Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-31
THEFREE.THINKERS
Resolutions Adopted by the New York
State Association at its Recent
Meeting at Watkins.
Equal Rights for All and Special Fayors
to None Demanded-Woman and
Her Cause.

| WATKINS, n. Y, August 30-The follow
| ing resolutions have been adopted by the
| New York State Free Thinkers Association:
FiTst-1hat the discussions in science, the
| inventions in the mechanical arts, and the
general progress OF society in knowledge, re-
fnenent, comfort and good morals, which
distinguish the present from the past, are the
| natural outgrowth of the cultivation of the
hum an intellect and freedom in the various
| departments of inquiry.
| Second-That the only men in the world
| who cannot rejoice in this freedom of thought
and whose material interests are promoted
| by ignorance are the clergy, who oppose 1t
| and its advocates because the spirit of IN
trameIed research in the field of criticism
| threatens to destroy the claim they make in
behalf of the Bible that it is revelation
from heaven, plainly aud infallibly inspired,
and that they are the divinely commissioned
and only authoritative expounders of its
contents. We owe it, however, in justice to
the Bible, TO say that the Bible itself teaches
no such doctrine, but that the claim was
hoisted by the English clergy at the time OF
its Translation, 10 serve their selfish and am
bilious ends, since the only passage in it
I'D Timothy, iii: L. which served 10
teach that dogma of plenary Inspiration, has
been correctly rendered by the revised New
Testament, and proved TO teach that the
pro6tableness of any writing is the test of
its Inspiration.
Third-That the war upon the Church, I'M
like the war upon us, is one of upsel6shness;
that our. motto being Equal rights for all
and special favors to none" we now earnestly
contend for the right 10 believe her creeds in
all their variety and contend fer the right TO
reject them; that all we ask under a secular
constitution OF government designcd to serve
the purposes of this world Is that there
should be no discrimination made by the
law in favor of any class of citizens on ac-
count OF their religious opinion, in the
case of the exemption of church property
from taxation and in the employment, at
public expense, of chaplains to say prayers
for the religious qualification of congressman,
soldiers, and sailors and others who may be
there.
Fourih-That whereas, the Church, al
though small minority of the people in
point of members, exercises her power for
evil by dint of her organization and the
sleepless vigilance of her agents in watching
their chance and carrying out their purposes,
we earnestly urge upon the Free Thinkers of
the United States the duly of associa,lng
together in local leagues auxiliary to the Ma
tlonal Liberal League, for The purpose OF
defending themselves against the wiles of the
Church and preserving the SCI uarity OF the
national consultation. To this end, we adj
wise the promotion of liberal libraries for
circulating liberal books, newspapers, and
pamphlets among the people, the encourage
ment OF the monthly paper called Nan, and
the employment by the National League of
general agent, to be supported by the vol
untary, yet monthly contributions of the To-
cal leagues, and whose duty it shall be to
visit and encourage the leagues, organize new
ones, to increase the circulation of liberal
journals, and marshal the hosts OF Free Think
ers, so that the public may know who they
are and what are their opinions and pur-
poses.
Fifth-That we scorn to play into the
hands OF our enemies by any apologize ex-
plantations, defenses and disavowals on the
vile and hackneyed subject of obscenity, into
which we are treScherously inveigled, believ-
ing that, wherever there are Free Thinkers
at all, they are, almost without exception,
remarkable for their intelligence, purity,
patriotism and general excellence of charac-
ter in all the relations Of life. Neither can
we condescend to retaliaie upon an adversary,
as we easily might, by calling the public at
tention to the statistics of the prisons and
psnitentiaries of the country, and constitut-
ing a comparison between the number OF
clergymen and church members on the one
hand and Free Thinkers on the other, who
have forfeited their liberty BY forming the
criminal class OF society.
Sixth--That we, as Liberals of this coun-
try, embrace the Spiriruslists, Nationalist,
Deists, Agnostics and other classes of think
each other in their speculative opinions,
agree in their practical opposition TO The en-
croachments of the Church and in preserving
the secular character of the national consti-
tuition and laws, and we earnestly urge that
they, in their journals and public meetings
and Efforts of all kinds, Try 10 cultivate mu-
tual respect and consideration as allies in a
great moral work, not using their weapons
upon each other, but reservIrg them in all
their sharpness for the common enemy.
The following on "Womzn and Her
Cause" was also adopted:
WHEREAS, Under the middle Roman laws
woman had secured great property rights
and personal independence, which continued
until christianity became the dominant re-
hgoin of Rome; and whereas, the same foul
touch OF ecclesiasticism can be traced TO the
degradation OF womsn's property and per-
senal rights under the common laws; and
whereas, through the acceptance of these
systems of Jurisprudence by the United
States at large and the several States indi-
yidually, there already exists a union of
Church and State control over the rights OF
woman; therefore be it
ResoiUed, That in the opinion of this con-
vention no invidious distinction should be
made which denies 10 woman the right TO be
mans competitor for any position to which
she is eligible.
Resolved, That having abolished the SOW
erelgn rights OF kings and priests, We believe
in the same rights of labor; that it should
be the sovereign of the earth; that labor
creates the wealth of the world, and the
wealth of the world should be justly dis
tributed among those who produce it. We
extend our hearty sympathy TO those many
toilers in our own land and others who do
not receive their due reward We assert that
free thought makes room for industrial lib
erty. Il is churches and theology that have
crushed the masses. 1t is other worldliness
that has made this world hell to those who
earn their bread by the sweat of their faces.
We believe in the dignity of work, and it is
through work that the worship of the future
shall be expressed.
ReSotued, That we look with favor upon the
efforts of the Liberals of the West to found
national Liberal Orphans Home at Liberal,
Mo-, and we most heartily recommend the
noble enterprise to the earnest consideration
of our friends, and invite their support in aid
of the undertaking.