The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-15
"lpA 81 ON AIrslsm.
An Interesting Paper but Perhaps Not
aInny WIZ Agree with Her.

An Interesting Paper hut Perhaps Not
Many VIII Agree with Her
EDIToR AND FRIENDs-Befors l begin !
Wish to say that believe in immortality
and know that I have evidence OF this
outside OF the bible. Next, / believe in
lssus Christ. If did not believe in Him
as supreme supernaturslly l would have
10 admit that lie was supreme naturally.
state this that you NAV know where to
end me II | seem IN the following to 20
swsv from il.
Some have upon the page given their
reasons why atheism exists Lone
Iramps" son IL most intelligent.
Still. his reason for atheism does not
cover tue logical whole. The reasOd why
atheists are atheists and intell0entlv 90
is because the evidence is most upon
their side. This may sound pretty stiff
Tor a church member, but after years of
looking into the evidence for facts upon
both sides, with a decided psr.iality for
She side opposed 10 atheism l have been
forced 10 come TO this conclusion. Yet il
Is a conclusion that always admits OF the
great nope that the Unseen, the Unknown,
may b. a truth, even IN those minds who
can boast OF no spiritual revelation
Christians depend upon faith and hope.
The atheist claims the hope bur will
have none of the faith. Christians believe
In reve alton, in spiritual manifestation
Of such IN some age Of the WOrif il not
this. If we have no faith of ourselves,
we have in the statements OF some before
Is. And for our explicit faith here. We
expect the promised extra blessing
Thomas was an atheist. What cared he
for the story Of bis brethren that Christ
bad arisen? Such stories had been told
before OF people, and little did he believe
IN them.
The women at the tomb. and the Wis
lon Of angels, aud their statements
thereon, he would have none of il. Wis
Ions OF angels were of common occur
renee II you were 10 believe mercy mems
VOID for such things, and Thomas knew
bow prone man was n take and believe
things upon slight evidence of his senses.
Dr on the same evidence of others. II Was
not of that gullible kind. he gave them 10
understand. Tom Paine once said that
revelation to one mar was not revela-
hon 10 another and a man could not be
blamed for putting aside mans testimony
alone, especially when he knew how err
Ing he WAS and unreliable in other WAYS
often lines. And 80 you see.
Doubling Thomas and Doubling Tom
we're much alike. only. one IL 10 recorded,
received decided revelation and the other
vent to his grave without one. And |
don't suppose there was much
difference shown TO them in
sternity, If they were to be judged
Tor the deeds done in the body, and
the good and bad they did here were bal
lnced Alright. Tom Paine WAS not an
atheist in the accepted form of the term
For he believed in God. a supreme being,
and he often ca led upon Him when in
distress But ne did not think the story
Of the miraculous births aud ascensions Of
the Jews OF more account than the same
incidents found in Roman mythology on
Persian legend. He claimed that the Jews
had too low a conception Of God. aud
many an argument that Tom Paine held
forth one hundred years ago Briggs and
the great divinss and biblical pro-
fessors are giving to their scholar
a. something new today and original.
with them. And II they are legged with
heresy howl of Indignation goes up
against those who arraign them, from
all over the land. | don't say that
Briggs snd Smith and such men are not
right, but / do love consistency, and I
despise 20 see one man reviled for what
smother IL upheld in. OF course Briggs
don't go quite so far as went Paine but
some Of his scholars will and don't you
let il get out Of your mind, either.
Again no man IL bad simply because
>aathsr IL bad IL II not sslf-evidsnt