Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-03

" - u - "
was, whether anyone has the fright
to regulate the religious observances
of another" He evidently felt the
force of my argument. Note that
he had not said legal right. but sim
ply right" and the plain Inference is
that he was speaking OF both moral
and legal right. AS one instance Will
sufflce, we will conflne ourselves to
the question OF polygamy. "It was a
violation Of the law of all the states"
But my dear sir, were the laws right?
II you answer yes you give your case
away. If you choose the negative,
why not frankly condemn the ''regula-
tom" Why not say they had no right
to forbid 1t?
Your forbears in unbelief took q
hand at regulating" more than cen
fury ago, in Francois they are do
ing today in that unhappy land. Schol-
ars, by common consent, refer to that
period as the reign Of terror.
The mere plea Of conscience or re-
ligion should not protect offences
against the social order or against the
common principles Of morality.
The fourth count means that l used
DR.. White improperly or wrongly. !
plainly Indicated the authority fol.
lowed. DR.. White very discreetly did
not attempt to refute the criticism
when it appeared, though he did make
some changes in the work, following a
previous criticism by the same author.
This author proved to demonstration
that DR.. Whites logic is negligible
quantity, his veracity below par, his
erudition mere index learning, and his
references misleading and unreliable.
However my friend may view the mat
ter, this is amply sufficient to dis
credit any author, no matter how or
thodox, SO far as am concerned.
In my former letter called atten-
tion to the nature of his boosted refer
ences, about which other friends and
admirers Of his had cackled long ago.
In regard to the fifth count, will the
gentleman kindly point out In his next
which Of his arguments he imagines
converted me? am conscious of no
change Of front, in reference to the
subject, during about fifteen or more
years. He must have beer in a very
gushing humor when he wrote that.
He holds that science contradicts the
Bible as to the age Of the human race.
I hold that it does not. If this be sur
rendering, l do not object to 1t. Quot
ing statement of mine he asks:
What is the logical basis in the doc
trines of Christianity?" Then he goes
off at half cock to answer me, without
understanding what l said. and deals
with an entirely different question,
namely, whether the. doctrines are
true or logical whereas my statement
means that the Christian code OF NOR
ais flows logically from or has log
ical basis In the doctrines OF Chris
tianity.
Next he presents the reader with a
blasphemous "succinct statement,
which I will not insult the Christian
readers intelligence by repeating en-
tire. It is sufficient to say that here,
as elsewhere throughout his article,
he exhibits the earmarks of what the
ologians term "crass" Ignorance. do
not censure him for this. A stream
cannot rise higher than its source,
and when we remember the mental
calibre Of the authors he swears by,
he is to be pitied for being SO easily
imposed upon. A few instances VIII
suffice to make this clear:
'"All his descendants inherited Ad-
ans depravity." after God had re-
pented that He made man
he invented plan to redeem fallen
man. "And (God) murdered this
SON. Goods blunder In creating
man. But whoever would not or
could not believe-should be forever
punished" "The poor wretches who
were held responsible for Adams
transgression.' These from a man who
has studied "the most complete and
reliable work in existence, in the
MONDAY glare Of the goth century en-
lightenment common sense and rea-
son! Christianity would certainly be
in a bad way If he were allowed TO
state it's doctrines. Study the Mosaic
tetragrammatom until you grasp its
profound meaning and see II you can
improve upon it. He who understands
the A B C of theology knows that God
cannot change, and slight knowledge
of the eastern .parabolic mode OF
speech enables him to understand that
Gods ..repenting' is like our express
sions such as "the foot of mountain"
"the head of a stair "the finger OF
scorn." etc, and to say that God "in-
vented" anything latter about 1000
years." is to show that you have no
true conception Of the Infinite Being.
It is further evidence of ignorance
to say that He who is the author and
giver. ard therefore absolute master
of life and death, can murder any
one. This comes from following with
passive sequacity some author as I'M
reliable as those he has mentioned.
Murder is an unjust" killing. History
saws that Christ was murdered by the
Roman governor, ct the instigation OF
the Jews.
How an Infinite Being could blum
der" is too deep for benighted Chris,
tian to understand. The Infinite Be-
ing is perfect.
The child OF an exile born In exile
is an exile This is the whole philos-
ophy OF This descendants inheriting
Adams depravity," in nutshell. ANY
one who could not believe" was prob
ably passed as victim Of defective
hA "WOnI0