The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-12-20
)hristisn These disputes serve no good

Christian. These disputes serve no good
purpose. Christianity has answered H.
fidelity Tor over eighteen hundred years
very efectuslly. and il is Late in the day
Tor chr stians to give II public opportunity
10 shallow and blatant agnosticisrh to at
tack, In its usual defisive way, the great
truths OF christianity. II people are
really IN earnest To satisfy themselves of
the reality of these truths. this is certain
! ~ not the way To do ii. Mans relation
To Go'i Is u subject al once too great and
too solemn to be treated in u short pubic
debate, and in tie flippant, hlasphemous
manner ri lngersoll aud his smaller imi-
tators. These invariably play to the gal
lery. They take isolated texts and parts
OF texts, suppress the context, read in
their own meaning. and proceed to their
own great delight, and that of the more
feather headed part of their audience, to
ridicule them. They take the bible (they
always make great show of turning to
the chapter and verse and create from it
q God Of TIER own, God whom the
christian does not find in the bible. aud
hold him up to scorn 1t is tie old, in
variable, trick. Religion IL solemn
subject, and the mere force OF contrast
makes even the weakest wit striking
when leveled at il.
The serious attacks on christianity have
been met again and again by scholars of
the moot eminent ability, but attacks
by shallow fellows should not be
met, because an opportunity is thus
gwen to the iniidel to insult the
feelings OF a christian community, aud to
catch the silly folk who have not mind
enough TO penetrate through the often
striking and clever supertcialty of the
trained debater. The christian. in argu-
ments such as We have had here, has TO
descend to meet the scattering, tritiing.
idle, augmentation of his opponent. THIS
ut once has the effect ol degrading his
position; and the better man he is, the
less able il he, generally, To meet his OPP
ponent in a way to catch those who de-
light in the lstter's irreverent old jokes
| The silver-hsired. silver-tongued old
agnostc who met Mr.. Rose, did not argue
up to his young opponent. The latter
was more than match Tor the Older man !;
aud his argument was OF respectable
weight and force He is Young, ardent,
able, and gifted with fluent utterance
and probably felt i. duty and privilege
to give reason publicly for the
faith that was in him. But We think the
only good result iii it be good RESULT Of
his debate WAS his own greater or less
gloritication. 1t WAS, to people OF reflec-
ton and decent feeling, profoundly sad
and painful To see and hear a pleasant
looking old man cheeriully covering with
impious ndicule the christian hope which
has satisfied for ages the greatest intel
lects OF the world, and the hearts OF the
humblest sufferers. Sir Isaac Newton
said that Dr. Samuel Clarke's demonstra-
ton OF tho non'cternity OF matter and
the existence of God was sufficient to con
vince any reasoning man. Gladstone,
himself q christian. said that OF the sixty
Leading statesmen of the world that he
had known during his pubic lille tiIt,-
five We're believers in the reli zion which
this atheist from Tacoma jeers at.
lie offers nothing in EXCHANGE Tor the
most reason and soul satisfying hope that
has ever come to man. lie offers moth
ing to which the universal reaching out
OF mans spirit towards the father OF
spirits may hold lie offers nothing in
plsce OF that life compelling influence
which has raised man from tie heafhen
| to the christ ian level He and his kind
are nsgstionists and destroyers pure and
simple. Thew are moral ard spiritual
! confidence men and sWindiers. Men
who vii deliberately try to heguile their
| fellows into parting with what such Il
deep scholar as Prof. Drummond has
estimated TO be 1.-The Best Thing in
the World" And they find some who
are ready to applaud their profoundly in
! decent performance.
Mr.. Reynolds evident model, Inger-
soil was properly handled by Father
Lambert, christian scholar with a
keener wit than even the coric colonel }
! who met him az such lying prophets
should be met exposed his systematic
thin ble-riggng and faIsifration, and tore
his plausible platitudes end shallow
sophistry to shreds.
Most sober minded men who cannot
fully accept christianity. recognize it as
the mob lest Of the many religious SYSTEMS
designed to assist man in his aspirations
toward God. and show decent respect
for what is so dear and sacred to others.
The fact that the insgnificantly few vho
cannot or will not do so, do not for very
shame hold their tongues and hide their
ears, instead OF wantonly arrogating to
thems elves all understanding, is, per
haps, the strongest proof Of the debasing
effect of their creed of negation.
we IalI 10 understand now Sell-fe-
specting christian can meet in argument
a man like Reynolds, whose moral and
Intellectual make up permits him TO take
= text and torture it into teaching that
the Saviour of Mankind strove to keep
back the salvation he brought to earth
from all but few immediate disciples.
And whore sense of decencv is So dead az
to permit him TO publicly deride the God
whom the christian loves and worships,
lmsland x Johnson will open saloon
in the store room recentiv vacated by
| Col. Taggard, on Saturday next. They
ave renovated and refurnished the place
and christenedi it The Mascot" believing
that the name will bring good luck when
backed up by a stock of the best of liquid
refreshments and cigars, as well as polite
attention. On Christmas day a splendid
turkey lunch will he served to patrons OF
The Mascot
Prosser has organized rod and gun
club. with DIR. G. 5. Emery. president
w. II. James, vice president; r. =.
Milne, secretary, and W. b. Noble, treas
urer. An order has been sent in for traps
and clay pigeons.