The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-11

as faces in clouds, is II possible to find and
recognize the features. the natural face or
the actual Christ?
For many centuries our fathers closed
s.stencies or the Testament. and In spite OF
their reason harmonized the interpretations
and mistakes This is no longer posslDle.
The contradictions are too many, too gar
ing. There are contradictions OF fact, Lot
only, hut OF philosophy. Of theory.
IF we wish TO save the character OF
thrown away. We must discard the mira
Giles or admit that He was insane or an I'M
poster. We must discard the passages tnat
breathe the spirit Of hatred and revenge,
or admit that he was malevolent.
HIS VIEW OF CHRIST.
1.-The best that can be said about Christ
is that nearly nineteen centuries ago he
was born in the land of Palestine. in a
country without wealth. without commerce,
in the midst of people who knew nothing
Of the greater world-a people enslaved,
crushed by the mighty power OF Home.
That this babe, this child of poverty and
want. grew to manhood without education,
knowing nothing Of art or science, ana
at about the age OF thirty began wandering
about the hills and hamlets or HIS naive
land discussing with priests, talking with
the poor and sorrowful, writing nothing,
but leaving His words in the memory or
forgetfulness Of those to whom ne spoke.
That He attacked the religion OF His time
because 1t was cruel. That this excited the
hatred OF those in power, and that Christ
was arrested. tried and crucified."
scheme OF salvation and the alternative OF
heaven or hell as a reward for acceptance
or rejection of the plan:
christians believe in infinite torture, In
eternal pain. Eternal pain!
"AIl the meanness Of which the heart Of
man is capable is in that one vord--heli;
the Shiny reptiles of revenge. That word
certifies to the savasery OF primitive riail.
That word is the depth, the dungeon, the
snyss G That w nOaa sv he sgade
shame, the infamy of our revealed religion.
That word fills all the future with the
sshrieks Of the damned That word brutal. a.
mon on the Mount to hypocrisy and cant
and pollutes and hardens the very heart
6 6orr Tnr 80 death snS TO makes the cradle
terrible as the coffin. That word is tie as.
sassin OF Joy, the hooking murderer OF
hope. That word extinguis acs the light OF
life and wraps the world In gloom maj
word drives reason from his throne and
gives the crown to madness.
In summing up Mr.. lngersoil saio:
1.-THE Old Testament is absurd. ignorant
and cruei~the New Testament is a ming
ling of the false and true-it Is good and
bad. The Jehovah Of the Jews Is an i'm;
and idiotic; Christ is a myth or a man.
/ am not trying to destroy another world.
but / am endeavoring to prevent the the
ologians from destroying this.
"If we are immortal IL Is fact In nature,
and that fact does not depend on Bibles,
or Christs; on priests, or creeds. The
hone of another life was in the heart
long before the sacred books were writ
ten. and will remain there long after all
the sacred books are known to be the
work of savage and superstitious men,
Hone Is the consolation of the world.
"Iet us hope that II there be another life
that it will bring peace and joy to all the
moor earth on which we live may be a
perfect world-a world without crime, with
out a fear"