Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-06
INGERSOLL'S REPLY
To the Criticisms of Clergy
men on His Christ
mas Sermon.
THE BLASPHEMY OF A DAY
He Calls an lmposSibility, Even if He
Intended Such a Thing.
HE is A REAL SENTIMENTALIST.
One of the Charges Brought Against Him
That lie Doesn't Deny.
HE is A REAL SENTIMENTALIST.
INFIHEL OR PREACHER FOR REVENUE
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1sPArcH.I

clSmS of the clergvmen who attacked his
recent Christmas sermon was given to the
public to-day. The Colonel says:
''Rev. James NJ. King-who seems to
have taken this occasion to become known
finds fault because 'blasphemous utter
ances concerning Christmas were pub
lished, and were allowed 'to greet the eyes
of innocent children and pure women.
How is it possible to blaspheme day?
One day is not, in and of itself, holier than
another-that is to say, two equal spaces of
time are substantially alike. We call day
good or bad according to what happens
in the day. A Gay filled with happiness,
with kind words, with noble deeds. is a
good day. A day filled with misfortunes
and anger and misery we call a bad day.
''But how is it possible to blaspheme a
day? A man may or may not, believe that
Christ was born on the 25th of December
and that he may fill that day, so far as he is
concerned, with good thoughts and words
and deeds Another may really believe
that Christ was born on that day, and yet
do his worst to make all his friends un-
happy.
An Argument for Both Sides.
fBut how can the rights of what are
called clean families be violated. by read
ing the honest opinions of others as to
whether Christmas is kept in honor of the
birth of Christ or in honor of the triumph
of the sun over the hosts of darkness? Are
Christian families SO weak intellectually
that they cannot bear to hear the other side?
Or is their case so weak that the slightest
evidence overthrows il? Why do all these
ministers insist that it is lll-bred to even
raise question as to the truth of the i'm
probable, or as TO the improbabilitv of the
impossible?
"A minister saws to me that am going
to hades-that l am bound to be punished
forever and ever-and thereupon 1 sav to
him: There is no hades; you are mistaken:
your Bible is not inspired: no human being
is to suffer agony forever and thereupon,
with an injured look, he asks me this ques-
ton: why do you hurt my feelingS?' 1t
does not occur to him that l have the
slightest right to object to his sentence of
eternal grief
Expressed Charity for His Enemies.
''1t is perfectly easy for any one with the
slightest imagination to understand how
other people differ from him. L don't at
tribute bad motive to a man simply be-
cause he disagrees with me. L don't say
that a man is Christian or Mohammedan
for revenue only. L don't saw that a man
joins the Democratic party simply for
Office, or that he marches with the Republi-
cans simply for position. l am willing to
hear his reasons-wlth his motives | have
nothing to do
"Mr. King imagines that / have de-
nounced Christianity for revenue only
Is he willing to admit,that we have drifted
far from orthodox religion that the way
to make money is to denounce Christianity?
l can hardly believe, for joy, that liberty
of thought has advanced so far | regret
exceedingly that there is not an absolute
foundation for his remark am indeed
sorry that it is possible in this world of
ours for any human being TO make a living
out of the ignorance and fear of his fellow
men. Still, it gives me great hope for the
future to read, even in this ignorant pres
ent, that there is one man, and that man
myself, who advocates human libertv-the
absolute enfranchisement of the soul-apd
does it for revenue'-because this charge is
such splendid compliment to my fellow
men.
IngersoIPs Definitions of Blasphemy
'Under no circumstances can the ex-
preston of an honest opinion, couched in
becoming language, amount to blasphemy.
And right here it may be well enough to in
quire, what is blasphemy?' A man who
knowingly assaults the true, who know
knowingly maligns the good and noble, is a
blasphemer A man who deserts the truth
because 1t is unpopular is a blasphemer. He
who runs with the hounds, knowing that
the hare is in the right, is a blasphemer
I'm the soul of every man, or in the tenn
pie inhabited by the soul, there is one
niche in which can be found the statue of !
the ideal. In the presence of this statue |
the good man worships-the bad man bias |
nhPmpS-fhat lS ro ho &c ot f,ua fo tho l
ideal.
"a man who ISLANDERS pure woman or an |
honest man is a blasphemer So, too, man |
who does not give the honest transcript of |
his mind is a blasphemer. If man really |
thinks the character of Jehovah, as por-
trayed in the Old Testament, is good, and |
he denounces Jehovah as bad, he is bias
phemer. If he really believes that the
character of Jehovah, as portrayed in the
Old Testament, is bad, and he pronounces it
good, he is blasphemer and coward.
Self-Interest as a Law-Maker.
"All laws against 'blasphemy' have been
passed by the numerically strong and the
intellectually weak. These laws have been
passed by those who, finding no help in
logic, appealed TO the Legislature. Back
OF all these superstitions you will find some
selt-interest. l don't say that is true in
every case, but do say that if priests had
NNh -'lN VI iHutlOlJ. lsluDS never WOClU |
have been sacrificed to God. Nothing was
ever carried TO the temple that the priests
could not use, and it always so happened
that God wanted what his agents liked
Now, ! will not saw that all preachers
nave been such for revenue only, but
must say that the history of the world tends
TO show that the sacerdotal class prefers
revenue without religion to religion with
out revenue
Il am much obliged to Rev. Mr.. King
for admitting that an infidel has a right to
publish hls views at his own expense, and
with the utmost cheerfulness l accord that
night to Christian. The only thing / have
ever objected TO is the publication of his
views at the expense of others.
Rights of Men to Disagree
81 cannot admit however, that the ideas
contained in what is known as the Christ
mas sermon are revolving to a vast ma
Jority OF the people who give character to
the community in which we live I SUM-
pose that very large majority of men and
women who disagree with me are perfectlv :
satisfied that have the right to disagree |
with them, and that l do not disagree With ,
them to any greater degree than thew dis
agree with me. And l also imagine that a
very large majority of intelligent neonle
are perfectly willing to hear the other side
'With ICg rd to the letter of Rev. Thomas
Dixon, Jr., ave but little to say. am {
glad that he believes in free platform and ;
o free press-that he, like Lncretia Mott ,
believes in truth tor authority, and not au- /