Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-03
OUR REAL BIGO7S
By Graham Hood

X X yFIEN we speak of a. man being dogmatic or
INV bigot we usually mean to imply that his views
w upon religious questions that
he begrudges other people the right to hold
different opinions If hear the it the
mind instantly pictures kind of puritanca individu
al who would the street from running
Sunday who would joyousy sing psalms while those
who differed from him were burning at the stake.
This is the idea, but it is erroneous one,
for the most dogmatic people have met those
who praed themselves most highly upon their broad
niindedness. .at-.a
One of these people called upon me the other day.
In politics-if you call it "pohtcs"-he is phio-
sophica anarchist in relgionf you call it religion
The is atheist yet the attitude he assumed toward
exhibition of dogmatsm and bigotry as have ever
Witnessed To him it a mystery how any man
ordinary intelligence could believe as / do,
and he did not hesitate to- express this opinion in
that just escaped the last limit of oensveness
do not know if it has been my fate to meet
than share of this kind of people, but could
of them, of varying shades of political and relg
opinions They talk of freedom in tones fully
respectful as those which Christian would in
speaking of divinity but when attempt to anayze
their idea of freedom you find it nothing less
than freedom to think as they DO Personally am
willing that any shall believe whatever best
pleases him, long he does not force his ideas
upon me or try to compel me to adopt them as my
own, but have yet to meet so-called liberals
who liberal enough to let opportunity to at
tack my beliefs pass unheeded And, though dislike
to record the fact the most thoroughly dogmac peo
pie have yet met have been scientists.
If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing,
taught to believe, great deal of knowledge also has
it's perils especially when the knowledge is entirely
one-sded. In this particular, too 1 may have been
unfortunate in having met so many Of this kind of
people, out certainly some OF the scientists with whom
have talked might easily have taken prize for lib
eralty.
If IL were possible for any human being to know
everything that is to be known and if scientific theory
could always be accepted absolute truth there might
be slight excuse for the exhibition of the dog
matte quality on the part OF these scientific gentlemen
when recall the fact that scientific theories
changing rapidly that the graveyard of science is
the point of congestion with discarded ideas
accepted absolute truths one is in
cned hesitate about giving the authority of dogma
to theory that is liable to be suddenly disproved.
Naturally no one can find fault with science for getting
rid dead ideas Every tombstone in it's cemetery
marks progressive step, yet when of the the
is brought out to be aired as if it eter
nal truth can't help thinking about these things.
If it gives a any satisfaction to think that
there Cod that the universe created itself and
death is the end of all personality am willing that he
si0uld maintain these opinions If 1T gives him
feel that the time will when anarchy viii reign
the place of law, wish him all the pleasure that
he derive from such prospect but protest his
assumption he alone is the custodian of truth
that all who differ from these opinions lacking in
intelligence, In such who is arrow-minded?