Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1879-05-22
PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS OP RELIGION.

EDITOR RURAL WoRLp.--Now and again,
the past two wears, the columns of the daily
press have been resorted TO by come Of our
best known ministers and priests to attack or
defend certain cresds, belief or orders OF
church government, in language that Oft has
drifted from the manly, open-hearted ex-
preston of belief, that always commands
respect, into 40 invective and use of billine-
gate. thst would not be excussble in the
police court lawyer, much less in those high
calling commands a greater dignity and re-
spect The subjects that have come under
tho criticism of these gentlemen and that
taVe been dlssected almost at the expense OF
the patience of the Subscribers to these
papers, have been ofa very wide range, and
bitter has been the fight along the whole line.
The fallibility or infalhblllty OF the pope
was the question that brought the discussion
on, from which II drifted into questioning
the existence Of purgatory or hell, or both;
and, after touching tho minor subjects. at
last takes up the question of the laws OF
marriage as held BY the different churches.
Now. as each subject requires hard study
1set bstn eAusen ale Ffsafane lIiss9ry 1egtssa
ono could form an Individual opinion as 70
the correctness Of the views expressed, did
these gladiAtors In the debating arena ever
ask themselves the questions, how many OF
tho readers Of the various arguments were
able 10 wade through SO much as to be able
to form q Judgment And still further to
ask, that II q decision had been arrived al
from hard study, would II not be biased bv
the early education and bent of the mndg
Hence not to be waged by public argument,
but rather strengthened in their pre3onceiv-
ed opinions by the srguements of the one
who holds their side Of the question.
II is safe to say that not convert has been
added to either side through all these public
discussions, and that each participant or in-
tereeted reader has more closely held at the
end of each discussion that the truth was on
their side.
Truly these so.called guardians Of the pub,
lie morals hsYe rushed where angels fear TO
tread; for, had they reasoned with themselves
hut for o moment before they penned their
fret attack, history would have told them
had they not been too deaf to hear--that
when religious discussions ragged the fercest
liberation slept the soundest that when the
public mind was troubled most on points
theological, the believers in the right to hold
individual opinions swell tho list of martyrs
to its highest point. Hence, TO Join in these
public discussions OF sacred subjects. is to
Join in retro 'rade movement that is not in
keeping with the spirit OF the nineteenth
century civilization,
Never. since the origin Of creeds, has there
been euch charity displayed by the believers
in one faith to their neghbors of an opposite
faith, as now; the general tendency in mat
ters Of belief being to do to others rs you
would have them do TO you--s tendency
that allows. men to dwell together In unity,
thereby practically living nearer TO Christ,
who was herGlded by the. the sngelS..as the
Prince Of Peace,
He, therefore, that" would seek 10 throw
the spark OF discord in Che midst oF this
growing contentmeut does not do service TO
the cause of true religion; neither Is he in
accord with the firmly rooted sentiment OF
the age; Liberty to all al,:persoouton to none
s.