give these instances to show you + what has happened, and what always will happen, in countries where + ignorance prevails, and people abandon the great standard of reason. And + also to show to you that scarcely any man, however great, can free himself + of the superstitions of his time. Kepler, one of the greatest men of the + world, and an astronomer second to none, although he plucked from the + stars the secrets of the universe, was an astrologer and thought he could + predict the career of any man by finding what star was in the ascendant at + his birth. This infinitely foolish stuff was religiously believed by him, + merely because he had been raised in an atmosphere of boundless credulity. + Tycho Brahe, another astronomer who has been, and is called the prince of + astronomers—not only believed in astrology, but actually kept an + idiot in his service, whose disconnected and meaningless words he + carefully wrote down and then put them together in such a manner as to + make prophecies, and then he patiently and confidently awaited their + fulfillment. + </p> + <p> + Luther believed that he had actually seen the devil not only, but that he + had had discussions with him upon points of theology. On one occasion + getting excited, he threw an inkstand at his majesty's head, and the ink + stain is still to be seen on the wall where the stand was broken. The + devil I believe, was untouched, he probably having an inkling of Luther's + intention, made a successful dodge. + </p> + <p> + In the time of Charles the Fifth, Emperor of Germany, Stoefflerer, a noted + mathematician and astronomer, a man of great learning, made an + astronomical calculation according to the great science of astrology and + ascertained that the world was to be visited by another deluge. This + prediction was absolutely believed by the leading men of the empire not + only, but of all Europe. The commissioner general of the army of Charles + the Fifth recommended that a survey be made of the country by competent + men in order to find out the highest land. But as it was uncertain how + high the water would rise this idea was abandoned. + </p> + <p> + Thousands of people left their homes in low lands, by the rivers and near + the sea and sought the more elevated ground. Immense suffering was + produced. People in some instances abandoned the aged, the sick and the + infirm to the tender mercies of the expected flood, so anxious were they + to reach some place of security. + </p> + <p> + At Toulouse, in France, the people actually built an ark and stocked it + with provisions, and it was not till long after the day upon which the + flood was to have come, had passed, that the people recovered from their + fright and returned to their homes. About the same time it was currently + reported and believed that a child had been born in Silesia with a golden + tooth. The people were again filled with wonder and consternation. They + were satisfied that some great evil was coming upon mankind. At last it + was solved by some chapter in Daniel wherein is predicted somebody with a + golden head. Such stories would never have gained credence only for the + reason that the supernatural was expected. Anything in the ordinary course + of nature was not worth telling. The human mind was in chains; it had been + deformed by slavery. Reason was a trembling coward, and every production + of the mind was deformed, every idea was a monster. Almost every law was + unjust. Their religion was nothing more or less than monsters worshiping + an imaginary monster. Science could not, properly speaking, exist. Their + histories were the grossest and most palpable falsehoods, and they filled + all Europe with the most shocking absurdities. The histories were all + written by the monks and bishops, all of whom were intensely + superstitious, and equally dishonest. Everything they did was a pious + fraud. They wrote as if they had been eye-witnesses of every occurrence + that they related. They entertained, and consequently expressed, no doubt + as to any particular, and in case of any difficulty they always had a few + miracles ready just suited for the occasion, and the people never for an + instant doubted the absolute truth of every statement that they made. They + wrote the history of every country of any importance. They related all the + past and present, and predicted nearly all the future, with an ignorant + impudence actually sublime. They traced the order of St. Michael in France + back to the Archangel himself, and alleged that he was the founder of a + chivalric order in heaven itself. They also said that the Tartars + originally came from hell, and that they were called Tartars because + Tartarus was one of the names of perdition. They declared that Scotland + was so called after Scota, a daughter of Pharaoh, who landed in Ireland + and afterward invaded Scotland and took it by force of arms. This + statement was made in a letter addressed to the Pope in the 14th century + and was alluded to as a well-known fact. The letter was written by some of + the highest dignitaries of the church and by direction of the king + himself. Matthew, of Paris, an eminent historian of the 13th century, gave + the world the following piece of valuable information: "It is well known + that Mohammed originally was a Cardinal and became a heretic because he + failed in his design of being elected Pope." + </p> + <p> + The same gentleman informs us that Mohammed having drank to excess fell + drunk by the roadside, and in that condition was killed by pigs. And this + is the reason, says he, that his followers abhor pork even unto this day. + Another historian of about the same period, tells us that one of the popes + cut off his hand because it had been kissed by an improper person, and + that the hand was still in the Lateran at Rome, where it had been + miraculously preserved from corruption for over five hundred years. After + that occurrence, says he, the Pope's toe was substituted, which accounts + for this practice. He also has the goodness to inform his readers that + Nero was in the habit of vomiting frogs. Some of the croakers of the + present day against progress would, I think, be the better of such a + vomit. The history of Charlemagne was written by Turpin the Archbishop of + Rheims, and received the formal approbation of the Pope. In this it is + asserted that the walls of a city fell down in answer to prayer; that + Charlemagne was opposed by a giant called Fenacute who was a descendant of + the ancient Goliath; that forty men were sent to attack this giant, and + that he took them under his arms and quietly carried them away. At last + Orlando engaged him singly; not meeting with the success that he + anticipated, he changed his tactics and commenced a theological + discussion; warming with his subject he pressed forward and suddenly + stabbed his opponent, inflicting a mortal wound. After the death of the + giant, Charlemagne easily conquered the whole country and divided it among + his sons. + </p> + <p> + The history of the Britons, written by the Archdeacons of Monmouth and + Oxford, was immensely popular. According to their account, Brutus, a + Roman, conquered England, built London, called the country Britain after + himself. During his time it rained blood for three days. At another time a + monster came from the sea, and after having devoured a great many common + people, finally swallowed the king himself. They say that King Arthur was + not born like ordinary mortals, but was formed by a magical contrivance + made by a wizard. That he was particularly lucky in killing giants, that + he killed one in France who used to eat several people every day, and that + this giant was clothed with garments made entirely of the beards of kings + that he had killed and eaten. To cap the climax, one of the authors of + this book was promoted for having written an authentic history of his + country. Another writer of the 15th century says that after Ignatius was + dead they found impressed upon his heart the Greek word Theos. In all + historical compositions there was an incredible want of common honesty. + The great historian Eusebius ingenuously remarks that in his history he + omitted whatever tended to discredit the church and magnified whatever + conduced to her glory. The same glorious principle was adhered to by most, + if not all, of the writers of those days. They wrote and the people + believed that the tracks of Pharaoh's chariot wheels, were still impressed + upon the sands of the Red Sea and could not be obliterated either by the + winds or waves. + </p> + <p> + The next subject to which I call your attention is the wonderful progress + in the mechanical arts. Animals use the weapons nature has furnished, and + those only—the beak, the claw, the tusk, the teeth. The barbarian + uses a club, a stone. As man advances he makes tools with which to fashion + his weapons; he discovers the best material to be used in their + construction. The next thing was to find some power to assist him—that + is to say, the weight of falling water, or the force of the wind. He then + creates a force, so to speak, by changing water to steam, and with that he + impels machines that can do almost everything but think. You will observe + that the ingenuity of man is first exercised in the construction of + weapons. There were splendid Damascus blades when plowing was done with a + crooked stick. There were complete suits of armor on backs that had never + felt a shirt. The world was full of inventions to destroy life before + there were any to prolong it or make it endurable. Murder was always a + science—medicine is not one yet. Scalping was known and practiced + long before Barret discovered the Hair Regenerator. The destroyers have + always been honored. The useful have always been despised. In ancient + times agriculture was known only to slaves. The low, the ignorant, the + contemptible, cultivated the soil. To work was to be nobody. Mechanics + were only one degree above the farmer. In short, labor was disgraceful. + Idleness was the badge of gentle blood. The fields being poorly cultivated + produced but little at the best. Only a few kinds of crops were raised. + The result was frequent famine and constant suffering. One country could + not be supplied from another as now; the roads were always horrible, and + besides all this, every country was at war with nearly every other. This + state of things lasted until a few years ago. + </p> + <p> + Let me show you the condition of England at the beginning of the + eighteenth century. At that time London was the most populous capital in + Europe, yet it was dirty, ill built, without any sanitary provisions + whatever. The deaths were one in 23 each year. Now in a much more crowded + population they are not one in forty. Much of the country was then heath + and swamp. Almost within sight of London there was a tract, twenty-five + miles round, almost in a state of nature; there were but three houses upon + it. In the rainy season the roads were almost impassable. Through gullies + filled with mud, carriages were dragged by oxen. Between places of great + importance the roads were little known, and a principal mode of transport + was by pack horses, of which passengers took advantage by stowing + themselves away between the packs. The usual charge for freight was 30 + cents per ton a mile. After a while, what they were pleased to call flying + coaches were established. They could move from thirty to fifty miles a + day. Many persons thought the risk so great that it was tempting + Providence to get into one of them. The mail bag was carried on horseback + at five miles an hour. A penny post had been established in the city, but + many long-headed men, who knew what they were saying, denounced it as a + popish contrivance. Only a few years before, Parliament had resolved that + all pictures in the royal collection which contained representations of + Jesus or the Virgin Mary should be burned. Greek statues were handed over + to Puritan stone masons to be made decent. Lewis Meggleton had given + himself out as the last and the greatest of the prophets, having power to + save or damn. He had also discovered that God was only six feet high and + the sun four miles off. There were people in England as savage as our + Indians. The women, half naked, would chant some wild measure, while the + men would brandish their dirks and dance. There were thirty-four counties + without a printer. Social discipline was wretched. The master flogged his + apprentice, the pedagogue his scholar, the husband his wife; and I am + ashamed to say that whipping has not been abolished in our schools. It is + a relic of barbarism and should not be tolerated one moment. It is brutal, + low and contemptible. The teacher that administers such punishment is no + more to blame than the parents that allow it. Every gentleman and lady + should use his or her influence to do away with this vile and infamous + practice. In those days public punishments were all brutal. Men and women + were put in the pillory and then pelted with brick-bats, rotten eggs and + dead cats, by the rabble. The whipping-post was then an institution in + England as it is now in the enlightened State of Delaware. Criminals were + drawn and quartered; others were disemboweled and hung and their bodies + suspended in chains to rot in the air. The houses of the people in the + country were huts, thatched with straw. Anybody who could get fresh meat + once a week was considered rich. Children six years old had to labor. In + London the houses were of wood or plaster, the streets filthy beyond + expression, even muddier than Bloomington is now. After nightfall a + passenger went about at his peril, for chamber windows were opened and + slop pails unceremoniously emptied. There were no lamps in the streets, + but plenty of highwaymen and robbers. + </p> + <p> + The morals of the people corresponded, as they generally do, to their + physical condition. It is said that the clergy did what they could to make + the people pious, but they could not accomplish much. You cannot convert a + man when he is hungry. He will not accept better doctrines until he gets + better clothes, and he won't have more faith till he gets more food. + Besides this, the clergy were a little below par, so much so that Queen + Elizabeth issued an order that no clergyman should presume to marry a + servant girl without the consent of her master or mistress. During the + same time the condition of France and indeed of all Europe was even worse + than England. What has changed the condition of Great Britain? More than + any and everything else, the inventions of her mechanics. The old moral + method was and always will be a failure. If you wish to better the + condition of a people morally, better them physically. About the close of + the 18th Century, Watt, Arkwright, Hargreave, Crompton, Cartwright, + invented the steam engine, the spring frame, the jenny, the mule, the + power loom, the carding machine and a hundred other minor inventions, and + put it in the power of England to monopolize the markets of the world. Her + machinery soon became equal to 30,000,000 of men. In a few years the + population was doubled and the wealth quadrupled; and England became the + first nation of the world through her inventors, her merchants, her + mechanics, and in spite of her statesmen, her priests and her nobles. + England began to spin for the world, cotton began to be universally worn, + clean shirts began to be seen. The most cunning spinners of India could + make a thread over 100 miles long from one pound of cotton. The machines + of England have produced one over 1000 miles in length from the same + quantity. In a short time Stephenson invented the locomotive. Railroads + began to be built. Fulton gave to the world the steamboat, and commerce + became independent of the winds. There are already railroads enough in the + United States to make a double track around the world. Man has lengthened + his arms. He reaches to every country and takes what he wants; the world + is before him; he helps himself. There can be no more famine. If there is + no food in this country, the boat and the car will bring it from another. + </p> + <p> + We can have the luxuries of every climate. A majority of the people now + live better than the king used to do. Poor Solomon with his thousand + wives, and no carpets, his great temple, and no gas light! A thousand + women, and not a pin in the house; no stoves, no cooking range, no baking + powder, no potatoes—think of it! Breakfast without potatoes! Plenty + of wisdom and old saws—but no green corn; never heard of succotash + in his whole life. No clean clothes, no music, if you except a jew's-harp, + no ice water, no skates, no carriages, because there was not a decent road + in all his dominions. Plenty of theology but no tobacco, no books, no + pictures, not a picture in all Palestine, not a piece of statuary, not a + plough that would scour. No tea, no coffee; he never heard of any place of + amusement, never was at a theatre, or a circus. "Seven up" was then + unknown to the world. He couldn't even play billiards, with all his + knowledge, never had an idea of woman's rights, or universal suffrage; + never went to school a day in his life, and cared no more about the will + of the people than Andy Johnson. + </p> + <p> + The inventors have helped more than any other class to make the world what + it is; the workers and the thinkers, the poor and the grand; labor and + learning, industry and intelligence; Watt and Descartes, Fulton and + Montaigne, Stephenson and Kepler, Crompton and Comte, Franklin and + Voltaire, Morse and Buckle, Draper and Spencer, and hundreds more that I + could mention. The inventors, the workers, the thinkers, the mechanics, + the surgeons, the philosophers—these are the Atlases upon whose + shoulders rests the great fabric of modern civilization. + </p> + <p> + LANGUAGE. + </p> + <p> + IN order to show you that the most abject superstition pervaded every + department of human knowledge, or of ignorance rather, allow me to give + you a few of their ideas upon language. It was universally believed that + all languages could be traced back to the Hebrew; that the Hebrew was the + original language, and every fact inconsistent with that idea was + discarded. In consequence of this belief all efforts to investigate the + science of language were utterly fruitless. After a time, the Hebrew idea + falling into disrepute, other languages claimed the honor of being the + original ones. + </p> + <p> + André Kempe published a work in 1569, on the language of Paradise, + in which he maintained that God spoke to Adam in Swedish; that Adam + answered in Danish and that the serpent (which appears quite probable) + spoke to Eve in French. Erro, in a book published at Madrid, took the + ground that Basque was the language spoken in the Garden of Eden. But in + 1580, Goropius published his celebrated work at Antwerp, in which he put + the whole matter at rest by proving that the language spoken in Paradise + was nothing more or less than plain Holland Dutch. The real founder of the + present science of language was a German, Leibnitz—a contemporary of + Sir Isaac Newton. He discarded the idea that all language could be traced + to an original one. That language was, so to speak, a natural growth. + Actual experience teaches us that this must be true. The ancient sages of + Egypt had a vocabulary, according to Bunsen, of only about six hundred and + eighty-five words, exclusive of proper names. The English language has at + least one hundred thousand. + </p> + <p> + GEOGRAPHY. + </p> + <p> + IN the 6th century a monk by the name of Cosmas wrote a kind of orthodox + geography and astronomy combined. He pretended that it was all in + accordance with the Bible. According to him, the world was composed, + first, of a flat piece of land and circular; this piece of land was + entirely surrounded by water which was the ocean, and beyond the strip of + water was another circle of land; this outside circle was the land + inhabited by the old world before the flood; Noah crossed the strip of + water and landed on the central piece where we now are; on the outside + land was a high mountain around which the sun and moon revolved; when the + sun was behind the mountain it was night, and when on the side next us it + was day. He also taught that on the outer edge of the outside circle of + land the firmament or sky was fastened, that it was made of some solid + material and turned over the world like an immense kettle. And it was + declared at that time that anyone who believed either more or less on that + subject than that book contained was a heretic and deserved to be + exterminated from the face of the earth. This was authority until the + discovery of America by Columbus. Cosmas said the earth was flat; if it + was round how could men on the other side at the day of judgment see the + coming of the Lord? At the risk of being tiresome, I have said what I + have, to show you the productions of the mind when enslaved—the + consequences of abandoning judgment and reason—the effects of wide + spread ignorance and universal bigotry. + </p> + <p> + I want to convince you that every wrong is a viper that will sooner or + later strike with poisoned fangs the bosom that nourishes it. You will ask + what has produced this wonderful change in only three hundred years. You + will remember that in those days it was said that all ghosts vanished at + the dawn of day; that the sprites, the spooks, the hobgoblins and all the + monsters of the imagination fled from the approaching sun. In 1441, + printing was invented. In the next century it became a power, and it has + been flooding the world with light from that time to this. The Press has + been the true Prometheus. + </p> + <p> + It has been, so to speak, the trumpet blown by the Gabriel of Progress, + until, from the graves of ignorance and superstition, the people have + leaped to grand and glorious life, spurning with swift feet the dust of an + infamous past. + </p> + <p> + When people read, they reason, when they reason they progress. You must + not think that the enemies of progress allowed books to be published or + read when they had the power to prevent it. The whole power of the church, + of the government, was arrayed upon the side of ignorance. People found in + the possession of books were often executed. Printing, reading and writing + were crimes. Anathemas were hurled from the Vatican against all who dared + to publish a word in favor of liberty or the sacred rights of man. The + Inquisition was founded on purpose to crush out every noble aspiration of + the heart. It was a war of darkness against light, of slavery against + liberty, of superstition against reason. I shall not attempt to recount + the horrors and tortures of the Inquisition. Suffice it to say that they + were equal to the most terrible and vivid pictures even of Hell, and the + Inquisitors were even more horrid fiends than even a real Perdition could + boast. But in spite of priests, in spite of kings, in spite of mitres, in + spite of crowns, in spite of Cardinals and Popes, books were published and + books were read. Beam after beam of light penetrated the darkness. Star + after star arose in the firmament of ignorance. The morning of Freedom + began to dawn. Driven to madness by the prospect of ultimate defeat, the + enemies of light persecuted with redoubled fury. + </p> + <p> + People were burned for saying that the earth was round, for saying that + the sun was the center of a system. A woman was executed because she + endeavored to allay the pains of a fever by singing. The very name of + Philosopher became a title of proscription, and the slightest offences + were punished by death. About the beginning of the sixteenth century + Luther and Jerome, of Prague, inaugurated the great Reformation in + Germany, Ziska was at work in Hungary, Zwinglius in Switzerland. The grand + work went forward in Denmark, in Sweden and in England. All this was + accomplished as early as 1534. They unmasked the corruption and withstood + the tyranny of the church. + </p> + <p> + With a zeal amounting to enthusiasm, with a courage that was heroic, with + an energy that never flagged, a determination that brooked no opposition, + with a firmness that defied torture and death, this sublime band of + reformers sprang to the attack. Stronghold after stronghold was carried, + and in a few short but terrible years, the banner of the Reformation waved + in triumph over the bloody ensign of Saint Peter. The soul roused from the + slumbers of a thousand years began to think. When slaves begin to reason, + slavery begins to die. The invention of powder had released millions from + the army, and left them to prosecute the arts of peace. Industry began to + be remunerative and respectable. + </p> + <p> + Science began to unfold the wings that will finally fill the heavens. + Descartes announced to the world the sublime truth that the Universe is + governed by law. + </p> + <p> + Commerce began to unfold her wings. People of different countries began to + get acquainted. Christians found that Mohammedan gold was not the less + valuable on account of the doctrines of its owners. Telescopes began to be + pointed toward the stars. The Universe was getting immense. The Earth was + growing small. It was discovered that a man could be healthy without being + a Catholic. Innumerable agencies were at work dispelling darkness and + creating light. The supernatural began to be abandoned, and mankind + endeavored to account for all physical phenomena by physical laws. The + light of reason was irradiating the world, and from that light, as from + the approach of the sun, the ghosts and spectres of superstition wrapped + their sheets around their attenuated bodies and vanished into thin air. + Other inventions rapidly followed. The wonderful power of steam was made + known to the world by Watts and by Fulton. Neptune was frightened from the + sea. The locomotive was given to mankind by Stephenson; the telegraph by + Franklin and Morse. The rush of the ship, the scream of the locomotive, + and the electric flash have frightened the monsters of ignorance from the + world, and have left nothing above us but the heaven's eternal blue, + filled with glittering planets wheeling through immensity in accordance + with <i>Law</i>. True religion is a subordination of the passions and + interests to the perceptions of the intellect. But when religion was + considered the end of life instead of a means of happiness, it + overshadowed all other interests and became the destroyer of mankind. It + became a hydra-headed monster—a serpent reaching in terrible coils + from the heavens and thrusting its thousand fangs into the bleeding, + quivering hearts of men. + </p> + <p> + SLAVERY. + </p> + <p> + I HAVE endeavored thus far to show you some of the results produced by + enslaving the human mind. I now call your attention to another terrible + phase of this subject; the enslavement of the body. Slavery is a very + ancient institution, yes, about as ancient as robbery, theft and murder, + and is based upon them all. + </p> + <p> + Springing from the same fountain, that a man is not the owner of his soul, + is the doctrine that he is not the owner of his body. The two are always + found together, supported by precisely the same arguments, and attended by + the same infamous acts of cruelty. From the earliest time, slavery has + existed in all countries, and among all people until recently. Pufendorf + said that slavery was originally established by contract. Voltaire + replied, "Show me the original contract, and if it is signed by the party + that was to be a slave I will believe you." You will bear in mind that the + slavery of which I am now speaking is white slavery. + </p> + <p> + Greeks enslaved one another as well as those captured in war. Coriolanus + scrupled not to make slaves of his own countrymen captured in civil war. + </p> + <p> + Julius Cæsar sold to the highest bidder at onetime fifty-three + thousand prisoners of war all of whom were white. Hannibal exposed to sale + thirty thousand captives at one time, all of whom were Roman citizens. In + Rome, men were sold into bondage in order to pay their debts. In Germany, + men often hazarded their freedom on the throwing of dice. The Barbary + States held white Christians in slavery in this, the 19th century. There + were white slaves in England as late as 1574. There were white slaves in + Scotland until the end of the 18th century. + </p> + <p> + These Scotch slaves were colliers and salters. They were treated as real + estate and passed with a deed to the mines in which they worked. + </p> + <p> + It was also the law that no collier could work in any mine except the one + to which he belonged. It was also the law that their children could follow + no other occupation than that of their fathers. This slavery absolutely + existed in Scotland until the beginning of the glorious 19th century. + </p> + <p> + Some of the Roman nobles were the owners of as many as twenty thousand + slaves. + </p> + <p> + The common people of France were in slavery for fourteen hundred years. + They were transferred with land, and women were often seen assisting + cattle to pull the plough, and yet people have the impudence to say that + black slavery is right, because the blacks have always been slaves in + their own country. I answer, so have the whites until very recently. In + the good old days when might was right and when kings and popes stood by + the people, and protected the people, and talked about "holy oil and + divine right," the world was filled with slaves. The traveler standing + amid the ruins of ancient cities and empires, seeing on every side the + fallen pillar and the prostrate wall, asks why did these cities fall, why + did these empires crumble? And the Ghost of the Past, the wisdom of ages, + answers: These temples, these palaces, these cities, the ruins of which + you stand upon were built by tyranny and injustice. The hands that built + them were unpaid. The backs that bore the burdens also bore the marks of + the lash. They were built by slaves to satisfy the vanity and ambition of + thieves and robbers. For these reasons they are dust. + </p> + <p> + Their civilization was a lie. Their laws merely regulated robbery and + established theft. They bought and sold the bodies and souls of men, and + the mournful winds of desolation, sighing amid their crumbling ruins, is a + voice of prophetic warning to those who would repeat the infamous + experiment. From the ruins of Babylon, of Carthage, of Athens, of Palmyra, + of Thebes, of Rome, and across the great desert, over that sad and solemn + sea of sand, from the land of the pyramids, over the fallen Sphinx and + from the lips of Memnon the same voice, the same warning and uttering the + great truth, that no nation founded upon slavery, either of body or mind, + can stand. + </p> + <p> + And yet, to-day, there are thousands upon thousands endeavoring to build + the temples and cities and to administer our Government upon the old plan. + They are makers of brick without straw. They are bowing themselves beneath + hods of untempered mortar. They are the babbling builders of another + Babel, a Babel of mud upon a foundation of sand. + </p> + <p> + Nothwithstanding the experience of antiquity as to the terrible effects of + slavery, bondage was the rule, and liberty the exception, during the + Middle Ages not only, but for ages afterward. + </p> + <p> + The same causes that led to the liberation of mind also liberated the + body. Free the mind, allow men to write and publish and read, and one by + one the shackles will drop, broken, in the dust. This truth was always + known, and for that reason slaves have never been allowed to read. It has + always been a crime to teach a slave. The intelligent prefer death to + slavery. Education is the most radical abolitionist in the world. To teach + the alphabet is to inaugurate revolution. To build a schoolhouse is to + construct a fort. Every library is an arsenal, and every truth is a + monitor, iron-clad and steel-plated. + </p> + <p> + Do not think that white slavery was abolished without a struggle. The men + who opposed white slavery were ridiculed, were persecuted, driven from + their homes, mobbed, hanged, tortured and burned. They were denounced as + having only one idea, by men who had none. They were called fanatics by + men who were so insane as to suppose that the laws of a petty prince were + greater than those of the Universe. Crime made faces at virtue, and + honesty was an outcast beggar. In short, I cannot better describe to you + the manner in which the friends of slavery acted at that time, than by + saying that they acted precisely as they used to do in the United States. + White slavery, established by kidnapping and piracy, sustained by torture + and infinite cruelty, was defended to the very last. + </p> + <p> + Let me now call your attention to one of the most immediate causes of the + abolition of white slavery in Europe. There were during the Middle Ages + three great classes of people: the common people, the clergy and the + nobility. All these people could, however, be divided into two classes, + namely, the robbed and the robbers. The feudal lords were jealous of the + king, the king afraid of the lords, the clergy always siding with the + stronger party. The common people had only to do the work, the fighting, + and to pay the taxes, as by the law the property of the nobles was exempt + from taxation. The consequence was, in every war between the nobles and + the king, each party endeavored by conciliation to get the peasants upon + their side. When the clergy were on the side of the king they created + dissension between the people and the nobles by telling them that the + nobles were tyrants. When they were on the side of the nobles they told + the people that the king was a tyrant. At last the people believed both, + and the old adage was verified, that when thieves fall out honest men get + their dues. + </p> + <p> + By virtue of the civil and religious wars of Europe, slavery was + abolished, and the French Revolution, one of the grandest pages in all + history, was, so to speak, the exterminator of white slavery. In that + terrible period the people who had borne the yoke for fourteen hundred + years, rising from the dust, casting their shackles from them, fiercely + avenged their wrongs. A mob of twenty millions driven to desperation, in + the sublimity of despair, in the sacred name of Liberty cried for + vengeance. They reddened the earth with the blood of their masters. They + trampled beneath their feet the great army of human vermin that had lived + upon their labor. They filled the air with the ruins of temples and + thrones, and with bloody hands tore in pieces the altar upon which their + rights had been offered by an impious church. They scorned the + superstitions of the past not only, but they scorned the past; for the + past to them was only wrong, imposition and outrage. The French Revolution + was the inauguration of a new era. The lava of freedom long buried beneath + a mountain of wrong and injustice at last burst forth, overwhelming the + Pompeii and Herculaneum of priestcraft and tyranny. As soon as white + slavery began to decay in Europe, and while the condition of the white + slaves was improving about the middle of the 16th century in 1541, Alonzo + Gonzales, of Portugal, pointed out to his countrymen a new field of + operations, a new market for human flesh, and in a short time the African + slave-trade with all its unspeakable horrors was inaugurated. + </p> + <p> + This trade has been the great crime of modern times. It is almost + impossible to conceive that nations who professed to be Christian, or even + in any degree civilized, should have engaged in this infamous traffic. Yet + nearly all of the nations of Europe engaged in the slave-trade, legalized + it, protected it, fostered the practice, and vied with each other in acts, + the bare recital of which is enough to make the heart stand still. + </p> + <p> + It has been calculated that for years, at least 400,000 Africans were + either killed or enslaved annually. They crammed their ships so full of + these unfortunate wretches, that, as a general thing, about ten per cent, + died of suffocation on the voyage. They were treated like wild beasts. In + times of danger they were thrown into the sea. Remember that this horrible + traffic commenced in the middle of the 16th century, was carried on by + nations pretending to Christian civilization, and when do you think it was + abolished by some of the principal countries? In England, Wilberforce and + Clarkson dedicated their lives to the abolition of the slave-trade. They + were hated and despised. They persevered for twenty years, and it was not + until the 25th of March, 1808, that England pronounced the infamous + traffic in human flesh illegal, and the rejoicing in England was redoubled + on receiving the news that the United States had done the same thing. + After a time, those engaged in the slave-trade were declared pirates. + </p> + <p> + On the 28th day of August, 1833, England abolished slavery throughout the + British Colonies, thus giving liberty to nearly one million slaves. + </p> + <p> + The United States was then the greatest slave-holding power in the + civilized world. + </p> + <p> + We are all acquainted with the history of slavery in this country. We know + that it corrupted our people, that it has drenched our land in fraternal + blood, that it has clad our country in mourning for the loss of 300,000 of + her bravest sons; that it carried us back to the darkest ages of the + world, that it led us to the very brink of destruction, forced us to the + shattered gates of eternal ruin, death and annihilation. But Liberty + rising above party prejudice, Freedom lifting itself above all other + considerations, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, + Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,— + Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, + Eternal sunshine settles on its head." +</pre> + <p> + And on the 1st day of January, 1863, the grandest New Year that ever + dawned upon this continent, in accordance with the will of the heroic + North, by the sublime act of one whose name will be sacred through all the + coming years, the justice so long delayed was accomplished, and four + millions of slaves became chainless. + </p> + <p> + LIBERTY TRIUMPHED. + </p> + <p> + LIBERTY, that most sacred word, without which all other words are vain, + without which, life is worse than death, and men are beasts! I never see + the word Liberty without seeing a halo of glory around it. It is a word + worthy of the lips of a God. Can you realize the fact that only a few + years ago, the most shocking system of slavery—the most barbarous—existed + in our country, and that you and I were bound by the laws of the United + States to stand between a human being and his liberty? That we were + absolutely compelled by law to hand back that human being to the lash and + chain? That by our laws children were sold from the arms of mothers, wives + sold from their husbands? That we executed our laws with the assistance of + bloodhounds, owned and trained by human bloodhounds fiercer still, and + that all this was not only upheld by politicians, but by the pretended + ministers of Christ? That the pulpit was in partnership with the auction + block—that the bloodhound's bark was only an echo from many of the + churches? And that this was all done under the sacred name of Liberty, by + a republican government that was founded upon the sublime declaration that + all men are equal? This all seems to me like a horrible dream, a nightmare + of terror, a hellish impossibility. And yet, with cheeks glowing and + burning with shame, before the bar of history, we are forced to plead + guilty to this terrible charge. We made a whip-ping-post of the cross of + Christ. It is true that in a great degree we have atoned for this national + crime. Our bravest and our best have been sacrificed. We have borne the + bloody burden of war. The good and the true have been with us, and the + women of the North have won glory imperishable. They robbed war of half + its terrors. Not content with binding the wreath of victory upon the + leader's brow, they bandaged the soldiers' wounds, they nerved the living, + comforted the dying, and smiled upon the great victory through their + tears. + </p> + <p> + They have consoled the hero's widow and are educating his orphans. They + have erected a monument to enlightened charity to which time can add only + grandeur. There is much, however, to be accomplished still. Slavery has + been abolished, but Progress requires more. We are called upon to make + this a free government in the broadest sense, to give liberty to all. + Standing in the presence of all history, knowing the experience of + mankind, knowing that the earth is covered with countless wrecks of cruel + failures; appealed to by the great army of martyrs and heroes who have + gone before; by the sacred dust filling innumerable graves; by the memory + of our own noble dead; by all the suffering of the past; by all the hopes + for the future; by all the glorious dead and the countless millions yet to + be, I pray, I beseech, I implore the American people to lay the foundation + of the Government upon the principles of eternal justice. I pray, I + beseech, I implore them to take for the corner-stone, Universal Human + Liberty—the stone which has been heretofore rejected by all the + builders of nations. The Government will then stand, and the swelling dome + of the temple will touch the stars. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkCONC2" id="linkCONC2"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + CONCLUSION + </h2> + <p> + I HAVE thus endeavored to show you some of the effects of slavery, and to + prove to you that a step in order to be in the direction of progress must + be in the direction of freedom; that slavery either of body or mind is + barbarism and is practiced and defended only by infamous tyrants or their + dupes. I have endeavored to point out some of the causes of the abolition + of slavery, both of body and mind. There is one truth, however, that you + must not forget, and that is, that every evil tends to correct and abolish + itself. I believe, however, that the diffusion of knowledge, more than + everything else combined, has ameliorated the condition of mankind. When + there was no freedom of speech and no press, then every idea perished in + the brain that gave it birth. One man could not profit by the thought of + another. The experience of the past was in a great degree unknown. And + this state of things produced the same effect in the mental world, that + confining all the water to the springs would in the physical. Confine the + water to the springs, the rivulets would cease to murmur, the rivers to + flow, and the ocean itself would become a desert of sand. But with the + invention of printing, ideas began to circulate, born of the busy brain of + the million—little rivulets of facts running into rivers of + information, and they all flowing into the great ocean of human knowledge. + </p> + <p> + This exchange of ideas, this comparison of thought, has given to each + generation the advantage of all the past. This, more than all else, has + enabled man to improve his condition. It is by this that from the log or + piece of bark on which a naked savage floated, we have by successive + improvements created a man-of-war carrying a hundred guns and miles of + canvas. By these means we have changed a handful of sand into a telescope. + In the hands of science a drop of water has become a giant, turning with + swift and tireless arm the countless wheels. The sun has become an artist + painting with shining beams the very thoughts within our eyes. The + elements have been taught to do our bidding, and the electric spark, + freighted with human thought and love, defies distance, and devours time + as it sweeps under all the waves of the sea. + </p> + <p> + These are some of the results of free thought and free labor. I have + barely alluded to a few—where is improvement to stop? Science is + only in its infancy. It has accomplished all this and is in its cradle + still. + </p> + <p> + We are standing on the shore of an infinite ocean whose countless waves, + freighted with blessings, are welcoming our adventurous feet. Progress has + been written on every soul. The human race is advancing. + </p> + <p> + Forward, oh sublime army of progress, forward until law is justice, + forward until ignorance is unknown, forward while there is a spiritual or + temporal throne, forward until superstition is a forgotten dream, forward + until the world is free, forward until human reason, clothed in the purple + of authority, is king of kings. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0012" id="link0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + WHAT IS RELIGION? + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * This was Col. Ingersoll's last public address, delivered + before the American Free Religious Association, in the + Hollis Street Theatre, Boston, June 2, 1899. +</pre> + <p> + IT is asserted that an infinite God created all things, governs all + things, and that the creature should be obedient and thankful to the + creator; that the creator demands certain things, and that the person who + complies with these demands is religious. This kind of religion has been + substantially universal. + </p> + <p> + For many centuries and by many peoples it was believed that this God + demanded sacrifices; that he was pleased when parents shed the blood of + their babes. Afterward it was supposed that he was satisfied with the + blood of oxen, lambs and doves, and that in exchange for or on account of + these sacrifices, this God gave rain, sunshine and harvest. It was also + believed that if the sacrifices were not made, this God sent pestilence, + famine, flood and earthquake. + </p> + <p> + The last phase of this belief in sacrifice was, according to the Christian + doctrine, that God accepted the blood of his son, and that after his son + had been murdered, he, God, was satisfied, and wanted no more blood. + </p> + <p> + During all these years and by all these peoples it was believed that this + God heard and answered prayer, that he forgave sins and saved the souls of + true believers. This, in a general way, is the definition of religion. + </p> + <p> + Now, the questions are, Whether religion was founded on any known fact? + Whether such a being as God exists? Whether he was the creator of yourself + and myself? Whether any prayer was ever answered? Whether any sacrifice of + babe or ox secured the favor of this unseen God? + </p> + <p> + <i>First</i>.—Did an infinite God create the children of men? + </p> + <p> + Why did he create the intellectually inferior? + </p> + <p> + Why did he create the deformed and helpless? + </p> + <p> + Why did he create the criminal, the idiotic, the insane? + </p> + <p> + Can infinite wisdom and power make any excuse for the creation of + failures? + </p> + <p> + Are the failures under obligation to their creator? + </p> + <p> + <i>Second</i>.—Is an infinite God the governor of this world? + </p> + <p> + Is he responsible for all the chiefs, kings, emperors, and queens? + </p> + <p> + Is he responsible for all the wars that have been waged, for all the + innocent blood that has been shed? + </p> + <p> + Is he responsible for the centuries of slavery, for the backs that have + been scarred with the lash, for the babes that have been sold from the + breasts of mothers, for the families that have been separated and + destroyed? + </p> + <p> + Is this God responsible for religious persecution, for the Inquisition, + for the thumb-screw and rack, and for all the instruments of torture? + </p> + <p> + Did this God allow the cruel and vile to destroy the brave and virtuous? + Did he allow tyrants to shed the blood of patriots? + </p> + <p> + Did he allow his enemies to torture and burn his friends? + </p> + <p> + What is such a God worth? + </p> + <p> + Would a decent man, having the power to prevent it, allow his enemies to + torture and burn his friends? + </p> + <p> + Can we conceive of a devil base enough to prefer his enemies to his + friends? + </p> + <p> + If a good and infinitely powerful God governs this world, how can we + account for cyclones, earthquakes, pestilence and famine? + </p> + <p> + How can we account for cancers, for microbes, for diphtheria and the + thousand diseases that prey on infancy? + </p> + <p> + How can we account for the wild beasts that devour human beings, for the + fanged serpents whose bite is death? + </p> + <p> + How can we account for a world where life feeds on life? + </p> + <p> + Were beak and claw, tooth and fang, invented and produced by infinite + mercy? + </p> + <p> + Did infinite goodness fashion the wings of the eagles so that their + fleeing prey could be overtaken? + </p> + <p> + Did infinite goodness create the beasts of prey with the intention that + they should devour the weak and helpless? + </p> + <p> + Did infinite goodness create the countless worthless living things that + breed within and feed upon the flesh of higher forms? + </p> + <p> + Did infinite wisdom intentionally produce the microscopic beasts that feed + upon the optic nerve? + </p> + <p> + Think of blinding a man to satisfy the appetite of a microbe! + </p> + <p> + Think of life feeding on life! Think of the victims! Think of the Niagara + of blood pouring over the precipice of cruelty! + </p> + <p> + In view of these facts, what, after all, is religion? + </p> + <p> + It is fear. + </p> + <p> + Fear builds the altar and offers the sacrifice. + </p> + <p> + Fear erects the cathedral and bows the head of man in worship. + </p> + <p> + Fear bends the knees and utters the prayer. + </p> + <p> + Fear pretends to love. + </p> + <p> + Religion teaches the slave-virtues—obedience, humility, self-denial, + forgiveness, non-resistance. + </p> + <p> + Lips, religious and fearful, tremblingly repeat this passage: "Though he + slay me, yet will I trust him." This is the abyss of degradation. + </p> + <p> + Religion does not teach self-reliance, independence, manliness, courage, + self-defence. Religion makes God a master and man his serf. The master + cannot be great enough to make slavery sweet. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + IF this God exists, how do we know that he is-I good? How can we prove + that he is merciful, that he cares for the children of men? If this God + exists, he has on many occasions seen millions of his poor children + plowing the fields, sowing and planting the grain, and when he saw them he + knew that they depended on the expected crop for life, and yet this good + God, this merciful being, withheld the rain. He caused the sun to rise, to + steal all moisture from the land, but gave no rain. He saw the seeds that + man had planted wither and perish, but he sent no rain. He saw the people + look with sad eyes upon the barren earth, and he sent no rain. He saw them + slowly devour the little that they had, and saw them when the days of + hunger came—saw them slowly waste away, saw their hungry, sunken + eyes, heard their prayers, saw them devour the miserable animals that they + had, saw fathers and mothers, insane with hunger, kill and eat their + shriveled babes, and yet the heaven above them was as brass and the earth + beneath as iron, and he sent no rain. Can we say that in the heart of this + God there blossomed the flower of pity? Can we say that he cared for the + children of men? Can we say that his mercy endureth forever? + </p> + <p> + Do we prove that this God is good because he sends the cyclone that wrecks + villages and covers the fields with the mangled bodies of fathers, mothers + and babes? Do we prove his goodness by showing that he has opened the + earth and swallowed thousands of his helpless children, or that with the + volcanoes he has overwhelmed them with rivers of fire? Can we infer the + goodness of God from the facts we know? + </p> + <p> + If these calamities did not happen, would we suspect that God cared + nothing for human beings? If there were no famine, no pestilence, no + cyclone, no earthquake, would we think that God is not good? + </p> + <p> + According to the theologians, God did not make all men alike. He made + races differing in intelligence, stature and color. Was there goodness, + was there wisdom in this? + </p> + <p> + Ought the superior races to thank God that they are not the inferior? If + we say yes, then I ask another question: Should the inferior races thank + God that they are not superior, or should they thank God that they are not + beasts? + </p> + <p> + When God made these different races he knew that the superior would + enslave the inferior, knew that the inferior would be conquered, and + finally destroyed. + </p> + <p> + If God did this, and knew the blood that would be shed, the agonies that + would be endured, saw the countless fields covered with the corpses of the + slain, saw all the bleeding backs of slaves, all the broken hearts of + mothers bereft of babes, if he saw and knew all this, can we conceive of a + more malicious fiend? + </p> + <p> + Why, then, should we say that God is good? + </p> + <p> + The dungeons against whose dripping walls the brave and generous have + sighed their souls away, the scaffolds stained and glorified with noble + blood, the hopeless slaves with scarred and bleeding backs, the writhing + martyrs clothed in flame, the virtuous stretched on racks, their joints + and muscles torn apart, the flayed and bleeding bodies of the just, the + extinguished eyes of those who sought for truth, the countless patriots + who fought and died in vain, the burdened, beaten, weeping wives, the + shriveled faces of neglected babes, the murdered millions of the vanished + years, the victims of the winds and waves, of flood and flame, of + imprisoned forces in the earth, of lightning's stroke, of lava's molten + stream, of famine, plague and lingering pain, the mouths that drip with + blood, the fangs that poison, the beaks that wound and tear, the triumphs + of the base, the rule and sway of wrong, the crowns that cruelty has worn + and the robed hypocrites, with clasped and bloody hands, who thanked their + God—a phantom fiend—that liberty had been banished from the + world, these souvenirs of the dreadful past, these horrors that still + exist, these frightful facts deny that any God exists who has the will and + power to guard and bless the human race. + </p> + <p> + III. THE POWER THAT WORKS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. + </p> + <p> + MOST people cling to the supernatural. If they give up one God, they + imagine another. Having outgrown Jehovah, they talk about the power that + works for righteousness. + </p> + <p> + What is this power? + </p> + <p> + Man advances, and necessarily advances through experience. A man wishing + to go to a certain place comes to where the road divides. He takes the + left hand, believing it to be the right road, and travels until he finds + that it is the wrong one. He retraces his steps and takes the right hand + road and reaches the place desired. The next time he goes to the same + place, he does not take the left hand road. He has tried that road, and + knows that it is the wrong road. He takes the right road, and thereupon + these theologians say, "There is a power that works for righteousness." + </p> + <p> + A child, charmed by the beauty of the flame, grasps it with its dimpled + hand. The hand is burned, and after that the child keeps its hand out of + the fire. The power that works for righteousness has taught the child a + lesson. + </p> + <p> + The accumulated experience of the world is a power and force that works + for righteousness. This force is not conscious, not intelligent. It has no + will, no purpose. It is a result. + </p> + <p> + So thousands have endeavored to establish the existence of God by the fact + that we have what is called the moral sense; that is to say, a conscience. + </p> + <p> + It is insisted by these theologians, and by many of the so-called + philosophers, that this moral sense, this sense of duty, of obligation, + was imported, and that conscience is an exotic. Taking the ground that it + was not produced here, was not produced by man, they then imagine a God + from whom it came. + </p> + <p> + Man is a social being. We live together in families, tribes and nations. + </p> + <p> + The members of a family, of a tribe, of a nation, who increase the + happiness of the family, of the tribe or of the nation, are considered + good members. They are praised, admired and respected. They are regarded + as good; that is to say, as moral. + </p> + <p> + The members who add to the misery of the family, the tribe or the nation, + are considered bad members. + </p> + <p> + They are blamed, despised, punished. They are regarded as immoral. + </p> + <p> + The family, the tribe, the nation, creates a standard of conduct, of + morality. There is nothing supernatural in this. + </p> + <p> + The greatest of human beings has said, "Conscience is born of love." + </p> + <p> + The sense of obligation, of duty, was naturally produced. + </p> + <p> + Among savages, the immediate consequences of actions are taken into + consideration. As people advance, the remote consequences are perceived. + The standard of conduct becomes higher. The imagination is cultivated. A + man puts himself in the place of another. The sense of duty becomes + stronger, more imperative. Man judges himself. + </p> + <p> + He loves, and love is the commencement, the foundation of the highest + virtues. He injures one that he loves. Then comes regret, repentance, + sorrow, conscience. In all this there is nothing supernatural. + </p> + <p> + Man has deceived himself. Nature is a mirror in which man sees his own + image, and all supernatural religions rest on the pretence that the image, + which appears to be behind this mirror, has been caught. + </p> + <p> + All the metaphysicians of the spiritual type, from Plato to Swedenborg, + have manufactured their facts, and all founders of religion have done the + same. + </p> + <p> + Suppose that an infinite God exists, what can we do for him? Being + infinite, he is conditionless; being conditionless, he cannot be benefited + or injured. He cannot want. He has. + </p> + <p> + Think of the egotism of a man who believes that an infinite being wants + his praise! + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + WHAT has our religion done? Of course, it is admitted by Christians that + all other religions are false, and consequently we need examine only our + own. + </p> + <p> + Has Christianity done good? Has it made men nobler, more merciful, nearer + honest? When the church had control, were men made better and happier? + </p> + <p> + What has been the effect of Christianity in Italy, in Spain, in Portugal, + in Ireland? + </p> + <p> + What has religion done for Hungary or Austria? What was the effect of + Christianity in Switzerland, in Holland, in Scotland, in England, in + America? Let us be honest. Could these countries have been worse without + religion? Could they have been worse had they had any other religion than + Christianity? + </p> + <p> + Would Torquemada have been worse had he been a follower of Zoroaster? + Would Calvin have been more bloodthirsty if he had believed in the + religion of the South Sea Islanders? Would the Dutch have been more + idiotic if they had denied the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and worshiped + the blessed trinity of sausage, beer and cheese? Would John Knox have been + any worse had he deserted Christ and become a follower of Confucius? + </p> + <p> + Take our own dear, merciful Puritan Fathers? What did Christianity do for + them? They hated pleasure. On the door of life they hung the crape of + death. They muffled all the bells of gladness. They made cradles by + putting rockers on coffins. In the Puritan year there were twelve + Decembers. They tried to do away with infancy and youth, with prattle of + babes and the song of the morning. + </p> + <p> + The religion of the Puritan was an unadulterated curse. The Puritan + believed the Bible to be the word of God, and this belief has always made + those who held it cruel and wretched. Would the Puritan have been worse if + he had adopted the religion of the North American Indians? + </p> + <p> + Let me refer to just one fact showing the influence of a belief in the + Bible on human beings. + </p> + <p> + "On the day of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth she was presented with a + Geneva Bible by an old man representing Time, with Truth standing by his + side as a child. The Queen received the Bible, kissed it, and pledged + herself to diligently read therein. In the dedication of this blessed + Bible the Queen was piously exhorted to put all Papists to the sword." + </p> + <p> + In this incident we see the real spirit of Protestant lovers of the Bible. + In other words, it was just as fiendish, just as infamous as the Catholic + spirit. + </p> + <p> + Has the Bible made the people of Georgia kind and merciful? Would the + lynchers be more ferocious if they worshiped gods of wood and stone? + </p> + <p> + VII. HOW CAN MANKIND BE REFORMED WITHOUT RELIGION? + </p> + <p> + RELIGION has been tried, and in all countries, in all times, has failed. + </p> + <p> + Religion has never made man merciful. + </p> + <p> + Remember the Inquisition. + </p> + <p> + What effect did religion have on slavery? + </p> + <p> + What effect upon Libby, Saulsbury and Andersonville? + </p> + <p> + Religion has always been the enemy of science, of investigation and + thought. + </p> + <p> + Religion has never made man free. + </p> + <p> + It has never made man moral, temperate, industrious and honest. + </p> + <p> + Are Christians more temperate, nearer virtuous, nearer honest than + savages? + </p> + <p> + Among savages do we not find that their vices and cruelties are the fruits + of their superstitions? + </p> + <p> + To those who believe in the Uniformity of Nature, religion is impossible. + </p> + <p> + Can we affect the nature and qualities of substance by prayer? Can we + hasten or delay the tides by worship? Can we change winds by sacrifice? + Will kneelings give us wealth? Can we cure disease by supplication? Can we + add to our knowledge by ceremony? Can we receive virtue or honor as alms? + </p> + <p> + Are not the facts in the mental world just as stubborn—just as + necessarily produced—as the facts in the material world? Is not what + we call mind just as natural as what we call body? + </p> + <p> + Religion rests on the idea that Nature has a master and that this master + will listen to prayer; that this master punishes and rewards; that he + loves praise and flattery and hates the brave and free. + </p> + <p> + Has man obtained any help from heaven? + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + IF we have a theory, we must have facts for the foundation. We must have + corner-stones. We must not build on guesses, fancies, analogies or + inferences. The structure must have a basement. If we build, we must begin + at the bottom. + </p> + <p> + I have a theory and I have four corner-stones. + </p> + <p> + The first stone is that matter—substance—cannot be destroyed, + cannot be annihilated. + </p> + <p> + The second stone is that force cannot be destroyed, cannot be annihilated. + </p> + <p> + The third stone is that matter and force cannot exist apart—no + matter without force—no force without matter. + </p> + <p> + The fourth stone is that that which cannot be destroyed could not have + been created; that the indestructible is the uncreatable. + </p> + <p> + If these corner-stones are facts, it follows as a necessity that matter + and force are from and to eternity; that they can neither be increased nor + diminished. + </p> + <p> + It follows that nothing has been or can be created; that there never has + been or can be a creator. + </p> + <p> + It follows that there could not have been any intelligence, any design + back of matter and force. + </p> + <p> + There is no intelligence without force. There is no force without matter. + Consequently there could not by any possibility have been any + intelligence, any force, back of matter. + </p> + <p> + It therefore follows that the supernatural does not and cannot exist. If + these four corner-stones are facts, Nature has no master. If matter and + force are from and to eternity, it follows as a necessity that no God + exists; that no God created or governs the universe; that no God exists + who answers prayer; no God who succors the oppressed; no God who pities + the sufferings of innocence; no God who cares for the slaves with scarred + flesh, the mothers robbed of their babes; no God who rescues the tortured, + and no God that saves a martyr from the flames. In other words, it proves + that man has never received any help from heaven; that all sacrifices have + been in vain, and that all prayers have died unanswered in the heedless + air. I do not pretend to know. I say what I think. + </p> + <p> + If matter and force have existed from eternity, it then follows that all + that has been possible has happened, all that is possible is happening, + and all that will be possible will happen. + </p> + <p> + In the universe there is no chance, no caprice. Every event has parents. + </p> + <p> + That which has not happened, could not. The present is the necessary + product of all the past, the necessary cause of all the future. + </p> + <p> + In the infinite chain there is, and there can be, no broken, no missing + link. The form and motion of every star, the climate of every world, all + forms of vegetable and animal life, all instinct, intelligence and + conscience, all assertions and denials, all vices and virtues, all + thoughts and dreams, all hopes and fears, are necessities. Not one of the + countless things and relations in the universe could have been different. + </p> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + IF matter and force are from eternity, then we can say that man had no + intelligent creator—that man was not a special creation. + </p> + <p> + We now know, if we know anything, that Jehovah, the divine potter, did not + mix and mould clay into the forms of men and women, and then breathe the + breath of life into these forms. + </p> + <p> + We now know that our first parents were not foreigners. We know that they + were natives of this world, produced here, and that their life did not + come from the breath of any god. We now know, if we know anything, that + the universe is natural, and that men and women have been naturally + produced. We now know our ancestors, our pedigree. We have the family + tree. + </p> + <p> + We have all the links of the chain, twenty-six links inclusive from moner + to man. + </p> + <p> + We did not get our information from inspired books. We have fossil facts + and living forms. + </p> + <p> + From the simplest creatures, from blind sensation, from organism from one + vague want, to a single cell with a nucleus, to a hollow ball filled with + fluid, to a cup with double walls, to a flat worm, to a something that + begins to breathe, to an organism that has a spinal chord, to a link + between the invertebrate to the vertebrate, to one that has a cranium—a + house for a brain—to one with fins, still onward to one with fore + and hinder fins, to the reptile mammalia, to the marsupials, to the + lemures, dwellers in trees, to the simiæ, to the pithecanthropi, and + lastly, to man. + </p> + <p> + We know the paths that life has traveled. We know the footsteps of + advance. They have been traced. The last link has been found. For this we + are indebted, more than to all others, to the greatest of biologists, + Ernst Haeckel. + </p> + <p> + We now believe that the universe is natural and we deny the existence of + the supernatural. + </p> + <p> + VIII. Reform. + </p> + <p> + FOR thousands of years men and women have been trying to reform the world. + They have created gods and devils, heavens and hells; they have written + sacred books, performed miracles, built cathedrals and dungeons; they have + crowned and uncrowned kings and queens; they have tortured and imprisoned, + flayed alive and burned; they have preached and prayed; they have tried + promises and threats; they have coaxed and persuaded; they have preached + and taught, and in countless ways have endeavored to make people honest, + temperate, industrious and virtuous; they have built hospitals and + asylums, universities and schools, and seem to have done their very best + to make mankind better and happier, and yet they have not succeeded. + </p> + <p> + Why have the reformers failed? I will tell them why. + </p> + <p> + Ignorance, poverty and vice are populating the world. The gutter is a + nursery. People unable even to support themselves fill the tenements, the + huts and hovels with children. They depend on the Lord, on luck and + charity. They are not intelligent enough to think about consequences or to + feel responsibility. At the same time they do not want children, because a + child is a curse, a curse to them and to itself. The babe is not welcome, + because it is a burden. These unwelcome children fill the jails and + prisons, the asylums and hospitals, and they crowd the scaffolds. A few + are rescued by chance or charity, but the great majority are failures, + They become vicious, ferocious. They live by fraud and violence, and + bequeath their vices to their children. + </p> + <p> + Against this inundation of vice the forces of reform are helpless, and + charity itself becomes an unconscious promoter of crime. + </p> + <p> + Failure seems to be the trademark of Nature. Why? Nature has no design, no + intelligence. Nature produces without purpose, sustains without intention + and destroys without thought. Man has a little intelligence, and he should + use it. Intelligence is the only lever capable of raising mankind. + </p> + <p> + The real question is, can we prevent the ignorant, the poor, the vicious, + from filling the world with their children? + </p> + <p> + Can we prevent this Missouri of ignorance and vice from emptying into the + Mississippi of civilization? + </p> + <p> + Must the world forever remain the victim of ignorant passion? Can the + world be civilized to that degree that consequences will be taken into + consideration by all? + </p> + <p> + Why should men and women have children that they cannot take care of, + children that are burdens and curses? Why? Because they have more passion + than intelligence, more passion than conscience, more passion than reason. + </p> + <p> + You cannot reform these people with tracts and talk. You cannot reform + these people with preach and creed. Passion is, and always has been, deaf. + These weapons of reform are substantially useless. Criminals, tramps, + beggars and failures are increasing every day. The prisons, jails, + poorhouses and asylums are crowded. Religion is helpless. Law can punish, + but it can neither reform criminals nor prevent crime. The tide of vice is + rising. The war that is now being waged against the forces of evil is as + hopeless as the battle of the fireflies against the darkness of night. + </p> + <p> + There is but one hope. Ignorance, poverty and vice must stop populating + the world. This cannot be done by moral suasion. This cannot be done by + talk or example. This cannot be done by religion or by law, by priest or + by hangman. This cannot be done by force, physical or moral. + </p> + <p> + To accomplish this there is but one way. Science must make woman the + owner, the mistress of herself. Science, the only possible savior of + mankind, must put it in the power of woman to decide for herself whether + she will or will not become a mother. + </p> + <p> + This is the solution of the whole question. This frees woman. The babes + that are then born will be welcome. They will be clasped with glad hands + to happy breasts. They will fill homes with light and joy. + </p> + <p> + Men and women who believe that slaves are purer, truer, than the free, who + believe that fear is a safer guide than knowledge, that only those are + really good who obey the commands of others, and that ignorance is the + soil in which the perfect, perfumed flower of virtue grows, will with + protesting hands hide their shocked faces. + </p> + <p> + Men and women who think that light is the enemy of virtue, that purity + dwells in darkness, that it is dangerous for human beings to know + themselves and the facts in Nature that affect their well being, will be + horrified at the thought of making intelligence the master of passion. + </p> + <p> + But I look forward to the time when men and women by reason of their + knowledge of consequences, of the morality born of intelligence, will + refuse to perpetuate disease and pain, will refuse to fill the world with + failures. + </p> + <p> + When that time comes the prison walls will fall, the dungeons will be + flooded with light, and the shadow of the scaffold will cease to curse the + earth. Poverty and crime will be childless. The withered hands of want + will not be stretched for alms. They will be dust. The whole world will be + intelligent, virtuous and free. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + RELIGION can never reform mankind because religion is slavery. + </p> + <p> + It is far better to be free, to leave the forts and barricades of fear, to + stand erect and face the future with a smile. + </p> + <p> + It is far better to give yourself sometimes to negligence, to drift with + wave and tide, with the blind force of the world, to think and dream, to + forget the chains and limitations of the breathing life, to forget purpose + and object, to lounge in the picture gallery of the brain, to feel once + more the clasps and kisses of the past, to bring life's morning back, to + see again the forms and faces of the dead, to paint fair pictures for the + coming years, to forget all Gods, their promises and threats, to feel + within your veins life's joyous stream and hear the martial music, the + rhythmic beating of your fearless heart. + </p> + <p> + And then to rouse yourself to do all useful things, to reach with thought + and deed the ideal in your brain, to give your fancies wing, that they, + like chemist bees, may find art's nectar in the weeds of common things, to + look with trained and steady eyes for facts, to find the subtle threads + that join the distant with the now, to increase knowledge, to take burdens + from the weak, to develop the brain, to defend the right, to make a palace + for the soul. + </p> + <p> + This is real religion. This is real worship. + </p> + <div style="height: 6em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + <table summary="" border="3" cellpadding="4"> + <tbody> + <tr> + <td> + <big><big><a + href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38813/38813-h/38813-h.htm"> + TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR ALL 12 EBOOKS IN THIS SET</a></big></big> + </td> + <td></td> + </tr> + </tbody> + </table> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. +4 (of 12), by Robert G. 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