The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-22
Shall Do Greater Work.

~A0AAIhtoC NiA1N AiC ID SielQ lAlStL AC NdI
qualify as a Christian believer. Again
] must draw his attention to the fact
that he is careless in his statements
of the truth | will draw. his attention
to the 14th Chapter of John, verse 70
Verify, verify, / say unto you, he that
believeth on me the works that | do
shall he do also and greater works
than these shall he do" Now Captain,
can you qualify, can you heal the sick,
make the lame walk, the blind see,
cast out devils, raise the dead, calm
the storms, feed the multitudes, ETC.,
and even greater works than hit is
claimed to have done. Again / ask in
the name of common sense can you
qualify? In my first article | made
the assertia1 that the average Chris
tian only believed the Bible when it
was shut. | am forced to the con-
clusion that Capt White must have
kept his shut for no man that ever
read that book intelligently would
make such narrow egotistical asser-
tions as he makes altogether regard
less of the truth.
have guardedly refrained from com
pairing the lives of church members
with free-thinkers but as l expect this
will be the last article to Capt. White,
and also to the expert, Mr.. Maloney,
who got knocked out in the first round.
| will give an account of some of the
crimes that have shocked our coun-
try from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and state by whom committed and
what religion he was raised up with.
One of the murders that shocked the
whole civilized world was committed
on April IA, 1866, when Lincoln was
shot Oy John Wilkes Booth, an ad-
herent of the Roman Catholic church.
James A. Garfield was shot in the back
on the End day of July, 1881. by a
man named Guiteau, also Roman Cath
olic. VIM. Mckinley, the last muir
dered president was shot by Czolgosz,
another Roman Catholic. Mayor Car
ter Harrison of Chicago was murdered
by a man named Pendergast, also a
Roman Catholic Mayor Gaynor, of
New York, was shot, with murderous
intent, by another Roman Catholic, by
the name of James F. Gallagher, on
August 9th, 1910 The latest great
criminal sensation, the dynamiting out
RACES that nave been committed all
over this country, has been carried on
by the Mcnamara brothers, are not
only Roman Catholics, but are active
members of the Militia of Christ, an
organization entirely composed of
members of the Roman Catholic church
Now there is no sane man will deny
the fact that the children of the mem
bers of the Roman Catholic church re-
ceive more religious training than any
other religious organization bestows
on their children. Thus it will be seen
that religious training does not pre-
vent them from committing crime.
How can it? Teaching children that
they have only to believe in certain
dogmas to be saved from all sin is
subversive to clean moral conduct in
our citizens, consequently can defy
both Capt. White and Maloney to pro-
duce any such string Of facts to prove
that free-thought has an immoral tend
ency.
The actions of church members has
a demoralizing influence not only on
their offspring but on the whole of the
population. Is it not a fact that they
object to paying their stare of the
taxes on their church property while
claiming a full share of the protection
of our public officers. Is it not a fact
that they insist on having chaplains
paid by the public funds to look after
the spiritual welfare of their unfor-
tunate and miseducated members and
still insist that their church property
which often includes their preachers
houses, go untaxed, and make the false
statement that it is for the benefit
of the public and when the seventies
of winter come and human beings are
perishing they refuse to allow them TO
even enter and occupy these buildings
even to save their lives perhaps.
ought to except the Salvation Army
in this last case, but not in their un-
willingness to pay taxes on their prop
critics. | ask every fair-mindeI reader
what rule of equity do you follow and
be honest that the great numbers of
free-thinkers in this country are taxed
to pay chaplains in state, and national
house of legislation, in the army. in
the navy, in the penitentiaries, to
pray to so many that don't want them
If we must have prayers let US have
a fair system so that each can have
the brand he wants by paying for it.
Here is my method: Let us intro
duce a nickle in the slot machine, with
a Billy Sunday face on one side and a