The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-11-13
ESTIMATE or ROBERT INeERsoLL

violated ny SAINT aiAu SAHHVA N't'h N'''-
which says, Judge not that We be not
Judged. Persons otherwise pious do
not hesitate to pass sweeping judg-
ments on their felIowmen. even though
the Good Book declares that this pre-
rogative is reserved to the Judge Of
all the World, who in his infinite wis
dom twill do right"
Hence it Is. by the almost unanimous
vote Of professed Christians, including
preachers and laity. that Robert Inger-
soil has been judged and sentenced to
one of the warmest corners in the do
main OF his Satanic Majesty
Being layman and little versed in
next-world lore, we don't profess to.
have any opinion worthy Of value as
to whether Robert Is now toasting his
feet before roaring blaze down below
or is singing In the choir in the world
on high. Very interesting in connec-
ton with this question, however, is a
paper by preacher appearing in the
Arena some months ago. The author
of the paper is Rev. J. 7. Sunderland,
A. NJ. of Hartford, Conn, who quail
flies himself to speak with reference
TO the great agnostic by informing us
that for fifteen years he enjoyed the
intimate personal acquaintance Of Mr..
Ingersoll, that he heard him lecture
many times and that he has read near
ly everything that he wrote. Let us
hear what this man of God has to say
as to the man who was esteemed the
arch-foe Of religion during his lifetime.
The conclusions at which Mr.. Sun
derland arrives concerning Ingersoll
are. three: First, that he had GER
tain limitations serious limitations
fol- one who would deal with religious
subjects: second, that in some re-
spects his teachings were distinctly
eyil in their influence; that some of
his teachings were true and important,
and have already produced and will
continue to produce effects Of value to
men and religion.
OF the limitations which the writer
points out, the first was of an intel
lectual character. ~Mr. Ingersoll had
an intense mind, but not an all-round
a,fod. 1.a ..voc n hOrx. o5r,oooto vo+ a
Judge" Hence it was that, in his
treatment Of the Bible and religion, he
exhibited no ability to look at both
sides OF question, as great scholar
would. The second limitation related
TO his religious nature, which seemed
TO be utterly lacking. While most
normal minds postulate as necessity
for their c5sn thinking, an Intelligence
in the universe higher than their own, =
Mr.. Ingersoll did not seem to require
any such thought of Superior Mind. "
Ingersoll was not an atheist, says
the writer. HE had too keen mind
to commit the absurdity of affirming
that God is not He simply said, Il
have no clear or sufficient evidence
that God is" Neither did he deny
immortality. On the other hand "he
often spoke of 1t as a beautiful hope
and one that might with some reason
be entertained" This hope Ingersoll
expressed in his well-known address al
the funeral OF his brother: In the
night of death. hope sees a star and
listening love hears the rustic OF q
wing" And also at the grave of q
friends child. eve, too, have our re
ligion and it is this-heIp for the liv
ing, hope for the dead
Concerning the ways in which Inger
soil did harm, the writer declares frs
that he treated the Bible unfairly
Many of the erroTs, mistakes o
Moses" which he pointed out in the
Sacred Book, we're such as the moderI
biblical scholar freely admits, but Mr.
Sunderland complains that the critic
while dwelling on the features of tn,
book, entirely oyerlooks the chief par
OF the Bible which makes it grea
and valuable book. In similar man
ner, IngersolI tearted religion unfair
i ly, showing little ability to discrimi
nate between good religion and Dad
hut 'jumbled all together and con
demned or made light Of ALL Th'
features Of religion which were crit
cised "argue for reform, and not 70
annihilation Of religion"
Coming to the question, ''did IngeT
soil do any good?" Mr.. SunderIaEl
tells us that he was very humane
man. He warmly espoused the causl
OF the oppressed. Women. children
and the home had no warmer frienl
that he.g He had great dislike 70
war, callip err war with the Philip
pines "crn- Vi aggression. But no
alone as Al cianitarian did Indersol
accomplish gooi: be "rendesed impor