Daily Republican., 1881-04-29
INGERSOLLISM.
IngersOll In Philadelphia Wcdnes.
day Night-He DenOunces the
Bible Before q Crowded HOuSe.

Bible Before a Crowded House.
A burst of applause from an audience
which filled the Academy of Music vi
to the third tier greeted Colonel Rober.
lngerSoll when with IA big roll of manu-
script and bran-new pair of gold-rim-
med spectacles (his first investment in
that line) he sppeared at the footights
Wednesday evening. His lecture,
''Some Reasons Why" was announced
as new one, but as the sequel proved,
it contained few passages which are not
to be found in his utterance under 9th.
er heads. The steps outside of the
building We're lined by a number OF
young men who pressed upon each new
conner tract containing seven reasons
why he or she should believe in God
and be saved"
"Thc history of the world shows, if it
shows anything" began the lecturer
that religion has made enemies in.
stead of friends. That one word 'reli.
giOn' paints the horizon of the past
with every form of agony and torture,
and when one pronOlLceS the name OF
religion one thinks of 1900 years of per
secution and 5000 years of hatred, SIAN
der and vituperation. Strange it is,
but true, that those who have loved
God most have loved men least, and
that i'll countries where there has been
the most religion there has has been the
most agony. Applause.
"What is religion as defined by its
exponents 1t consists of duties we
are supposed to owe to God. We have
been informed for thousands of years
hat we are greatly indebted to some
infinite being called God. | deny it.
| can't owe anything to Il being incapa-
bic Of receiving anything. If there is
an Infinite God to Him | cannot give,
from Him | cannot receive. God is not
hungry, neither needs He clothes.
What can man do for the Infinite ?
Nothing. But there is IL religion-thc
religion of humanity. | can help my
fellow man. can help to weave a
mantle of comfort and joy to cover this
world, but cannot help God. For my
part let the gods take care of them
selves"
From this introduction the lecturer
Went on to hold up to reprobation num-
erouS passages of the Old Testament
comparing them with the writing of
Buddha, ZOrOaster, Cicero, EpICtetuS,
Pytha5oraS and other ancient writers.
In touching these subjects he used the
following expressions
"IOrreuts of blood have been shed in
the name Of religion. If there is any
more blood to be shed in the name of
theology let the gods fight it out among
themselves.
"Im willing to admit that | may be
mistaken. Yes, as I've often remark
ed, 4 may be damned at the last for
my smartness According to the
Christian religion it's u dangerous
thing for a man to have any reason.
81 IN told that we have in our posses
sion an inspired book. Just define i'll
spiration. I'll define metaphysics for
you Two fools get together and both
admit whatever neither knows, and
hence they say, L infer. Loud laugh
"Who made this beautiful world,
with it's flowers and its snakes, its wise
men and it's idiots, this world where
everything eats something else; where
every stomach is sepulchre, every
mouth cemetery
"Every man has universe ofhis own
of which he is the monarch. | live in a
world of which | am the
and no man can put his foot
across the frontier All am contending
for in my lectures is that be allowed to
control that intellectual world of my
own.
ga man who gives up his honesty in
this world never can accomplish any
thing. A successful lie is u failure.
y hate a hypOCrite. If there is Gcd
in Heaven and the Bible is honest |
shall be a winged creature of iov in
while the hyprocrite will be
Ioathsome stencil in the nostrils OF the
angels.
"The Bible countenances slavery, |
murder, polygamy and indiscriminate
slaughter. ltallows captured maidens
% be given to their captors and hus-
bands to stone their wives to death for
with them on religion. Na-
ions entertaining these views to-day
ire called savage and with the excep-
ion Of the Fiji Islanders, some tr bt $
n Central A Africa and few citizens OF
)elaware,n no human being can be found
degraded enough to agree upon those
ubjects with Jehovah.
81 say to the clergy of this vast city,
answer me, don't attack me-. No mat
er is it to you if I'm bad; no matter is
t to me if you're bad. Deal with my
Jews. When hear dogs bark l al
Ways know Pa passing.
"The devil is Today exactly where
iod was 1000 years ago. He is as good
ow as Jehovah was then, or Jehovah
,as as bad hen as the devil is now.
AXE your choice.
"They tell us trat God told the Israel
'es to kill all the males and keep the
,males for themselves. don't believe !
;. It's hideous lie. If there is
-od l want Him to credit me upon His
ook with having denied this lie for
lin.
"What would you do with Pennsyl
ania Legislature which would enact
Ich laws as you find in the Old Testa-
lent? You'd rather buy them up eve |
Y session than let them sit. \
"In nayure there are no rewards and
o punishments. There are consequent 7
rs and only consequences. &C G
"My brain is the castle of my soul, n
nd if / do not defend it / become q y
erf and coward. n
"I'd rather be annihilated than be in 4
~, r,l, y1n.,