The broad ax., 1915-02-27

tHoLX BIBLE" no MORAL GUIDE
I refuse to accept the bible as a
moral guide because it sanctions and
enjoins unkindness, injustice and cru
city 10 dumb animals. Many portions
Of the bible, and particularly those re-
lating to sacrifices, ara calculated to
foster spirit Of brutality and total
disregard for animal life.
Jehovah revels in the blood Of the
innocent. The Offering of fruits made
by Cain was rejected by God, while the
bloody sacrifice Of Abel was accepted.
Nearly the entire book of Leviticus
is devoted to barbarOus and cruel laws,
such as the following: "If he offer a
lamb for his Offering then shall he offer
it LLstore the Lord; and he shall lay
his hand on the head of the offering
and kill It before the tabernacle Of the
congregation; and Asron's sons shall
sprinkle the blood thereof round about
upon the altar" (Lev. iii, z, 81.
"And If the burnt sacrifice for his
offering to the Lord be Of fowls then
he shall bring his offering Of turtle
doves or Of young pigeons; and the
priest shall bring It unto the altar and
wiring on Its head, and burn it on the
altar; and the blood thereof shall be
wrung out at the side Of the altar"
0ev. j, Il, 15).
What could be more damnably bar
barous, brutal and atrocious than such
wanton dabbling in the blood and
agony of inofensive and helpless ami
mails and birdsi
The minutest directions for conduct
ing these horrible and bloody sacri-
fees came from the lips Of Jehovah
himself, and are too brutal, disgusting
and revolving to repeat The number Of
inofensive animals sacrificed to the
bloodfhirsty God of the bible was in
credible. At times whole herds were
murdered. On one occasion Asa sacri-
seed 700 oxen and 1000 sheep. David
made an offering of 1000 buIlOeks and
1000 sheep. At the dedication Of the
temple $4,000 domestic animals were
sacrificed by Solomon. This Wholesale
murder Of innocent sentient beings, we
are told, sswas highly pleasing to the
Lord. j" Have we any record Of a
eannibal king with worse record than
that Of this carniyorous and blood
thirsty God Of the biblef A god of
mercy, It would seem, ought to protect
the weak and helpless orders of
his creation; but the God Of the bible
manifests an utter disregard for their
suffering. To wreak his vengeance upon
Pharoah God visited with disease, SUI
fering and death his unofending cat
tie. In times Of war God ordered his
brutal soldiers to ssslsy both man and
beast, little children, infants and suck
Ings." Ssul's great transgression, the
chief cause Of his dethronement and
death, was that he saved alive some
sheep and oxen, instead Of killing them,
as God desired
David and Joshua, Gods favorite
warriors, houghed the horses Of their
enemies, and thus disabled turned the
poor manned brutes loose to starye and
die. We teach children that it is wrong
and sinful to rob the nests Of birds
Then We place bible in the hands Of s
child who opens it and reads: off =
birds nest chance to be before thee,
IN the way, in any tree, or ON the
ground, whether there be young ones
or eggs and the dam sitting upon thu
young, on upon the eggs, thoa shalt not
take the dam with the young, but thou
shalt IN any wise let the dam 50, and
taka TIE yong % thee" Dsnt. XII,
80.
Damn . book and It's divinsly in
spired author who sanctions the crime
Of robbing mother birds Of their help
less little babies.
When Jehovah afflicted with disease
ana pelfea and 6ettersd 70 death With
haflstones from heaven the e4tfls Of
she EypHans, On aeeonnt of the sins
Of th1ir owners. Sod sst before tie
Horla che most soratdly and eriuIinsl