The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-01


The Free thinkers in convention assembled
at Salamanca N. Y, have had the assurance
to set up false basis for their platform. In
declaring that the Mormons of Utah are slls-
tanned in the practice of polygamy by the ex-
ample of the Christian church, it states that
which is so palpably false as to call for no ar
gumentative denial The Old Testament, as
the chronicle of events in connection with the
lives of the patriarchs, gives numerous ac-
counts of polygamous practices among them;
but the New Testament, as the special expo
nent of the principles of the Christian religion,
nowhere countenances it, but specifically en-
joins monogamy 1t is not the province of a
secular paper like the journal to champion
any particular form of religion, nor does it
pretend or desire to do So The Christian re-
hgion has succeeded we'll enough thus far to
make its own defense; but it is mistake for
any set of men to misrepresent others in order
ton When the Free-thinkers at Salamanca
declare their readiness to fight for the
rights of any and all religions,
they apparently mean to convey the idea that
the church, or some branch of it, is seeking to
prevent perfect freedom in thought and ac
ton in matters pertaining to religion and in
the domain of conscience. Such is not the
case. No church is seeking to foist its pc
culiar creeds upon the state OF upon the
people. Were statute enacted prohibiting
the fullest liberty to Free thinkers, none
would move more quickly to its overthrow
than would intelligent religionists. The church
is even more liberal in this matter than are
the Free thinkers 1t seeks by argument and
example to win the people to accept the tenets
of belief held by it, and to enlist them in a
common cause with it, but it does not seek to
compel any man to believe anything. 1t only
insists that those who unite with it shall so
unite because freely and fairly persuaded that
it is right If the candidate for admission
does not believe the doctrines of the church,
or if, after he is member, he
comes to doubt them. he is sent away just as
the Free-thinkers would send away
any man who is free enough to
believe that Free-thinkers are wrong
and that one or the other of the churches is
right. The name of Free-thinker is a mis-
homer applied to these men and women The
man who believes in the infallibility of the
Pope is as much a Erect thinker as is Robert
g. Ingersoll. If his intelligence convinces
him of the reasonableness of papal infalli-
bility he is free to believe it. If Free-thinkers
mean what they profess, man could be a
Free-thinker and at the same time be Roman
Catholic or Quaker. And if man can be
a Catholic or Quaker and yet be Free
thinker, then there is no need of organizing
"Free-thinkers' as a distinct body.
The Salamanca convention has stultihed it,
self by assuming false premises. They are as
free to come and go, to believe or disbelieve,
to hold conventions and to pass resolutions as
is any other body in the land. The church in
all its branches bas stood for centuries, and
still stands, despite assaults. 1t is not part
of the argument whether the church is right
or wrong. But whether right or wrong it has
the privilege of free speech, and if by argu-
ment it can convince men of its excel
lence so thst they unite with it, it
oh !, IL
plaud the process. To attempt to prejudice
the public against the church by charging that
it encourages the vice of poly gamy is an out
rage, because it is false. Anybody acquainted
with the attitude of the Christian church in
America knows that from its foundation on
these shores it has always been hostile to this
social iniquity, and never more pronounced
against it than at the present time. If the
church were the state, so far from encouraging
the Mormons in polygamy, the practice would
be abolished without delay. The great Catholic
Church, built upon the Christian religion, and
having membership of certainly thousand
10 one of Erect thinkers, insists unequivocally
on inonogamy, and in one direction at least,
is exactly opposite from the belief of Free
thinkers. 1t does not countenance the sever
ance of the marriage tie for any cause what
ever The church of to-day, in the matter of
social morality, is immeasurably in advance
of the Free thinkers. The church is ever ready
and anxious to meet Free thinkers in argument,
not merely to wrangle and dispute, but as
test of reasonableness of doctrine
In America all men are free thinkers. If
any be Methodists or Catholics, Presbyterians
or Baptists, Quakers or Episcopalians, they
are such from choice. There is no statute
compelling that allegiance, and all that Free