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

Christian. These disputes serve no good
purpose. Christianity has answered in
fidelity for over eighteen hundred years
very effectuallY, and il il la,a in the day
Tor chr stians To give pnblir opportunity
10 shallow and blatant agnosticisTf TO at
tack. la IFS usual derisive way, the great
truths of christianity. II people are
really IN earnest Ia satisfy themselves uf
the reality ~ these truths, this is certain
! ly not the way to do IL. Mans relation
to Col IS II subject al once too great and
/ too solemn TO be treated in short public
debate, and in tile fiippant. blasphemous
manner of lngersoll and 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 mart 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 nj their own, God whom the
christian does not find in the bible. and
Mold him up to scorn IL is tie old, in
variable, trick. Religion in "a solemn
subject, and the mere force OF contrast
makes even the weakest wit striking
when leveled at it.
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
net, because an opportunity is thus
given to the intidel to insult the
feelings OF christian community, aud to
catch the silly folk who have not mind
enough to penetrate through the often
stri king and clever specifically of the
trained debater. The christian, in argu-
nents 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 ot degrading his
position; and the better man he is, the
less able is he, generally, to meet his OPP
ponent in n way to catch those who de-
light in the latter's irreverent old jokes
The silver-hsired, sivertongued old
agnostic 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 oi respectable
weight and force. He is young, ardent.
able, and gifted with fluent utterance.
and probably felt i. a duty and privilege
to give reason publicly for the
faith that was in him. But We think the
only good result iii il be good resnlt) of
his debate WAS his own greater or less
glorification. 1t WAS, to people OF refiec-
ton and decent feeling, profoundly sid
and painful tn see and hear 4 pleasant
looking old man cheerfully covering with
impious ndicule the christian hope which
has satisfied for ages the greatest intel
lects oil the world, and the hearts of the
humblest sufferers. Sir Isaac Newton.
said that DR.. Samuel Clarke's demonstra-
ton OF the non eternity Of matter and
the existence OF God was sufficient to con.
vince any reasoning man. Gladstone,
himself christian. said that of the sixty
Lending statesmen of the world that he
had known during his public lie fifty
five were believers in the religion which
this atheist from Tacoma leern 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 ont
| OF mans spirit towards the father of
spirits may hold. He Offers nothing in
place of that life compelling influence
which has raised man from he heaihen
to the christ ian level He aud his kind
are nsgstionists and destroycfs pure and
simple. They are moral ard spiritual
who vii deliberately try TO heguile their
fellows into parting with what such
deep scholar az Prof. Drummond has
estimated to be The Best Thing 10
the World. " And they find some who
are ready to applaud their profoundly in
decent performance.
Mr.. Reynolds evident model lnger-
soil was properly handled by Father
Lambert, a christian scholar with a
keener wit than even the coric cAlonel)
who met him as such living prophets
should be met exposed his systematic
thmble-rigging and fasfiration, and tore
his plausible platitudes and 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 II decent respect
for what is so dear aud sacred to others.
| The fact that the insignifcantly few who
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 If The dsbasing
effect OF their creed Of negation.
We fail to understand how a self-re-
/ eptttlup CHTlStldH tan meet III argument
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 bnt few immediate disciples
And whore sense of decencv is SO dead as
to permit him to publicly deride the God
whom the christian loves and worships.
Imsiand K Johnson will open = saloon
in the store room recently vacated by
Col Taggard, on Saturday next. They
ave renovated and refurnished the place
and christened 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 splendid
turkey lunch will he served to patrons of
The Mascot.
Prosser has organized rod and gun
club. with DIR. G. S. Emery. president;
| w. ii. James, vice president; X. p
Milne, secretary, and W. b. Noble, treas
urer. An order has been sent in for traps
and clay pigeons.