Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-02-20
"saroe cshar rholo;l.e.,
A man rIrst serve his time to ever trut-
Save one; critics all are rca.;y made.
bTRoS.

/; is easier to criticize than to correct.
DIsEAEi.r.
Recognizing the Truth of the above
quotations tie writer would be among
the last 10 enter the list "a critic. Bus
discussion is free, and sometimes We :eei
justified iii InterpoSiDg our protests Y hen
men whose words s,ioui9 carry much
weight inadvertently or otherwise alloy
their writings with statements that seems
to us manifestly unfair and deductions
that are uBsound. We believe in dealing
fairly with all men and all beliefs. We
believe in entertaining the presumption
thai each man is honest Until the contrary
is shown. We should be charitable and
libereal.
.'shall ask the brave soldier who fights by my
side
In the cause OF mankind. if our creed- agree.
Shall giFe np Inc friend have valued aud
tried
If he kneel not at the same altar with neg
1t is certainly right for any man to de-
fend the belief, whatever it may he.
which he honestly enteriains. Ii is GER
tainly right for any man TO expose. If be
can, the errors OF an antagonistic faith.
But this should be done in kindness and
with perfect fairness. Attack the belief
tut not the holder Of H. Ii nan is in
error and can be made IT, know II he viii
forsake his way if he IS wise Il be has
not wisdom he will not be apt to acquire
it through assaults made upon him.
Neither is the influence of such attack
good upon Others. They will rather
sympathiZe with him WHO is sought 20 g
made the victim of PROSECUTING onslaught.
1t was Grec!an sage who said Treat
your friends remembering they may some
day be your enemies, and your enemies
remembering they may some day be your
frisrds."
The Agnostic of today may be the
Christian of TO morrow, and vice versa.
On every hand we see the interchange
ability of human beliefs. The Charch
of Rome draws her two great English
Cardinals from the bosom Of a Protestant
church Catholic divInes modify
their religious faith and grace the pulpits
of evangelical churches. Robert G. In
gersolls father was Presbyterian cler
gyman. His son if he has one, mag be
another Presbyterian minister, or "a Cath
Ole priest, or an \ gnostic Ike his parent.
Whatever may be his belief we must ac
credit him with honesty in entertaining it,
Ingersoll SAYS he does not hate p. esbYtcr;-
ans, but Presbyterialisn. This Is right
from his standpoint. The Christians
should rot hate agnostics but agnosticism.
Either Christian or Agnosiic, il he at
tacks the belief of the other should be
quite unimpaSsioned in doing so. There
is but one Investigation that is of any
worth and that is the investigation for
truth. The truth we should honestly
and earnestly seek and accept
as we understand it let it be what
it will or lead us where it may.
1t is folly for a man to wish that he mi ght
entertain certain or given belief. Let him
wish to know the truth, whether IL accord
with or antagonistIc to the belief. Ii the
belief in question commeGds itself 10 his
highest understanding he cannot but ae
cept it. If il does not SO commend itself
he should not, indeed. cannot accept it,
Our consciences will be true to sincere
convictions whether our lips are or net
Shall we call the man on our left a fool
or knavc because he settles upon ag
Mysticism as his ultimate belief? Shall
we call the man on our right a hypocrite
because he accepts Christianity as his
leading star? Both may be honest men
and IAN honest man is the nobicst work
of God" Let US be fair. Let us be civil.
Let us be kind if we can. The manner
In which some Agnostics talk of Christians
is shameful The manner in which some
Christians speak and write of Agros,ics
should make their wiser brethren TO blush
1t all comes from the inability OF many
men to rise above prejudice. ''They
talk of principles but passions prize.
They are the long necked geese of the
~ L. y T..
cause their natures are little" There is
room for us all in the this world and
there is room for different beliefs. All
may not he necessary: the fitiest alone will
survive 1t were better farihat we eXe;n
plifed the truth of our OWN faith than
that we should charge those who differ
from US with being insincere or with
lacking capacity 20 understand. Can any
reasonable man Doubt the sincerity Of
Bishop Foss. OF DR.. Hall or Cardinal
Gibbons? On the other hand can he
doubt the integrity and good faith of J.
Stuart Mill. Herbert Spencer or Prof.
Huxley These men are all earnest
searchers for truth. They examine dill
gently all sources of information and
heir conclusions are the result of their
imp ar;ial inquiry.
In the writer's reply to Rev. Wrigh;
nothing more was intended than to insis;
upon fair treatment Of Agnostics and of
all other men OF whatever religious or
philosophical belief. The question was not
.Isn't my opinion just as good as yours
but was Has not man right TO form
and entertain an opinion for himself?'
Incidentally one or two other matters
were touched upon inasmuch as they had
been sprung by Rev. Wright in his first
article and were as the writer thought
vulnerable propositions Rev. Wright in
his final paragraph says he can Eor argne
with "Amicus' first because he hides
behind non de plume; second because
he makes definitions so freely. and %
jcc;s to the diiiniiicn given for Infinite
viz: with beginning but without end.
We have only to say in reply that We ncv-
fr intended any argument, 20 more at
least than is indicated above. As sor the
non de plume. we will cOnccde for the
sake of harmony that it NAV be an insup
cradle barrier 20 argument but as 10 the
meaning OF ''iniinite' we beg leave to re-
fer Rev Wright to Websttr's unabridged
dictionary edition of 1854 (the one at
hand when the reply 10 Rev. Wrlgh; was
written page COZ where amoung others
the following definition OF ''inliniie" may
be found: That will have no end. Thus
angels and men, though they have had a
beginning will exist in infinite duration"
Also ''Tha, has beginning in space but
is infinitely extended" We were contend
ing that the mind (soul) is infinite il du
ration and the definitions quoted are our
authority for saying that infinite means
with beginning but without end. I'm
ques,ionably as Rev. Wright says, IN
limited, Unreasonable. bouudiess, are al
so correct definitions for '-iniinitc "
The writer would here close this per-
haps already overiong contribution. we're
it not that one y. p introduces himself
and seeks 20 grace the dis ussiGn, IS
he is pleased 10 term it, with some sage
reflections OF his own. lie begin b. saJ;
ing that The writer does not argue i..iily
and logically and this because lie IS an
Agnostic. Perhaps j. p" did :lot To;...
the writers article 10 which ,s ,-ss4ys 70