Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-04-17


) G. Ingersoll spoke before the Militant
church congregation today in response
to an invitation extended by the pastor,
Rev. John Rusk The Militant church
is organized for the purpose of lettering
the condition of mankind, regardless OF
creed or lack of it,
Colonel Ingersell's address, which was
given in Hooley's theatre was, in part,
as follows:
Man has advanced just in the proper
ton that he has mingled thought with
his work, just in the proportion that he
has succeeded in getting his head and
hands into partnership. Nature, gener-
GUS and heartless, extravagant and mi
serly as she is, is our mother and our
only teacher, and she is also the de-
ceiver of men. Above her we cannot
rise. below her we cannot fall. In her
we find the seed and soil of all that is
GOOD, of all that is evil. Nature origin
ates, nourishes, preserves and destroys.
Yet for many years man in all direc-
tions has relied upon and sincerely be-
lieved in the existence of the suPernat-
ural He did not believe in the uniform
itv of nature He had no conception of
cause and effect, of the indestructibility
of force.
For many centuries his only concep-
ton of morality was the idea of obedi-
ence. not to facts as they exist in nature,
but to the supposed command of some
being superior to nature. BY expert
ence, by experiment, possibly by acct
dent. man found that some diseases
could be cured by natural means; that
khe could be relieved in many instances
rafn by certain kinds of leaves or
ark. This was the beginning. Grad
|allv his confidence increased in the di-
ection of the natural and began to de-
rease in charms and amulets. The war
as waged for many centuries, but the
Natural gained the victory.
So our ideas of morality have changed,
hand millions now believe that whatever
Produces happiness and we'll being is in
Z the highest sense, moral Ceremonies,
PRAYERS and inspired books, miracles,
special providence and divine interior
NICE belong to the supernatural, and
rms no part of real religion. Every
ence rests on the natural, on demon
hted facts So morality and religion
st find their foundations in the nee
nature of things.
ignorance beng darkness, what We
ed is intellectual light. Man should
ease to expect any aid from any super
natural source. BY this time he should
be satisfied that worship has not created |
wealth, and that prosperity is not the
child of prayer Man should turn his
entire attention to the affairs of the
world, to the facts in nature.
Colonel Ingersoll said that there
should be stop put to the appeal to the
savage force. For fifteen hundred
wears, he said, peace had been preached,
vet the civilized world had impoverished
itself supporting vast armies and navies
Instead of paying these amounts out for
the purpose "of killing and preparing to
kill our fellow-men," they would better
be applied in building schools and sup
plying the wants of the people. An
International court wherein national
differences might be tiled with the
proper solution of the question, he
thought. There vas another direction
IN which energies and wealth of man
we're wasted. Immense amounts had
been paid for the erection of costly
.hurch edifces, and vast other sans
we're paid for keeping them up. The
eturns are remarkably small, said he;
he good accomplished does not appear
O be great. There is no great diminu
ion in crime. The decrease of immor
.lity and poverty is hardly perez 7ib =.
n towns of 1000 to $500 people .'ioie
ngersoll would have all churches COM
lined in one, in general building. In
his building should be the library of
he town. 1t should be the club house
# the people; plays should be presented !
" home talent; rooms for billiards, ]
ards and chess should be arranged 1t c
hould be the intellectual center. 7
"They could employ gentleman of /
bility, possibly of genius" said he, !