The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-01-20
ATHEISM.

ATHEISM
We publish by request the following
communication, written by man whe
places himself in the same scale OF being
with the lower animals; who thinks that be
came here by chance aud must eat, sleep
aud enjoy himself, for tomorrow be dies
and death to him is yawning gulf thai
eternity cannot sound. A man whose hope
IS the baekness of despair, aud whose dis
position is such, that he would rejoice 10
see the '.besutiful and bew,ching drapery'
af Immortality torn from bis fellow crea-
tures. What miserable subllety is Athe-
ism, when such document as the follow.
ing is considered by one, who is regarded
~ its "hesd and 'front.' in Davenport, as \
defence:
| For the Gazette.
| Mr. EDIT R:-As you have savored "
win snme extracts from a private CORES
| i7bitBCe tl tIbueT, HHp Has fatitt
.ap,iouslv used mp the whole tribe of a the.
SIS or lnfiiels, (he compounds the two) as
ne thinks so III, TO use vulgar expires
.ion) there is mol grease spot left. return
he compliment BY publishing the following
| Atheists do not rest their convictions 90
mere assertion and conjecture. Thes
claim 10 knew nothing beyond nature and
us operations. They think it eternal, un-
created, and experiments prove it ndes-
tractible, constantly in motion and under
sdiug new notifications in Consequence OF
diversified qualities.
The Atheist asks is there a Godf the
heis, answers YES, one God, the polsthe-
ia, many Gods. VIVA, is God? Spirit
Wha, ia Spirit? Why let me see, ahem!
4 spirit is--a spirit. "What can we rea-
.on bu, from what we know" Thus rea-
.nninp "er by analogy" nd there is moth
mo in nature from which we can infer
here is Deity, except through nervous
| rpaniz4,ion, we know Of no manifestation
| # intellect. "Dr. Paley's exhibition OF a
watch as proof Of design" if il is wor,'
,ny,bipg. proves too much, for it may be
extended ad in6nitum. sWho made tn
NJ ker? and who was the Maker of sait
Maker?'' The idea Of God originated il
The infancy and ignorance OF our race,
An races of the homo species have their
gods.
"Lo. the poor Indian whose untutored mind
Sees God in clouds or hears hun in the w'na
All unusual phenomena which re
quircd power or caused terror were
charged as the acts of gods or sen', eli her
rood or evil. The doctrine Of immor'al'
ty which is dressed in such beautiful and
bewitchng drapery. is all the idle drea"
md brilliant fancy of a poets or a fanatic
prain. It will do to beguile the ignorant
md confirm the supers'i,ious.
Il is subject which can never be prov
I'd by nathen tics, reached by science, or
| established by the cogniZsnce OF any OF the
| ~nses, as its pratean qualities are such
tA., il siII not st,y put, aud is SO perfectly
nd intangible unapprosehab|e that II seis
knowledge a, def nee. II NAV hence be
lr mixed as the II per Of religious dogn'S
InfiIeli,v ia the life of progress, d"'o
,nbe.ief leads to Investigation, that To The
I,scnvery Of truth, facts, science. and the
NV edge of those Improve m nkInd
All gre Il reiurmers have bean lutlies,
h nee the opposition they have invariablN
net, from The prevailing religion oI The
day. The lover Of The human species
-peces should oppose all pretenl'ons of any
oerson or sects to arrogate to themselves
he right TO dictate 10 their fellow crea
lures what thev may or may no, think
A. to the dogma,ical assertion that there
cannot he such thing as Atheism, there
nee was, and its disciples as science
breads will dali, increase. and have ever
since the time OF its great apostle Thos
Jefferson.