The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-30

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the repetition has become truly painful,
For a time 1t was thought that the last
had been heard of them. but here comes
Robert G. Ingersoll, and, in total igno-
rance of what has been done by Chris
tian scholars brings forth from the limbo
of exploded absurdities, the vaporings of
Voltaire and Paine. 1t is truly humiiiat-
ing spectacle. You know Ingersoll poses
| as a champion of modern science. And
yet defy him TO point to the works of
single philosophic. historian, Christian or
infidel. who makes such charges against
| the church of God.
"All patriotic and honest citizens must
regret the formation of parties having
for their object the PRONUNCIATION of in
| tolerance, the spreading of unjust accusa-
| ton, and charges which have no founda-
| ton but calumny and bigotry. The at
| tacks made upon the religious orders OF
women, in the church. women whose lives
| are devoted to the welfare of suffering
| humanity are the outgrowth of ignorance
or malice. The present wave of religious
| bigotry much of which finds expression
| in the unchristian and malicious utter
ances against the sisterhood of the coun-
/ try, has had no more potent factor in its
! development and spread than Robert G..
! Ingersoll. In season and out of season,
/ in village, hamlet and city. he has ut
| tered malicious insinuations against the
! converts of this country. He has inspired
/ the fanatics and bgots who have banded
/ together against Catholics to make the
/ foolish and idotic demand for the open
/ ing of converts to the public inspection of
/ the lecherous. Weak minded men have
| Joined the vicious in these demands. so
| that injustice and wrong have been
/ wrought against the innocent Robert @.
4 Ingersoll was among the very first of the
present generation to engender by sug-
| gestions and insinuations hatred of Cath
minds of many. Ingersoll would have his
| hearers forget the work done by these no
! BILE women at the bedside of the dying
/ and in caring for the orphans as well
/ as for the poor soldiers on the field of
battle. He has urged on the relentless
! bigot who would open the sacred pre-
cincts of the converts to the vulgar gaze
| of depraved creatures In this regard Mr..
Ingersoll has a distinction that is pc
culiarly his own. No honest man would
rob him of his honor.
I'm considering the war of skepticism
and infidelity on our common Christian
! ity, we are met with a sad and some
what discouraging fact. 1t is fact that
/ gives courage and hope to the enemies
| of Christianity / refer to the discussions,
bitter antagonism and animosities among
4 Christians themselves. Christ intended
his church to be one in government and
| in doctrine, that his followers should
constitute a united brotherhood ana pre-
sent to the outside world a united front.
Instead of that Christianity is split up
into hundreds of sects and denominations,
each protesting different and contradic-
| tory doctrines and each frittering away
it's energies in warning against the other.
There is no denying that this is a scan
dalous picture and that it exposes our
| common Christianity to the derision of
the unbeliever. Still more, 1t is a fact
| that it is the cause of a great deal of
! modern scepticism. The young man who
sets out with the best intentions to come
to a knowledge of revealed truth is 'ap-
palled and discouraged by the clamor of
so many claimants. He despairs falls
into condition of spiritual or intellec-
tual lethargy and Indifference If he be of
vigorous and positive turn of mind his
Indignation changes indifference into pos
tive enmity and he becomes an irascible
opponent of religion. at
1T is not necessary for me to enter
into and discuss the cause of this divided
condition of Christendom and who is re-
ponsible for it. Such a discussion would
tend in no way TO obviate the difficulty.
1t would tend rather to increase IT. 1t
would therefore, be worse than unproit-
able. We must consider the unfortunate
divisions in Christemdom with a view to
abolishing, removing them, or at least
to minimize the evil effects that flow
from them.
But in the meantime something must
be done. Something in which every
Christian can participate. We can begin
by fulfilling the Scripture injunction 10
Let the dead past bury its dead"
THE Christian of to-day is not re-
sponsible for the blood-thirstiness of his
semi-barbarous ancestors. The Protes-
tant is not called upon to defend the in
defensible atrocities of Queen Elizabeth
nor is the Catholic bound to defend the
butcheries and the burnings of a Queen
Mary. Both had in them the blood OF
Henry VIII, who prosecuted and exc
cuted Catholics and Proestants on the
same scaffold. 1t is a fact that Catholic
and Professionals prosecuted each other
alternately as the power to do so passed
from one to the other, and IL is not for
us TO throw into each others faces the
blood they spilled and which has long
since cried to heaven for vengeance
They used religion as a watchword and a
battle cry, but under ii they sought their
personal ambitions and vengeances. Fa-
naticism, of course, played its part. but
as a rule the perpetrator of those atroc-
tiles that stained the pages of history
assumed the livery of heaven to serve
the devil in. Why should their quarrels
long since hushed in death, continue "a
keep us apart? What have we to dc
with them more than to deplore the err
: rors and barbarities of our common an
cestors? If we condemn, and we should
! the prosecuting spirit of those times OF
turmoil let us not initiate IL.
- IF we cannot agree as to all the doc
; trines let US in charity agree to disagree
give each other the credit of honesty oil
motive and of sincerity. Our way through
life is rugged, long and weary enough
J without adding to each others burdens
Let us unite then in the doctrine W,
: have in common and on the general OBJ
ject of Christianity and stand like loya
; soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, to bea
back the invasion of scepticism and in
fidelity.
, May the day never come when infidel
, ity shall permanently dominate this OF
: any other land. May religion now an
: forever guide and guard our national anC