Does any intelligent man now, whose brain has not been deformed by
superstition, believe in the existence of the Devil? What evidence have
we that he exists? Where does this Devil live? What does he do for a
livelihood? What does he eat? If he does not eat, he cannot think. He
cannot think without the expenditure of force. He cannot create force;
he must borrow it--that is to say, he must eat. How does lie move from
place to place? Does he walk or does he fly, or has he invented some
machine? What object has he in life? What idea of success? This Devil,
according to the Bible, knows that he is to be defeated; knows that
the end is absolute and eternal failure; knows that every step he takes
leads to the infinite catastrophe. Why does he act as he does?
Our fathers thought that everything in this world came from some
other realm; that all ideas of right and wrong came from above; that
conscience dropped from the clouds; that the darkness was filled with
imps from perdition, and the day with angels from heaven; that souls had
been breathed into man by Jehovah.
What there is in this world that lives and breathes was produced here.
Life was not imported. Mind is not an exotic. Of this planet man is a
native. This world is his mother. The maker did not descend from the
heavens. The maker was and is here. Matter and force in their countless
forms, affinities and repulsions produced the living, breathing world.
How can we account for devils? Is it possible that they creep into the
bodies of men and swine? Do they stay in the stomach or brain, in the
heart or liver?
Are these devils immortal or do they multiply and die? Were they all
created at the same time or did they spring from a single pair? If they
are subject to death what becomes of them after death? Do they go to
some other world, are they annihilated, or can they get to heaven by
believing on Christ?
In the brain of science the devils have never lived. There you will find
no goblins, ghosts, wraiths or imps--no witches, spooks or sorcerers.
There the supernatural does not exist. No man of sense in the whole
world believes in devils any more than he does in mermaids,
vampires, gorgons, hydras, naiads, dryads, nymphs, fairies or the
anthropophagi--any more than he does in the Fountain of Youth, the
Philosopher's Stone, Perpetual Motion or Fiat Money.
There is the same difference between religion and science that there
is between a madhouse and a university--between a fortune teller and
a mathematician--between emotion and philosophy--between guess and
demonstration.
The devils have gone, and with them they have taken the miracles of
Christ. They have carried away our Lord. They have taken away the
inspiration of the Bible, and we are left in the darkness of nature
without the consolation of hell.
But let me ask the clergy a few questions:
How did your Devil, who was at one time an angel of light, come to
sin? There was no other devil to tempt him. He was in perfectly good
society--in the company of God--of the Trinity. All of his associates
were perfect. How did he fall? He knew that God was infinite, and yet
he waged war against him and induced about a third of the angels to
volunteer. He knew that he could not succeed; knew that he would be
defeated and cast out; knew that he was fighting for failure.
Why was God so unpopular? Why were the angels so bad?
According to the Christians, these angels were spirits. They had never
been corrupted by flesh--by the passion of love. Why were they so
wicked?
Why did God create those angels, knowing that they would rebel? Why
did he deliberately sow the seeds of discord in heaven, knowing that he
would cast them into the lake of eternal fire--knowing that for them he
would create the eternal prison, whose dungeons would echo forever the
sobs and shrieks of endless pain?
How foolish is infinite wisdom!
How malicious is mercy!
How revengeful is boundless love!
Again, I say that no sensible man in all the world believes in devils.
Why does God allow these devils to enjoy themselves at the expense of
his ignorant children? Why does he allow them to leave their prison?
Does he give them furloughs or tickets-of-leave?
Does he want his children misled and corrupted so that he can have the
pleasure of damning their souls?