The Red Cloud chief., 1885-07-10
Sunday.Schoo, Lessons.
AN iNFiOFl. EXPERIMENT..
The Natural and Inevitable Results of IA
Attempt to Live Wholly Without God.

y N~tuToi u sufstttDte ISssuItS III IA
Attempt To Live Wholly Without God.
Five years ago there was founded in
Barton County. Mo-. by a party of
atheists. a town called by the name
Liberal. 1t is sad to be the only COM
munity of equal size in the United
States which does no; recognize God or
religion. There is not a church within
its limits. nor a minister. nor p profess
ing Christian. Christians who come
into town on business are commonly
surrounded and assaiicd for their religi-
Gus belief in the most abusive manner
The whole atmosphere of the place is
denscly atheiStic. Ii there could be a
community from which Col was utter
" shut out, this town of Liberal would
be such.
The founders gave out distinctly that
the town was established As an expert
mentor rather. Is they looked upon
it, rs a demonstration of what man
could do for himself without the So
called ''superstitiOns" Of religion. They
proposed to show the world that Chris
tianity was nothing but Il fable; that
people could live and prosper without
it; that churches. and IN. Minister'S. and
Sabbath-days. and religious Observ-
ances of every kind were all a hum
bug. Il kind Of fetish worship. that man
ought to free himself from. If he would
attain to his highest earthly welfare
and happiness.
What. then. has bcen the result of the
v-o, 80. o.L. - r.. -. t.
ing in the town would leave it il they
could sell their property. There is not
q store in the town which carries SlO.-
600 worth of stock; there is not 3 fac
tory or manufacturing establishment of
any kind in In. place. and. worst Of all.
there is not even q schOol-hOuse. Pub
lie schools and iniidel meetings have
been held in rented buildings. except
those which We're held in the Universal
Mental Liberty Hail." the flaming title
Of a ''building,'" says a correspondent
of tine st. Louis Gio5e-D emocrdi. ''abOut
the size of n smoke-house. which il
closely resembles" There is not i'm
the town q building that could not he
built for -. 900. not half = do en- thai
o s. $4,000. and a great majority o
them cost less than $1,000. The two
hotels Of the place are spoken of rs
''cheap dens of the lowest character"
One OF them is vacant. and the other is
soon to be closed.
Nor have the social features Of this
iniidel paradise been more graf flying
than its material features. One Of the
inducements held forth by the founders
was that, with the absence of all relig-
ious sccts. both those quarrels which
arise from difference of belief and from
the necessary opposition between Chris
tianity ard the world. sccia, harmony
and good feelings would prevail. AMI
men would live together in peace and
prosperity. But instead Of this ideal
harmony the town has known nothing
but quarrels and dissensions since the
day il was founded And Is TO the Writ
ues Of society under the removal of all
religions restraint. Liberal is a sad cx-
ample of what unaided human nature is
able to do in emancipating itself from
the dominion of sin. Liquor is sold with
ont stint. and drunkenness is pre-
vailing crime. Swearing l. q common
form If speech. Girls and BOYS swear
in the street. in the playground
and at home. Fully half the
women are said TO habitually use
profane language. Lack Of reverence
for parents and obedience to them is the
rule. Husbands and wives separate
whenever they choose. and the most
gross forms Of social immortality pre-
vail. SANDER and vitupera;iOn are in
everybody's mouths This town Of Lib
eral has important material advantages.
1t is situated in the midst Of an unusually
fertile country. underlaid with rich de
posts of coal. A large moun Of capital
was invested at the start in developing |
the u OF the region and prOsid-
ing facilities for immigration There is
nothing whatever to account for the Ut !
ter failure Of the community except the
atheisiic principles upon whch Is was
founded The significance Of the ex-
pertinent. is heightened BY the bravsdo
with which il was announced to the
world. Ii is a lesson which the social |
istic. free-thinsiag Southwest will do !
well TO ponder. Neither own nor States
can prosper without tire restraints Of
religion and the recognition Of Divine
Providence. authority and hw.-Bgr-