The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-02-04

and sneers Of the leaders OF Christianity.
Yet our civilization is an out growth OF
religion.
The idea that civilization Is derived
from book which solemnly declares
that Moses opened the Red Sea and piled
the waters up on each side like so much
dirt; that the suns apparent progress
was stopped by command OF barbarian
chief, who wished light by which TO
slaughter n few more Canaanites; that
light was created four days before the
sun; that an iron axhead noated on the
water; or the thousand other absurdities
orowdlng the pages OF Holy writ, Is
something so preposterous, we can only
wonder N those who advance 1t are not
Intentionally satirizing the book they
profess to hold sacred.
We are told. that II we doubt the DIV
ilizing influence OF Christianity, to COM
pare the conditian OF those lands which
have the Bible with those which do not.
and mark the difference between them.
Oh! certainly,-there Is no doubt that
the Bible is found very plentifully In
civilized lands. SO Is Robinson Crusoe;
so is Shakespeare; but what we wish TO
know is, where Is the connection be-
tween the Bible and the civilization II
ollngs TO like barnacles to ships
copper
The Bible is valuable book In Its
way. II gives us vivid pictures Of the
life and character of the ancient
Jews,-the best pictures we have, In
fact. But that II Is not n ciylltzer OF
its devotees is proved by the fact
that those same Jews, who originated
the Bible, and who Intervene Its pre-
cepis with their daily customs more
closely than any Christian nation ever
did. were yet the most ignorant and
tptl nannla n
their age. The Bible had no effect
whatever on them as clvlllzing agent.
During the period OF their most Jealous
devotion to 1t, they were accounted no
better than sayages by the semi-civillZed
nations around them. Their customs
were essentially those Of savages. They
nailed refractory slaves by the ears to
posts. condemned or acquitted persons
accused of crime by the DEGREES OF sor-
Gerry, and stoned young maidens to death
for not producing "tokens OF virginity,"
which modern science declares are
always uncertain. What little civiliza-
tion they had they stole from the hea-
then tribes around them. Their alpha
bet was derived from the Phpnicians,
and their arts from the Egyptians.
Solomon had to send to Tyre for skilled
workmen to build his temple, and the
artiflcers of the Ark of the Covenant
learned their trade in Egypt. During
their whole career, they were either
fighting among themselves or with their
neigbbors. 1t Is estimated that they
caused the death OF over 50,OOO,0OO per-
sons during their career as n nation, and
this too In the name OF God and the
Bible. That precious book was their
Magma Charta, their constitution and
bylaws, according TO their own histo-
rians. Why did 1t not produce higher
grade of civilization among them II 1t Is
so great II civiliZer?
or course this would not be very
convincing argument II the Jews were
the only people possessed Of the Bible
who were not elevated and enlightened
by It, But the same story meets us
everywhere, where we find q people
trusting to the Bible alone for their i'm
provement. Abyssinia, which was con-
verted by the eunuch who was baptized
by the apostle Philip has been a Chris
tian country ever since, and Is to-day
full of churches and Bibles and priests,
yet the people are stepped in Ignorance
and superstition, the slaves of barbarous
customs, and addicted to every oonoeiv-
able crime. Ireland, Italy. Spain, and
Spanish America, and modern Greece,
repeat the unfortunate story. All OF
them have had the benign influence of
the Christian religion; all of them
abound with churches and priests, and
all of them are stepped body and soul in
Ignorance and depravity.
Guy RIVERS.