The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-05
Ignorance of Holy simplicity.

Translated from the Freie Presse OF May ;.
Rev. Mr.. Young continues to give journals
tic publicity to his religious stump speeches,
and makes them, by SO doing, an object Of
public criticism. lie must think that he is
saying something extraordinary smart. The
thronged audiences of his church make him
vain. lie forgets that minstrel shows always
have larger audience than the best dramatic
troupes, and this is explained by the reason
that ignorance creates a love Tor scandal and
sensation, and exercises far more influence in
a majority Of mankind, while knowledge, logi
cal thought and sensible actions are in minori-
ty. Not the large number of an audience gives
evidence of the quality of an oration and if
Mr.. Young undertook to look at his last ser
mon with the eye of critic he would discover
that it would have been better to remain I'M
delivered, because it shows want of judgment,
youthful vanity, great ignorance and childish
simplicity. The reverend gentlemen ought 10
have recollectedthe passage: "When thou pray
est 90 into thy closet etc, and then he would
have hid his cheap tallow candle under a bush
el, instead of offering it at IN cents piece in
the streets. The most forCible proof Of the ig-
norance of the gentleman in regard to the sci
eniiic points of his mode of thinking is the as
serton that these men (hs opponents) are ig-
norant in Bible knowledge, in ancient
language and other things. If the rev.
erend gentleman only possessed the tenth part
of Greek and knowledge Of the Bible than the
least Of the apostles of free thought and sound
common sense he could consider himself for
tunate. 1t requires great amount OF self
control to pronounce judgment over men like
Rousseau, Voltaire, Kenan, Goethe, bauer,
Straus and even lngersoll, the latter of whom,
compared with Mr.. Young, is an intellectual
NAT Iva S,l.. cad Law
high sounding phrases.
Another proof of his ignorance on the point
in question is that he denies that the lnfidels,
as he calls them have any religion; the lnidels
have this ahead of the smpletons, that they do
not believe implicitly but think with deliber-
ate knowledge, and the "lligheSt Power
which they acknowledge is the supreme Being
of all educated and well-bred mankind which
stands so high and far from the personal Idol
OF the masses of uneducated or semi cultured
and perverted humanity as the sun is from the
earth. The degree Of culture in humanity
gives shape and information to its God the
worlds history has given us many proofs that
the idea of the supreme Being developed itself
with the increased culture according to the
doctrine OF evolution and keeps step with the
same out of which fact many conclusions can
be drawn.
We, the human family are creatures of ma
ture and as such dependent on mother nature
We are just like nature has created lis,
in SO far only if we use those
gifts with which nature has endowed us
in a natural way. Whether in connection with
this we assume the proposition of higher be-
ing to be the creator Of nature is immateral.
We have a reasoning power with which to
think, and if we have learned TO do so logical
ly, we come to conclusions which cannot be
Overlhrown by the best erudition of Bible
saints. Comprehension or mind was given us
by the creative power for the purpose of max
ing use OF the same, and we have used it above
all means to elevate man from his original
barharouS state to 4 moral one, 1t is 4 SignliI-
cant fact that the moral culture of nations has
increased when orthodox faith has decreased.
Will the reverend gentleman explain why the
church is at constant warfare with science
Simply because science and faith are two ideas
as much opposed as fire and water. Faith
wakes strong in ignorance and creates GER
tainty in superstition, science grows strong
and free in spiritual intellect; only those can
be free who have dedicated themselves to it.
But how is it! We see that Mr.. Young I'M
beknown to himself has followed in the foot
steps of scepticism, he leviates from the inter
probation of the Bible according to the teach
ings of the church !. =! lie has ceased to be-
lieve the story of the creation of rhe woman
out of a rib, nor the snake stories, they
are according TO him nothing but symbolic il
lustrations. Young man don't you know that
she who takes one stone from a building de-
stroys the whole ?" Why should God the
"omnipotent'' not have the power to make
woman out of the rib OF man, or create snakes
out Of sticks.
What binders us to take the whole Bible as
a symbolic book?
Young man you are on a dangerous road !