Blue-grass blade., 1899-12-10
best to impart q knowledge Of It To


man progress Is q virtue that has
adorned the characters OF all reform
ers to whom we are indebted for the
advancement already achieved. The
workers In the past have done much
for us, and Is now our turn TO do
something for those who will take
our places. The religion produced
by the Christian Bible has caused
one OF the longest and cruelest wars
OF which history gives any account.
IL has blighted humanity, polluted
the imagination Of childhood, and
furrowed the cheeks OF the best and
tenderest with tears.
For thirty years Catholics and
Protestants killed each other In
Europe, like wild beasts. Some
Christians say that the Bible was
not the cause OF that awful war, but
we are unable to think OF any other
subject, or book, that did cause it.
To say that the majority Of Cath
olics and Protestants were insincere
when fighting over their different
beliefs In the Bible, would be as
wrong as to say that the majority Of
them are wrong today. But SINGER
ity Is no evidence OF correctness In
any religion. If you had been
raised In Persia where they teach
the religion Of their claimed inspired
book, Saadh, which was believed by
their ancestors and would be be-
lieved by all tae people around you,
does it not occur to you that you too
would believe in their religion and
speak of believers In all other relig-
ions as being heathen2
You would then think that believ-
ers in all other religions than the
Persian had been misled by false
doctrines, as you now do of theirs.
In additions to those slain in war,
over different beliefs in the Bible,
thousands of good people have been
slowly roasted at the stake. Many
have been brutally tortured to death
because the Bible says "Thou shalt
not suffer a witch to live," (Ex. %;
1S) and that men and women who
have familiar spirits shall be
beaten to death with stones.
Christians felt it their godly duty
to make that law, founded upon the
Bible, by which they put to death
many thousands of innocent people
on the charge of witchcraft, and 1 do
believe that those laws would be in
force today, had it not been for the
heroic liberals, who irst denounced
the Bible as being a human inven-
tion, and as untrue. They espec-
tally attacked the absurdities that
caused so much suffering.
The more reasonable class Of
Christians saw justice in the work
of Liberals, and finally those witch
craft laws were annulled. but not
until many heroic Liberals had met
sadder fates than those of G. @.
Moore and j. B. Wise. The last
person nut to death in our Republic
for the offense of witchcraft was at
Salem, Massachusetts, less than a
5o3 56f TSd iet6s 1.r-z& n zo IL S5i-'
ligent Christian believes there ever
was such thing as a witch.
So far man has civilized our
Christian religion, but it still stands
in need of further civilizing.
I will call your attention to few
of the absurdities and contradictions
in the Bible. If your clergyman says
they are not contradictions ask him
what contra fiction is
The following quotations a"e as
much part of the Bible and as
much inspired as any OF it
God shall send them strong de
lusion that they might believe lie. "
2. Thess. H. II.
Now therefore the Lord hath put
! lying spirit in the mouth of all
,hese, thy prophets. II. Kings xxi.
%.
"Aud he turned back and looked
IN them, and cursed them in the
,ame of the Lord. Aud there came
orth two she bears out OF the wood
Ind tore forty and two children of
hem.-II. Kings ii "a
"Manasseh used enchantments and
ised witchcraft. and dealt with fa-
niiar spirit aud with wizards. ~
}. Chron. 33. 6.
For witchcraft see Isaiah g. 1872.
J. Kings 2l. 6, and l. Sam. %.
This woman said unto me, Give
by son that we may eat him today,
nd we will eat my son tomorrow.
80 we boiled my son and did eat |
lin. 20 Kings 6. 1929
"Ye shall not eat of anything that |
lieth OF itself; thou shalt give 1t un
o the stranger that is in thy gates;
e NAV eat it, or thou mayest sell
{. "-Deut. IA. 81.
"lf any man come unto me and
ate not his father and mother, and
Vife and children, and his own life
lso he cannot be my disciple. -
.uke IA 26.
sand II they will learn anything
1t them ask their husbands at home;
DR. it is a shame for a woman to
peak in church ~. Cor. IA. 35
The Bible teaches and sanctions
uman slavery. See Lev. 25. A. As,
6. The Bible teaches future re-
ards and contradicts the same.
ee Fec. 8. 8 and 3 1923
"For God is not the author OF con-
ision but of peace. IL. Cor. IA 33.
tine Lord Is a man OF war. -
TX. Is 3.