The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-10

never made record Tor gOou OF Ut
evil 1t was born too late to do much /
harm. Therefore, when he reads the |
diabolical history of the mother OF his
church, he must blame the motner-
not the child; and to understand MS |
position thoroughly, he must inquire IN |
20 philosophical problems, at the exclu-
sion of French etiquette. one mas a
moral right to comply with the dying |
request of a friend without being at
tackled by the clergy.
My dear Baptist minister. assume the
courage to infinitely examine your hard
or soft shell superstition, which, II you
sound its shallow depths, will only
prove an inexhausttble source OF in
quietude 20 your mind II you are sus-
ceptible OF the rare qualities which rem
der intelligence dear to society. Your
interest I'm society exacts that you
should render peace to your mind. IL
is your duty to preserve a sweetness OF
temper, indulgence and cheerfulness to
all those who approach you You owe
happiness to yourself, and you owe II to
those who surround you. Do not. then,
a'oandon yourself to superstiu.ous rev.
cries. burt collect all the strength of
your judgment to combat the chimeras
which evidently torment your imagma-
ton. They will disappear as soon as
| you have considered them with your
ordinary sagacity.
Do not tell me. Mr.. Baptist minister.
that your understanding is too weak to
sound the depths of theology. Do not
| tell me that the rites of religion are
mysteries that we must adopt without
comprehending them. and that IL is ne
cessary TO adore in silence.
Whatever is supernatural Is unsuited
| to man, and whatever Is beyond his
comprehension ought not to occupy his
| attention. To adore what we are un-
able to know Is to adore nothing. To
| believe i'm what we cannot conceive, Is
1 hsal in h rau M mil wit h.
| out examination everything we were
taught by our ancestors, Is to be basely
| and stupidity credulous. To say that re-
| itgion is above reason, Is to recognize
the fact that IL was not made for reas-
enable beings: Ii rs to avow that those
| who teach II have no more ability to
| fathom its depths than the poorest
| peasant; Ii Is to confess that the clergy
do not themselves understand the mar
vels with which (they think on each
Sunday they entertain their dupes.
If the truths of religion were. as the
| clergy assure us. necessary to all men,
they would be clear and ineligible to
| all men, If the doenas which the clergy
attempt ito teach US were as important
as they assert, they would not only be
within the comprehension of the
preachers themselves. but of all those
| who hear their lessons.
Is ii not strange that the very per-
sons whose profession IL Is to furnish
themselves with religious knowledge
In order 10 impart 1T to others should
recognize their own dogmas as beyond
their own understanding, and that
they should obstinately inculcate to
the people what they acknowledge
they do not comprehend themselves?
Should we have much confidence in
| the physician who, after confessing
that he was utterly ignorant of his art.
| should nevertheless boast of the ex-
| cellence of his skill. This, however, is
the constant practice of our spiritual
quacks BY a strange fatality, the
most sensible people consent to be the
dupes of those empires who are per-
| petually obliged, when questioned, to
ayow their own professed Ignorance.
IL a My dear preacher. IL the mysteries OF
your religion are incomprehensible for
even those who inculcate tiff among
those who profess II there Is no one
who knows precisely what he believes.
or who can give an account of his con-
! duct or belief-this is not so in regard
! to the difficulties with which we OPP
pose this religion.
These objections are simple, within
the comprehension of all persons OF
ordinary ability and capable of con-
| vincing every man who, renouncine
the pretudices of his infancy. will deign
to consult the good sense that nature
, | has bestowed upon all beings in civil
lied countries. For a long period oil
time subtle theologians have, withou'
relaxation, been occupied In wardinl
/, off the attacks of the incredulous anc
. | in repairing the breaks made In tn
ruinous edihce of religion by men o
thought who are cambated under TIT
| flag of reason. In all times there hav,
/. been people who felt the futility of tn
= titles upon which the numerous antag
onistical clerical factions have AFRO
gated the right of enslaving the under
cafu n nf nd aaf Ia 4 nj
q and despoillng nations.
Notwithstanding all the efforts of tn
:, hypocritical clerical force who hav
J, taken up the defense of religion fror
a which they and their confederate
: alone are profted. these apologist
!, 1 have never been able ito vindicate sue
' eessfully their pretended divine sys
TEN against the successful attacks c
ne men of thought. Without cessation tn
sc clergy of the different fighting demon
y nations have replied to the objection
r which have been made by the Libral
- but never yet have they refuted a scir
= tilla of truth propounded by man {
"a natural sensible ideas. And right hei
"a / challenge the world to successful
ne refute the arguments in favor of ma
a. lures laws.
20 To convince you. Mr.. Baptist Mir
oS lister. of what / here advance. 20
q need only compare the most simp
!, and ordinary difficulties which GOO
he sense opposes to religion. You WI
Of perceive that the difficulties. evidei
of even 20 the capacities of child. hay
q never been removed by those who ca
es themselves divines. the most practices
ut i'm dialects. even on the English defin
ton of the French word adieu.' YC
,-o will find in your and your confederate
40 replies only subtle distinctions. met
a physical subterfuges, unintelligib
a. verbiage. which can never be the lal
as guage of truth. and which demo-
70 strates the embarrassment, the In
- portance and the bad faith of tho
n who are interested by their position
ne sustaining a desperate cause. In
he word the difficulties which have be-
IN. urged against religion are clear al
300 within the comprehension Of every o.
IN who will investigate. while the a