The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-23
BOTH SIDES PRESENTED.
DIR. Driver Argues For, and DIR. York
Against, RELIGION.

There were delivered in Seattle yesterday af-
ternoon two lectures topics bearing upon re-
ligion by men advancing exactly opposite
views. Although there was no joint discussion
and no announcement that one lecture would
be in reply to the other, yet this what in eff
feet took place. Dr. J. l. York, the lecturer on
free thought, spoke at Cordray's theater at
2;30 o'clock, and DIR. l. d. Driver, who 10 in the
city under the auspices OF the Young Men
Christian Association, spoke at the First Meth
odist Episcopal church at 4 o'clock. A number
OF people who heard and applauded the first ad-
dress went from the theater TO the church and
listened with apparently as much conviction
to the words of the second speaker.
DIR. Yorks address was upon "Some Mistakes
of Religion" and he chose as his text q stanZa
from poem by Lizzie Doughton, which, after
enumerating various kinds OF lies, closes with
the sentiment
But the oldest and far most respectable lies
Are those that are told in the name of religion.
The lecture began with the statement that re-
ligion Is the oldest belief extant and that all
other things take root from religion and are
therefore colored and distorted by what was
only superstition. All theology was asserted to
be based on beliefs about things which no one
can understand or give credit 10. These mis-
takes were due 10 the Interpretation of the Bible
by priests who were stigmatizei as "high way
men on the highroad OF human progress"
There were, the speaker set forth. four mon
strous lies upon which the whole fabric OF re-
iigion was based, viz: The existence of per-
sonal God, the creation of the world by Him, the
fall of man and the atonement of Christ. A
greater portion of the speech was occupied in
attacking and holding up to ridicule statements
In religious history which appear 10 be due TO
other than natural causes. The creation, the
Immaculate conception. the incident of the sun
being made TO stand still for Joshuas benefit,
and other incidents taken up, one at q
time, and scathingly denounced as preposter-
Gus.
At the church Or. Driver addressed his audi
dience on "rhe Existence of God and the Neces-
sity OF Natural Revelations from Him." The
reason, he explained. for backsliding III reli-
gion was because il was so often emotional--Te-
ugion of the heart instead of the mind. Cir
cumstanCes. however had reached such state
that questions of religion must re squarely met
and clearly explained to the inquiring mind.
outlined the nebutar hypothesis. After the
solar system had been formed by this process
the question arose ~ to whence came motion
For answer we must fall back on the words Of
Moses: 1.-The spirit Of God moved Ia the
course of the lecture the assertion was made
that in the writings OF Darwin, Tyndal, Huxley
and other great scientists there could not be
found a statement that could not be reconciied
with aud help 20 explain the words Of Scripture.
Another great evidence OF the eternal truth Of
Christianity was said 10 lie in the fact that his
tory shows that there has only been progression
where Christianity is the only source OF civliiza