The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-01-29
Is the Gospel a Failure!

pages OF history and see revealed some
Of the most atrocious crimes Of which
the mind Of man could conceive, and
when we who are enlightened think Of
the thousands who were tortured in
every way imaginable, and the many
thousands murdered during the dark
ages because they dared to think for
themselves, or at least would not sub
nit to the erroneous doctrines then
promulgated by those in authority who
maintained themselves in Office by
keeping their subjects in ignorance;
and all this persecution and suffering
was perpetrated in the name OF re
ligion by those who claimed to be
Christians, it would cause all who have
any measure of love to look upon this
question with doubt and fear for the
outcome, and would justly condemn
the work OF those who have been the
leaders in promulgating the system
which could countenance such out
rageous crimes against their fellowman
in the name of Christianity and under
the ban of civilization.
How could any reasonable mind lend
support to such system, after viewing
their past record and when the scales
Of ignorance have been lifted from our
eyes through the light OF a more
reasonable understanding of the teach
ings Of the bible concerning our God
and his love for His creatures, and the
object for which he has given US His
word, which when investigated from an
unbiased standpoint will be seen to be
both beautiful and in perfect harmony
with reason and justice and will exem-
pity the beautiful attributes of Cod
character which none of the man-made
systems show.
We have been taught that the OBJ
ject Of preaching the gospel was for
the purpose of converting the world to
Christ, and when We turn to statistics
and learn that a century ago the
heather population was given at 600,-
100000, and now after 100 years OF
the greatest enlightenment the world
ever knew the number has doubled,
what answer can they give to our ques-
ton, rs the Gospel Failure?" who
are spending millions of money and
sacrificing thousands of lives in an
effort to convert the world, and yet in
all the lands where they have put forth
their greatest efforts we see greed and
selfshness, want, misery, degradation,
murder and pillage running rampant.
And when we see men OF the same re-
ligious faith, only of different countries,
arrayed against each other in bloody
wars, is it any wonder that men are
fast drifting away from the bible into
infdelity and skepticism and are losing
all regard for their God and their fell
lowmen. Who can harmonic the
thought Of a God of love and mercy
with such terrible atrocities under the
name and by the sanction of Chris
tianity?
The fact of the matter is that God
never intended the Gospel should con-
vert the world in the present age, and
one of the best proofs is that it has
not done so nor is il now doing So.
Listen Look at the reports in our
daily papers Of the increase OF crime
on every hand. See the Christians Of
Europe, how they are showing their
love for each other, and then turn TO
your bibles and see what God, thru
the prophet Isa. SSH, has told US
concerning His gospel and its object,
and if we can cast aside our prejudice
and look through the glass of reason it
will greatly aid US TO clarity our minds
and allow US to see the beauties of
Gods word
There is not a minister who dares to
say that from the above cited viewpoint
that the gospel as it has been preached
is not failure, for it has not even civ
ilized those TO whom it has gone, and
with few exceptions and by whom it
has been supported.
If those who teach and pretend to
believe the blasphemous doctrines of
eternal torment and the immortality of
the soul would deal honestly with the
subject, and either eradicate the doc
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