The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-04-07
1NFIDELITY AGAIN.
A Christians Reply to the Recent Arti-
Gle of Mr.. Lund.

The following letter will explain itself:
Editor Astorian: The communication
Of Mr. Lund in the Astorian of the Sd
inst. is Certainly a peculiar one for an
infdel He makes the words "infider'
and "freethinker' synonymous terms,
ard then classes Christ, Luther, Calvin,
and others in the list. | understand
the word infidelity to mean unbelief in
Christ and Christianity and the teach
ings of BOTH and the term "freethinker'
is used, at the present time, to mean
the same. Mr.. Lund talks of the beau
tjful teachings of Christ that have
for infdels to live in, and also says that
no one doubts the existence Of a God
Now, If we saturate inillellty with faith
In God and Christ, also the teachings of
Christ. 1t viii become christianity, and
Just the kind Of christianity that all
ue Chrlgtigrs want to see. When told
that inhdelity has no system of its own,
he replies, Had not the ancient Greeks
system?" / answer Yes. But the
ancient Greeks were not infidels. They
had lords and gods many. They had
altar built to an unknown god for fear
some of their gods might be missed.
He says, THE reign of terror in France
was no more infdellty at it's best than
the Spanish inquisition was Christianity
at its best" In reply would say that
the ablest intelects of France were in
the movement that brought about the
Reign of Terror It never had such
unity of intelligence to try it either
before or since; and, as DR.. Bushong
says, 1t was at its best then, so far as
1t had the best brain" but not the
best heart" or affections of its time.
Yet history records the result and its
cause, which the world must accept
VIII any sane person say the same of
the Spanish Inquisition? VIII any sane
person say that 1t is the teachings of
Christ, or his apostles? The
new testament is the system that Chris
tlans defend. The fruits of a Christian
life are love, joy, peace, long suffering,
meekness, faithfulness and
charity, and l defy any one to bring
forward a text, sentence, word, or syl- |
liable from the new testament that
teaches anything like the practices of |
the inquisition. We stand by the book
NOT by any corruptions of it, To what
Mr.. Lund says of Voltaire, and others |
in trying to cover DR.. Bushong's state
ments with a cloud Of dust, / reply |
that the doctor simply stated a few
facts that Mr. Lund will not deny in
plain terms, only by inslnuations. An
other remarkable statement is that
churches build hospitals and colleges
FOR pecuniary purposes" II this means
% make money out of them, / simply
'egard 1t as wonderful statement for
IN intelligent and honest man to make
know of no hospital that pays any
hing but a Dutch dividend or costs
more than its receipts, neither does Mr..
.und. There is no college that either
'Ir. Lund or myself knows anything
bout, that is not in the same fix as
he hospitals If the statement means
o spend the surplus on, It certainly is
good way. but even Mr.. Lund
'ouldn't say this The church being ,
overned by the teachings OF Christ and ,
is apostles, builds these institutions to
onform to Christian living. II Mr.
und will read the new testament care :
llly through once, he Will see the rea- 4
ms for these works, or IL he has not I
me to read It all, he can find enough y
" this purpose In the sermon on the
ount, which is the fifth. sixth, and
venth chapters Of Matthew. He win
so find a lesson there on humanity
Iat win help him. Meme of the de-
tiers emong skeptics ever want TO
firm any proposition. They will deny
~ proposition that a Christian win o
Iirm In order to get something to Al
v but they should do constructive i"
ID not destructive work An of Mr., II
ind's statements are on a par with Ii
ose | have examined, and are not et
'rthy Of any serious consideration. pl
HE al
CITATION