Telegram-herald., 1891-09-28
IADERWUOD'S LECTURE
Some Potent Remarks On Rsligion
and the Bible.
BE WOULD not DESTROY ETHER
Bst Fhsy shsaid sst he rsrmttsss ia
OssFFats ksasss ~sd Free fhsu<hs
-Christ's Dssinlfy Dsaied-suaaAy
Privileges Open - Aii.

Sunday mornin z. B. F. Underwood,
the Freethlnker. leetared at Powers
Opera House. taking for his subject.
'What Do You Propose TO Give in Its
Place. Referring 70 questions pro-
pounded 70 him by the church. The
speaker ~as greeted by large audience
that vas enAreiy IA sympathy with him
and his most pungent points were re-
csised with applause. Mr.. Underwood
began: Ladies and gentlemen; one OF
the most frequent questions PROFOUND
ed 20 the critical freethlnker ., II you
destroy religion what will you give IN
ia steadg' They say No ought To give
them something that they can rely
upon as a souIce of comfort and until
We do this We ought TO discontinue our
attacks upon IL.
1his i Elard question 70 answer with
out some reflection Ii would require
some deep study 20 get the right sub
stltute for Il Smallpox Is dread dis
ease which se ali try 10 eliminate from
our midst. You might as well ask US
what We would Substitute for IL II II is
kept out or community. don't wish
10 0e understood as treating the Bible
as smallpox or any ylrulent disease. i
would not destroy the body OF any
doctrine that has gwen us comfort
through life, solace IA sickness and re
lief ifom depression al the time OF
death. | would take the truths found
IN ;be Bible and supplement them with
the truths OF science, discardlng the er
rOrs. IL - mistaken idea 10 suppose
that freetniEkers would destroy the
BIUle IN lts entirety. Religions
are eyo.ut.ons. They grow as
trees; they grow as governments
grow. Governmental constitutions may
be written but they are the thoughts of
the people.
Free Thought Not Destructive.
Religions can't be suddenly stricken
out. our work ls not 10 strike out re-
hgions and any person who believes 1t
-, i sIvIng ~ ignorance. Free thought
j. not destructive, although it may be
IN one sense. Ii aims To destroy mis-
taken IDEAS and false doctrines. Free
thought - constructive. it aims to
eliminate error and substitute truth.
We .ear down an old building To get
the ground on which TO build new
house. We look over the old material,
selecting the good from II for the new
building. Now. IN regard 10 Christian
ity, what will give IN Its place? What
40 you mean Dy the question? Peo-
pies IDEAS OF Christianity differ so
widely that TINS - AN uncertain ques-
ton. | talk With man OF broad mind,
one who Is not church member but
believes in Christianity. He beIeves
the golden rule IS Christianity. Very
we'll, We don't want TO tear that down.
We admire his choice but not his logic
for he takes the moral adjunct of all
the religions OF the world.
The Presbyterian explains his
religion as the doctrine OF
eternal damnation, but thinks it ap-
Plies 10 ms neighbor. The Uniyersalists
tell Us that thfy believe IN a Universal
Father and = universal preservation.
Here are two religions, one teaching al
most universal damnatlon and the
other teaching universal preservation.
How can they be reconciled? Others
say they believe in the doctrines of the
New Testament, bat they don't do It..
They ignore the doctrine of Blessed be
the poor, take no thought of the NOR
row. better that men and women live
apart etc. These doctrines are obso-
Iete.
women on Equality with Men.
We teach our children TO look out for
the future, we pay no attention 10 the
'turn your other cheek Make your
selves lambs and you will be devoured
by wolses. says the Spanish proverb.
The Bible teaches the inferiority of
woman and Paul preached that they
should not usurp authority over men.
cur moral belief now is that women
should be- placed on a plane of equality
with men. The whole tendency OF
modern legislation is to make her
equal TO man and this Is contrary
O. the teachings of the New
Testament. You tell me TO go
TO the new testament for Christianity.
Nes. but the teaeb Dgs found IN the
new testament are not found IN the
churches of today. The bible teaches
us To depend upon prayer for supply
ing our wants. IL We want sain or dry
weather, health or anything else we
are taught 10 pray forit. The churches
have no faith in prayer. Scientists are
studying how TO tring rain iDdependant
OF PRAYER. No class of free-thinkers
3xpects TO destroy the universe or the
conception of it. The old teaching
was that God sat stern upon the throne,
attended bv angels. This Itea il child
like, for tTOd does not admit of any
such otjectlfying CT personifying
When We become scqusinted with the
laws of the universe they will get rid Of
these ignorant fancies. From the teach
Ings IT science IL is not possible for one
20 think the world was created or that
IL viii te destroyed. Then the question
IL. what would YOU give usg' There
sre S,0o0. coo Of people who turn TO
the Bible for its comforting
rrecep's. What shall we supply them
WITH We don't propose to destroy il,
not one leaf.
weuta Bars Old Bihie.
lady once asked me II I would
burn = Bible. / tod her would if I
bad more than ! wanted. | would
burn an old Biiie rs so0n ss would an
old almanac. Tbs shocked the lady
Tor she considered the Bible 10 be-
sacred. Tor God wrote lt. We we're st
ting by Gre place. when shortly after
tie conversation We sew a httle bog
craving al9&g The floor. The lady
esuGnt tne = with pair of tenxs and
sarew a into The are. I asked her If
STE thought fsod made everything for
notle purpose aud she answered that
sEe did. Then Why did you burn
Use hug ! asked Her reply was
taat she did rot hke 20 have bugs
around the heuse. Sew. We could re-
fiaee he burned book, but rot The rug
To Constitution va more complex than
any hook he Bible should be pre-
served as the common property ~ the