The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-17
DECISIONS LECTURE
On the FaIIacy of Robert InGersOlrs
Philosophy.

On the FaIIaey of Robert IngersOlI's
Philosophy
Judge Thomas J. Dickson 1ectured to a
! large audience at the Methodist church
last night on The Fauacies Of Inger-
soIlism.'' The lecture was an eloquent,
thoughtful presentation of the claims Of
! the church and the error of the claims OF
Ingersou. In part, Mr.. Dickson said:
The greatest objection that can be
urged against Ingersollism, outside Of its
/ spiritual and moral effect, is its want Of
/ discovery, its lack Of completeness. There
/ is nothing new in Ingersollism outside OF
! its beautiful language. The substance Of
! what he says has been said in every age.
! He is that same old knight that in every
! age buckles on the armor Of havoc and
rides through religion roUgh-shOd. He
builds straw man and knocks him
/ down. He is a sort of theological ghoul
| that robs the church graveyards Of dog
mas that have been buried for hundreds
Of years. He brings them before the
world and parades them as discoveries.
His writings remind me Of a beautiful pic
ture, upon which an artist has devoted
his entire life, but chose a subject unwor-
thy Of the effort.
What does IngersoIlism amount to if
he has nothing better to offer the world?
Before a man tries to tear down the
Christian religion it is his duty to give
the world something to take the place Of
It. You have no right to rob a man of
his lantern and turn him loose on a dark
and drizzling night. Let US be generous
with each other. Let every one retain
whatever light he has, whether it be
humble candle or a magnificent search
light.
There is nothing to be gained by this
religious controversy. The world is tired
of it, the people want rest. The church
in some respects is a little like a man
There is nothing TO be gained by telling
him how bad he was when he was boy.
You can never move him on TO higher
and nobIer deeds by picking every flaw
you can find in his nature.
"IngersoU seems to be in his dotage so
far as information is concerned. Like n
old man, he lives almost entirely in the
past; current events form no part Of his
lectures. He seems TO breathe the air Of
some other century. and imbued with its
spirit he thinks the thUmbscrew and the
dungeon are still on earth. Before his
mind the iuquisition looms up with all its
terror. The religion to he criticised is the
religion of the nineteenth century. II he
has discovered something new: something
TO take the place Of the Christian relig-
ion. let him give it TO the world and man
kind viii erect to his memory the most
enduring of all monuments
THE religious impulse is something
every man feels down in his own soul, and
can no more be analysed than love It is
entirely personal II man has it he is
conscious Of it. and a man without reIiE-
ion is as incapable Of criticising it as the
blind is Of a beautiful picture His opin-
ion is entitled n no more weight, for his
soul is as vacant as is the soul Of a cor
poration. No one knows what love is I'M
less he has loved. No one can appreciate
the beautiful unless he has an eye for
beauty. So no one can appreciate religion
unless he has felt at some time down in
his own soul that there is more in man
than clay. and some day an unseen hand
VIII take him by the hand and lead his
tired soul to a place Of rest. The hope Of
this is the consolation mankind finds in
religion.
More fruitIess attacks have been made
on the Christian religion than all other
subjects combined. Notwithstanding these
assaults it is the greatest factor in the
moral government Of the world today.
Any one Of its prominent branchas has
more organized charity than all the inf
del organizations combined. Il is doing
more TO make the world q better place
for the habitation Of man. It's strong
hold lies in its utility. 1t is a common
sense. practical religion. Il builds the
hospitals the asyIums ard the places Of
refuge for fallen persons. L POUNDS
schools and universities. and does what
ever It can 20 impart information. Yet,
Notwithstanding all these facts. there are
men who so around over this country
sc0finE az a religion that is doing so
much 70 ameliorate the sufferinEs %
the race. Even Il this religion is false,
it has planted enough flowers beside the
path Of life 70 make IT immortal
When one man SCOTS at the religion 81
another he makes a mistake. Il makes
but little difference what that religion Is
50 long as IL Is belief born OF an honest
tempt ~ l-Lttl ttA- " II -
ural for man 10 worship something and
unnatural for him 70 acknowledge TO su-
perior. Never has a people been discov-
cred 50 poor but that in the garden Of
their souls We're al the bulbs and buds
that one day Will blossom and bloom and
never has man in his Ioftiest sight OF
knowledge left the orbit Of faith thar
binds his soul 20 the unwiss-
at makes 70 difference how far man
drifts from religion. there are times IN the
return Of common sense an- propriety.
when he cannot help say: There are con-
solutions that can be found only in reIig-
ion and the hopes born OF ii are more
than idle dreams. So 7 say unto You
when one man SCOTS ar the religion OF
another he makes 4 mistake
COMING LOCAL EVENTS.