The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-11-23
THE OUTCROP OF THE RELIGION
OF HUMANIFT'' AND GREE LOVE"
DOCTRINE

now in custody, We see the inevitable
results of that /" religion of Humanity
of which these two wOmen are the Priest
esses. 1t is amusing at this time of day
to find in New York an Indictment
against obscene literature. For very
many years that city has been the nu-
cleus of scurrilous sheets, which the
post sowed broadcast Overthe land-pa-
pers and periodicals which were q dis
grace to any community which tolerated
them. Of course every case of scandal
was given in it's notwithstanding details,
but now the Woodruff has at last ont
Heroded Herod. She has carried the
war to the doors of the most eminent
members of the community. The cele-
brated preacher, Henry Ward Beecher,
some noted Brokers on Wall street, and
several other respectable members of
community, find themselves dragged
before the public in a very disgusting
manner.
The Woodruff calls upon them to
throw off their borrowed garments of
christian moralitya and religion, andstand
up before the world as they are, her CO.
labOrers in the sublime cause Of Free
Love, and Positiyism. We said, and we
repeat again, that all these offences
against decency, this Free-LO iniquity,
and bold denial of a God of the Universe,
is the natural Outgrowth Of Positivism,
or the religion of Humanity. Step by
step has it been drawing near us for
years, numbering in its ranks not only
the Goddess men and women of every
community, but many distinguished
scientists throughout the world. Let us
take a brief glance at this Positivist
problem.
InphilosophyitprOposes organic unity
to. the whole field of conceptions, either
in the material or moral world, and a
grand systemizing of all ideas. AS a
polity it assumes to bring practical life
into full accord with the intelIectual and
emotional, subordinating politics to
morals. Its religion (Which is the key
note of the whole SYSTEM gives us the
worship of Humanity-of man, in his
human relations past, present, and to
come, as asubstitute for God. ThePos-
itivist denies a First great Cause, and
the immortality of anything but the.
atoms which to build up II mortal
frames. He assumes to be the high
Priest of the Known, but the vast realm.
Of the Unknown, which is not visible to.
the eye, and not reducible by any fixed
rule in his repertoire, is to him a land of
shadows which deludes the unwary.
What cannotsbe proved by human tests
is utterly worthless.
= The Free-Love doctrines sprang as
naturally from this belief as flame from
combustibIe materials.
The complex system of the Oneida
community, iBunadulterated Free-Love.
The "Confarreatisn OF Mad. Clemence
Royal, where the woman takes as many
husbands as her fancy, or her eireum-
stances suggest, or EllenStOrge's propo-
sition, that man and woman should be
fshand-fastedn for two or three years,
at the option of the contracting parties,
casting from them the ridiculous idea
that the marriage contract is of Divine
ordinance, are all the ofshoots Of this
most pernicious doctrine.
SINGER man aIoneis God, why his wishes
make a law sufficient unto itself, letit
crop out Into any extravaganza Whatso-
ever. Marriage is a bondage, therefore,
marriage must give place to some more
accommodating tie.
There are good, true lei whoare dis
ciples of this religion of Humanity, men
who believe in the perfeetibility of the
Hspecies, and whose lives are spent in
philanthropic lAbors. But for one such
men as John Stuart Mills, you viii find
thousands of the Weodlal species
though, perhaps rather more decent in
their avoWals. The doctrine ineulcates
icence by its denial of a supremeB Being:
and the moral restraints which grow out
of His government. PositiVism is un=
happily more rife among us than an un.
obseryant person would suppose. Il
comes out in the most unexpected times
and places. We have detected it il
strange guise in some of Henry Ware
Beeeher's lectures, aud in a late sermon
of the Rev. j. buckingham on he ffoIly
of prayer, it crops ont in unadulteree
form. ia obscene priestess, Yictoris
Woodruff, has possibly given it a Sigh
fllupi in thiscountry, from having rushed
On too rapidly to the end. But sht
merely anticipated the natural sequence
Of d doctrine which sets morality ant
religion at defiance. TIL doctrinep assei
through the alembic Of a filthy mind
and came out rather too strong for tn
popular palate, Rutin our opinion. it j
not only " Woodruff e. Ciafinis Week
w which should be suppressed, no
Woodruff 81 GIafin who should be pa
in limbo, but greater Teachers of evil
who, under the guiise Of christians, AM
even III the pulpit, arc sowing the seed
Of the vile doctrine overHle land.
EDITORIAL INsANITY.-There is q vol
uiae of truth in the following from th
Ynn M q na-asrnemnndn1t M tha fthfeao