Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-20
ATHEISM.

IT seems that certain street orator,
who has made It his mission to decla.m
against all churches and religious
creeds. came pretty near being forcibly
stopped the other evening by indignant
listeners. He attacked, It is said, the
work OF Catholic sisters of mercy, when
someone protested IN forcble language,
and the protest was sustained by the
audience.
We hope street speakers Of that type
will take the hint and remember that
they owe some courtesy to the men and
women who courteously stop to listen
to them. We do not believe in violence
and hope the City streets will never
be made the scenes of anything that
looks like persecution. We believe in
free speech for all, even for infdels, but
we also believe that the privilege should
not be abused, as It sometimes is by
that class Of rcformers. We have
heard zealots in the streets attack both
Bving and dead with abuse and vilifica-
ton. until forbearance seemed to be a
virtue no longer The streets of the
city should not be used for such pur-
poses, under the pretense that free
speech must not BE- interfered with.
The streets belong to the citizens and
these have a right TO demand that
those who indulge IN unseemly LAM
guage be kept Off the public thorough
fares,
Otherwise atheists should be given
the same liberties as Salvation Army
members, Josephites and Holy Jumpers.
The atheism that is expressed in the
tncoherent arguments Of mountebanks
is not the greatest danger of our age.
We have an atheism that proves its
presence In the fearful lawlessness that
is feature Of our time and that has
been illustrated in the recent riots in
Illinois. What greater proof of the in
tiuence Of godlessness than the lynch
ings that occur with awful frequency?
What greater proof than the complaint
of churches that the benches are emp-
~, and the theological semlnaries not
frequented? And this is not all Con
slider how people misjudgc one another
as TO motives. That means that tbcv
do not believe IN the existence of viz
tue They are inhdels as to that Those
who So judge are destitute OF 1t them
selves and conclude that an others are
morally destitute. too. And then again.
consider the fact that rogles very often
triumph, An unworthy person who sue
ceeds through means that wouId
bring him, If unsuccessful, to prison
IS very often shown marks of the high
est respect. Were 1t not for a brand
OF ATHEISM secretly dwelling IN the
hearts OF men. scoundrels would never
be found in places of honor and ro-
sponsibillty. As result of skeptioism
even good men sometimes consider
half-measures, and compromises win |
the powers of evil Instead Of standing
iirmly on the rock Of faith, convinced
mat the purposes of the Almighty win |
hnally be accomplished without fan.
rms class of atheism. though general
~ not so designated IS the real dancer.
OF our age When faith really prevails
men ana women win not only do good
pnt be good. They viii no longer watch
'heir nelshbor lest they be cheated
by him but they viii watch themselves
mat they do their nelghbor no wrong
They win consider not only their acts
ppt the source from which acts spring
and make tho souro, pure They VIII
discard display and prctensc. and ono,.
character instead, genuine as gold
9u'h are the results OF true faith. Let
atheists tank, II they will conform tn
'u' rules OF civilized society They
can only remind MS OF the great need
Of our age of that faith which is found
IN SO few. ''''