The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-15
REPLY IO |NGERS(LL
Rev, Henry Frank Warmly In
dorS8S His Philosophy
BUT SAYS He Is WEAK
In His Dogmatism--W He
Thinks Bob Misses 1t.
BUT SAYS He is WEAK

New York, April AIN the March issue
of the Mind" a magazine devoted to met
physics and kindred topics, John Emery
Mclean published an interview with Col
onel Robert C. Ingersoll, in which the
celebrated agnostic reaffirmed the sub
stance of his wen-known views on relig-
ious subjects In reply to the question,
what is your conception Of intellectual
! hospitality" Ingersou replied:
by Intellectual hospitality 1 mean the
right of every one to think and to express
his thought. You vii. not change this
thought by force, by persecution, or by
SANDER Every man should be guided by
his reason; should be true to himself;
should preserve the veracity of his Shout
Each human being should judge for him
self
There has been in the last few years
an advance admitted the Colonel. 1.-THE
orthodox creeds have been growing vul-
ser and cruel. Civilized people are shock
ed at the dogma of eternal pain, and the
creeds; they have changed their tone. But
in spite of all the errors and contradic-
tions, in spite of the cruelties and absurd
tiles found in the Scriptures, the churches
still insist that the Bible is inspired. IN
SEPARATION must be abandoned and the
and the bible must take its place among
the books Of the world. 1t contains some
good passages, a little poetry, some good
sense and some kindness; but its philo-
sophy is frightful Is it not enough to
give I'D the Bible; the supernatural must
be given up
Concerning inspiration Ingersoll said:
The testimony that I have heard and
read-coming even from men Of science
has not the slightest weight with me.
do not pretend to see beyond the grave,
I do not say that man is or is not. i'm
mortal. All that I say is that there is
no evidence that we live again, and no
demonstration that we do not. Tt is better
ignorantly to hope than dishonesty to af-
firm"
And what do you think of the power
Of the mind in the curing of disease-as
demonstrated in scores of drugless heal
ers?" Mr.. MCLEAN asked.
Il have no doubt that the condition Of
the mind has some effect upon the
health" responded Ingersoll. ''But I have
not the slightest confidence in what is
called mind cure" I do not believe that
thought, nor any set Of ideas, can cure
a cancer, or prevent the hair from falling
out or remove tumOr, or even freckles.
At the same time I admit that cheerful
ness is good and depression bad. But I
have no faith in in what you call drug
soda is better than thinking If any one
na ODfr
alton. I am a believer in what you call
drugs, and when am sick I send for a
physician. I have on confidence in sun
ernaturaL. Magic is not medicine when
religion becomes science. Religion is not
intellectual it is emotional. It does not
appeal to the reason. Theories to be of
reason. Theories to be Of value must be
in accord with al the facts that are
known; otherwise they are worthless.
We need not try to get back of facts or
behind the truth. The Why will ever
elude Us. You cannot move your hand
quickly enough to grasp your image back
of the mirror"
Answering these and other arguments
Mind" Rev. Henry Frank says:
lngersoll is always grand when he Is
philosophic; he is weak only when he IS
dogmatic When Colonel IngersoH dilates
on the distinction between religion and
theology he scarcely goes far enough. He
does not take sufficient credit to himself
for he has undoubtedly been one of the
most potent factors in effectina the ora,4
Intellectual advance Of the church during
Inc last few decades. Jonathan Edwards.
win all his commanding eloquence, !
would be booted from the council were
he to return and once more paint his
tavorite picture of he'll in lurid hues If
IRE and birthstone. Dante and Milton
are sought no more except as U+erar,
OF today could understand the doctrines
OF Thomas Aquinas or John Calvin Tho
creed still exists but it is never read
Should one undertake now to preach the
words fifty years ago he would be laughed
down as the hallequin Of the pulpit.
w men InsersoH says there can be no
such thing as 'scinetific religion 7 mus+
once more take issue. This is the realm, |
wherein his eyes seem still to be partlv
closed He seems to conceive Of no re-
hslon save one that is peopled with intel /
leetual hugaboos and NEUROLOGICAL scare
crows Religion Is that system Of Thought
"Hieh k'ndles the nobIest emotions in the
human breast and inspires 10 Ioftiest
oee's or virtue. Why, then. cannot. re-
liEion find its inspiration in science and
science become profoundly religious? Must
religion always he owl-eved?
Even asnostics may mfsfnternrat error
for truth They may insist upon retaining
what they think even when Nature proves /
that their thoughts are contrary 10 her
facts. Colonel Tngersousays: T have no
confidence in spiritual manifestations and
do not believe that any message has ever
been received from the dead. The tos-i-
mony. coming even from men science
ms NOT the slightest weight with me-
IA's IS the attitude that scientists. a few
centuries aso. assumed towards Harvey
when ne discovered a new law Of nature:
Il Is the same spirit that ridiculed Morse
when he brought out his telegram that
revolutionied commerce Of the world To
say that M ones testimony has any