The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-13
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Philosophy Of The man
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THE legs of the lame are not equal"
So even great and learned men on the
wrong side Of a question will limp. This
proverb has striking illustration in r.
G. IngersoIl and his agHestcism. We
read his article why Am an Agnostic"
in the North American Review. 1t was
weak, an utter failure, because agnosu-
cism has no foundation in truth, for evil
dence that there isno God and that the
Bibleis a forgery. priestcraft and Chris
dainty is an imposture, does not exist
in the nature OF things there cannot be
any evidence. any sound argument, any
true testimony that a truth. is a lie or
that a lie Is a truth. Such proof Hoes
hot exist and cannot be produced. So ell
that Ingersoll could do IN opposition to
the truth was to kick UP a diabolical
dust, garble, mutilate facts, assume,
falsify, sophisticate and shout: 'T am an
agnostic, and don't knowl' This is about
all that any infdel can do. And it is
really a confession that he Is an ignor-
anus. the Latin translation of agnostic.
Psalm 14:1 says: 1.-THE fool hath said in
Scotch minister added: "and none but a
fool would say So" Don't know what?
Don't know any evidence that God IS?
That is to say, that an effect may exist
without an adequate cause. 1t is to say
that millions of wonderful effects, and
that even the universe may exist with
out any cause-that designs involving in
finite wisdom and almighty power, may
exist without designeri 1T is wonder
ful how much agnostlcs don't know. It
l. worthy of notice that the Bible never
goes into arguments to prove that there
Is a God. 1t assumes as q truth that
none but fool would dispute. The first
verse in the Bible takes 1t for granted
and proceeds at once to tell what God
has done: I'm the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth" The Bible
often reers to things that are proofs of
the divine existence. as in Psalm 10: 1.-THE
heavens declare the glory of God, and
the armament sheweth his handiwork,"
etc. So also Romans 1:2O:"For the invis-
lble things of him from the creation OF
the world are clearly seen, being under
stood by the things that are made, even
his eternal power and Godhead." But
about which there can be any doubt.
without God we can explain nothing.
without the light that comes from God
and from his word and works, We would
Rll be agnostics, 'know-nothings." Inger-
soil not an atheist? What was he? We
do not think he was an atheist. Agnos-
ticism is really atheism, for 1t denies
that there is any reliable evidence that
God is. and IL no such evidence exists,
then we would all have to be atheists,
for we cannot believe without evidence.
That nothing exists without an adequate
cause is a first principle. When we wit
ncss an effect we instinctlvely look for
the cause. Here is a fine carriage: You
nre asked who made it. You would not
say it was not made, cit just growed."
= farmer wants a lumber wagon, but he
does not go TO the woods expecting to
find one growing on a tree, but goes to
wagon shop. He knows every effect
must have an adequate cause and acts
accordingly.
An infidel or atehist is the most credu-
lous man on earth; he will believe a lie
which has no foundation in evidence.
But a man that wants to know the truth
out evidence. He accepts first principles
and self-evident truths. But an agnostic
has no principles he Is simply a negative
thing. machine out of gear that needs
10 be taken down and set up again before
IL will run in harmony with intelligence
reason and honesty. \ man who tries to
prove lie can't be honest II he would
An atheist to be consistent must claim
infinite knowledge. for If there IS being
IN the universe tina. he does not know.
that being may be God. II there is 4
place in all immensely that he knows not
or God may be there. Hence the athe-
Est must be infinite. omniscient and omni-
present 10 be able TO affirm there is no
God. He must be able to affirm that the
worlds were never created OF were Gre
ated by some being not God. Some big
fellow like Lucifer, or exist without a
cause, self-existent. We must admit that
the being we call God is q personal God,
IS infinite. almighty. self-existent and
eternal and is the creator of all things
De compelled 10 ascribe 10 matter all the
divine attributes we now ascribe to Je-
hovah, the very God OF Moses, and no
mistakes" This divine wisdom, al
mighty power and projections exist some
where, either in God o. in the inert mat
ter of the universe. Agnostics say I'VE
dupt know" yet their position involves
abe claim 10 know all things and that the
universe has no creatOr-that effects ex-
3st without a cause. and there may be
designs infinitely wise without a design
er. without God all IS involved in mex
plicable mystery. Without the Bible
moral night would settle down upon the
whole world and we would all be know
nothings and brilliant agnostics scarce.