The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-11-10

$ $ $!E:; # E:::::: 4
Average, 20 "a a.
Curious statistics! Curious to the Christians,
no doubt; but not to US. schools produce in
teligence, and intelligence promotes virtue.
Churches foster ignorance and ignorance Is the
parent OF vice. Transform your temples OF SUI
perstition into temples of learning, let teachers
take the place OF priests, and the criminal prob
lem will soon be solved.
TIE CHURCH AND CIVILIZATION.
with triumphant air the church points to
the civilization of our age, and claims 1t rs her
product. The civilization of our age Ia grand
but grand rs II is, II hardly surpasses in many
respects tho culture and refinement that once
adorned Egypt, Greece and Rome. What n
magnificent civilization was that of Greece
Two thousand years have not effaoed her intel
lectual splendors. Her palaces and monuments
havO crumbled to decay; her sons and dauRht-
ers slumber IN pathetic dust; but her heroic
deeds and noble thoughts enshrned by genius
in immortal words, live on. Did Christianity
have eught to do with the civilization OF this
peOplel Certainly not; and were IL not for the
cloud OF prejudice before his eyes the Christian
would clearly see that 1t did not produce our
civilization. He would see that instead of the
church having civilized the world the Ration
alistic world has for centuries been slowly civ
llzing the church.
The very nature OF Christianity-I mean
Orthodox ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the possible
ity of progression an inherent principle of it.
self; and Whatever progress has been made,
attributed to causes over which she has had no
control. The church claims to have the truth,
the whole truth ana nothing but the truth.
is to her perversion OF truth, and hence she
opposes IL. Were tho church to sweep to uni
our Huxleys and Haekels would be summarily
disposed OF, the eyes of science would be put
only guide OF the ruth of this she has her
self given conclusive evidence. For centuries
her power In Europe was supreme, and even
Christian writers denominate these centuries
the Dark Ages.
Not until Rationallsm was born, not until
science commenced her career and Christianity
began to decay, did our modern civilization
dawn. "for more than three centuries" says
Lecky, 1.-THE decadence Of theological influence
has been one OF the most inYariable signs and
measures OF our progress" Says Carlyle:
Just 10 the ratio that knowledge increases,
faith dimntshes:" "Tho middle ages were
more religious than ours" says Strauss, "in
proportion to their ignorance and barbarism."
Religion and civilization accordingly occupy,
not an equal, but an inverted position regard
ing each other, so that, with the progress of
civilization, religion retreats.
Look Europe to-day! Where "Infdelity"
most abounds, there Is 10 be found the highest
development; and whore the church still re-
tains its power, there the greatest ignorance
prevails. Under the snow-white banner of
science march the intellectual hosts of Eng
land, France and Germany; around the cross
still throng the ignorant hordes of Russia, Italy
Not merely our civilization in general, but
each particular element In this civilization, is
claimed to be the product of the church.
THE CHURCH AND SCIENCE.
The church claims to be the friend and
patron ef science. And yet there has never
been scientific truth discovered that she has
not tried to crush. Upon the brow OF every
distinguished scientist she has placed the brand
of"lnndel.' With sublime enthusiasm, Bruno
consecrated his life to the cause of science and
philosophy. This friend Of science burnt him
at the stake Not until he felt the touch OF
death upon him, and he had nothing to hope or
fear from a cruel church, did Copernicus pub
lish his discoveries. Catholics very promptly
suppressed his work, and Protestant Luther
cast upon his grave the epithet Of fool" Gal
llleo, IN the face OF popular theology, had the
dungeons gloom was the penalty. Kepler
gave 10 the world the fundamental laws of as
Economical science, and because these laws
failed 10 harmonic with the crude notions of
jewish bsrbarians, his Protestant friends drove
him from the University he had so long and so
hishly honored. Upon the devoted heads of
! Leibnitz and Humboldt-all the grand heroes
| OF science-have the shafts of Christian malice
| aud ridicule been hurled. who shall mum
| ber," says Professor Huxley, "the patient and
earnest seekers after truth, from the days Of
Calico until now, whose lives have been en-
mistaken zeal of Blbllolaters?"
! When new scientific theory is advanced the
| church opposes II because 1t conflicts with the
| teachings of the Bible. But when through the
| force OF its own inherent truth, that theory be-
comes an established TACT, then the church
| with the Bible, and coolly informs the world
that II is indebted to her for the discovery.
Take the Copernican theory. The Bible tells
us that the earth Is fiat and angular, the centre
aud chief part of the universe. For accepting
and teaching the helocentric doctrine, several
| scientists are burnt TO death; Calico saves his
| life by recanting, and Copernicus himself es-
capes martyrdom by dying before funeral
| pyre can be erected. Nor Is It Catholics alone
| who oppose the truth. Protestants are not less
| violent in their opposition 70 II. Philip Me-
lancthon declares that sit is a want of honesty
and decency to assert such doctrines publicly
| Martin Luther thus writes People gave ear
| to an upstart astrologer, who strove to show
| that the earth revolves, not the heavens or the
| armament. The fool wishes TO reverse the
entire science OF astronomy. But sacred scrip
! ture tells that Joshua commanded the sun TO
stand still, not the earth" That Is what the
Rev. John Jasper, Of Richmond, aflrms to-
| day. Yet the entire church Is ridioulnn jasper
| for knowing as much as Luther-for being
| Orthodox In science.
Patient explorers in the field OF geology
throw Hood of light upon the morning OF tire
world, revealing the falseness and absurdity OF
| the Mosaic cosmogony. With frantic efforts
the church endeavors TO destroy the young
science, but in vain. Then she attempts Ia
reconcile the facts OF geology with the fables
or Genesis and fails agsin. Now she IL ready
70 admit that the story OF creation, as told in
| Genesis, Is only an allegoricAl fiction.
| The evolution theory Is promulga ted. A
| million OF priests array themselves az ainst L.
From nearly every pulpit comes the cry OF
Darwin and monkey" accompanied by an
| iulotic sheer that more than half reveals the
missing link" But evolution triumphs. 10
day the theory is accepted by every eminent
scholar and scientist throughout the world
The church has again been vanqulshed d. AND