The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-22
likeness. attributes, sentiments

But If being Thou art, why may
not hare some knou7ledge Of Thy
likeness, attributes. semtimemts?"
This is not the imagined prehistoric cry of
some wounded soul in the childhood of the race,
raising impassioned hands to unresponsive
/ Heaven.
On the contrary, it is the invocation deliv-
cred by an American woman at the International
Free Thought Congress, now in session at Brus-
sells
The Free Thinkers" scattered through every
country of the world, have sent their thousands
| 70 the Belgium Capital. Many of the delegates
bear noted names. Science and philosophy find
there some of their most illusrious lights The
convention which opened with the words quoted
above from Mrs. Kate Trimble- w oolsey, Of
Gogington, Kentucky, has in the past been started
upon It's proceedings by men who have endowed
| humanity, as Pasteur and Haekel
1T cannot be said that there are not thinkers
in the convention, and yet its first and dominant
note is not thought, not conviction not even hypo-
thesis. In an international gathering of the in
4 telectually elect of the universe. the sum and
substance of lis mental emancipation is a cry
no sooner uttered than denied, Thus in the
strange revolution of nature, is its highest de
Telopment cursed with the same blatant and dog
\ matte doubt with. which It's lowest human ex-
anlpies assert the wisdom of their ignorance.
4 Learned IN natures secrets, putting existence
under the microscope student of all the laws
which shape It's destiny, the onl challenge which
Free Thought has TO make to life is question
which ii cannot solve, Even more pathetic than
the Athenian altar to the II Unknown God" is this
confession of human impotence to do more than
kill natural human hope. Pantheistc Athens
ri least felt the God it could not understand;
Goddess Free Thought pitches it's appeal to a
] deity ii surmises, but will not admit
More remarkable STILL the Free Thought
philosophy, as voiced by its Kentucky Priestess,
rs one of protest and Indictment of God-.lif
there be a God. 1t is He who is charged with
all prosecutions. 1t is He who is the father of all
injustice, he who rejoices in blood, and human
slavery. He it is who savs children, and stiles
liberty, and brings wars, and propagates disease! !
ssNhyH asks Free Thought and "Whu?"
again eve plead a revision Of the law accord
ang TO oar code, who unable to know Thee,
and therefore blaspheme that which we know to
pc lmposslble--never having seen it! And there.
tore, --havlng first questioned then denied and
then judged and convicted you as the author of
Death-give, Good Lord Thy Peace Thus,
Mrs. Trimble-Woolsey, who in focsmttlts rerbis,
concludes her prayer
as we long for Thy eternal glory
and bfiss, pe pray that, at the judgment
day, man may not plead he should
be the judge and Thou the one adj
judged.
With reverence for Thee, are utter
hbis for Thy hearing, oil God-sf Thou
be God
This, then, is the sum Of Free Thought,
that it arrives nowhere sees nothing believes
nothing and, doubling everything, doubts most
OF all itself Rashly impairment, it would GRASP
this sorry scheme of things entire" Dismaved
at its rashness, it would be judged in mercy by
the Being whose cruelty il denounces Yet with
NIL its Inconsistency and folly, even to the great
1 ri the world-"Just Stain eevidential facts he
yond all argument'-it calls as the scented land
breeze called to McAndrew
Your nt,ther's Gods grasptn dell
The shndoc q yoarset.
- Coz eat o books BIZ npeenisters clsar
daft on Hedren and Hen IS
ZEN not 90 back 10 Him again an
kiss His red-hot rod.
But came nj Us Mon. uho ,cere
TheyY) an ktom the Leerinq God"
Now who are Theyg' And what is the
Free Thought" that, not daring to think. has
snot even the courage to believe
THE IRISH.
Richmond could not more warmly welcome
my gathering than one which harks backs TO |
6n Hpuld sod" Tha Ancient Order of III; /