The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-09-08
THE GEORGIA HUM0RIST
THE WRITINGS OF lNFlDELS AND ATHE.
lists CONDEMNED.
shock williams Sensibiiities--The Great
Mysteries of Nature Refute Their Ag-
nosticism and Ordinary Mortals are
Satisfied.

Mysticism and Ordinary Mortals arc
| Satisfied.
These modern agnostics, skeptlcs,
atheists and infdels are having lively
time in the New York papers. The
columns are open to them and it keeps
our Christian and God-fearing people
busy in replying to their assaults upon
the Bible and Christianity. No two
Of them seem to have the same faith
or to be fighting under the same gen.
eral, but they are all engaged in storm,
ing the citadel, some on one side ana
some on another and with different
weapons of warfare. They are pull
downers instead of build-uppers. one
set assaults the miracles and seem to
have a special spite at Jonah and the
whale. Another set denounces Jeph-
tina for sacrificing his daughter and de-
nounces God for permitting it. They
are equally indignant against David
for having Josiah slain and against
Samuel for ordering Saul to Stay the
women and children and cattle of the
Amalekites. They declare that all these
stories are fakes or, if true, that God
is q brute for allowing such outrages.
Some believe in the New Testament,
but not in the old, while others ridl-
cule the miraculous conception of the
virgin Mary and pronounce it
woman's trick to hide her shame.
Some write from medical standpoint
and assert that man is by no means
perfect creature physically, but could
be improved on in many particulors-
for instance, the calf of the leg should
have been in front and there should
have been one eye in the back Of the
head and the elbow joint s"ould have
had q back action, so that man
could scratch his back and woman
button her dress or fasten her skirt
more conveniently. They declare that
a perfect man should be built to run
like horse and swim like fish and
fly like bird, and Shakespeare they
say, was only indulging in little
taffy when he wrote what piece of
work is man. How noble in season;
how infinite in faculties; in form and
moving; how express and admirable; in
action how like an angel; in appre-
hension how like god!"
Some of these writer's talk about sa-
cred and divine things with the most
shocking contempt and intimate that
nobody but towards and lunatics be-
;, lieve in them. They would make Vol
taire and Tom Payne ashamed of them.
. selves Now, if a man has doubts
: about the miracles Or the divinity Of
. Christ and is really seeking after the
: truth and expresses himself in Ian
guage that shows respect for the faitl
, of his fellow men, it is all right; bu
we are too helpless to be vain or con
. ceited. If I knew where I came from
y or where / was going or what woult
A be my future state or if I could pro
a long my existence OF could foresee tn
4 calamities of life and prevent them,
a could afford to strut around and pla
Sir Oracle. But I feel my helpless
ness more and more every day, an
like child in trouble I want to go t
10 my father. Whether there be Go
" or not, all the good people I hay
tg ever known or read about believe
70 there is, and it is disrespect to the,
b. to take His name in vair
ID Addison says that Sir Robert Boyle
IN who was the greatest naturalist thu
10 England ever produced, had the mo!
10 profound veneration for the Suprem
10 Being and never mentioned the nam
10 of God without a pause-a visible sto
r. in his discourse. No well-bred ma
I'd is ever profane or speaks the name
Mt God irreverently. I cannot unde
I'D stand how medical men who hay
ey studied the anatomy of the humf
in body-this complex and wonderf
N machins-should ever be skeptic
e. about Gods existence. If I knew he
AZ. my will, which is immaterial, contrc
Ga nv muscles, which are material, NJ
make me extend my hand or my 70
ife or close my eyes and open my mout
len I might boast Of little knowlede
ley but as it is, the raising of my arm
the writing with this pen is great
miracle than Jonah living three da
in the whales belly. Every seed tt
1 Tho terminates and makes flower is
er's miracle to me. Sometimes wonc
1' Of if I had glass that would magnif.
ON million times could see the embr
o , oak in little acorn; could l see
>gia orange tree in the seed of the fruit.
All nature is full of miracles. VIII
, ing up the canes in front of my V
'nS' anda are madeira vines that climb {
way and hop vines that climb
other way and jasmine vines t
cure cure climb both ways. Every plant has
,rIns own laws, and they are unchanged
ody. just so with the beasts and birGs {
,enIs insects, and I almost envy then
'oD their happy ignorance Of death an
future state. Hundreds Of katyt
the are singing in the grove while WI
The males are making music for Il
,ous. unmusical mates. They will sing
treat and be happy for three months
Pa. then die. The form and structure
their little bodies is a miracle, for
sue utmost ingenuity of man could
make one. The two little drums
dren every cicada carries for souni
n nina boards and the tiny frets on t
o'' wings that scrape each other with
: the conceivable rapidity make mus
note that can be heard half mil,
ties: still and quiet night. And then t
ears sanSn Df hearing is so wDO6prf