(1885.)
I. Happiness the true End and Aim of Life--Spiritual People and
their Literature--Shakespeare's Clowns superior to Inspired
Writers--Beethoven's Sixth Symphony Preferred to the Five Books of
Moses--Venus of Milo more Pleasing than the Presbyterian Creed--II.
Religions Naturally Produced--Poets the Myth-makers--The Sleeping
Beauty--Orpheus and Eurydice--Red Riding Hood--The Golden Age--Elysian
Fields--The Flood Myth--Myths of the Seasons--III. The Sun-god--Jonah,
Buddha, Chrisnna, Horus, Zoroaster--December 25th as a Birthday of
Gods--Christ a Sun-God--The Cross a Symbol of the Life to Come--When
Nature rocked the Cradle of the Infant World--IV. Difference between
a Myth and a Miracle--Raising the Dead, Past and Present--Miracles
of Jehovah--Miracles of Christ--Everything Told except the Truth--The
Mistake of the World--V. Beginning of Investigation--The Stars as
Witnesses against Superstition--Martyrdom of Bruno--Geology--Steam and
Electricity--Nature forever the Same--Persistence of Force--Cathedral,
Mosque, and Joss House have the same Foundation--Science the
Providence of Man--VI. To Soften the Heart of God--Martyrs--The God was
Silent--Credulity a Vice--Develop the Imagination--"The Skylark" and
"The Daisy"--VII. How are we to Civilize the World?--Put Theology out
of Religion--Divorce of Church and State--Secular Education--Godless
Schools--VIII. The New Jerusalem--Knowledge of the Supernatural
possessed by Savages--Beliefs of Primitive Peoples--Science is
Modest--Theology Arrogant--Torque-mada and Bruno on the Day of
Judgment--IX. Poison of Superstition in the Mother's Milk--Ability
of Mistakes to take Care of Themselves--Longevity of Religious
Lies--Mother's religion pleaded by the Cannibal--The Religion of
Freedom--O Liberty, thou art the God of my Idolatry