RATIONAL REVIEW.
Reason and Reflection.
If any person with a, reasonable amount of intelligence will seriously
reflect, he may gain sufficient information to satisfy himself as
regards the true nature of the conditions that surround him.
First try to the best of your ability to present in your mind the
outlines of this terrestrial globe, this planet on which we live,
with its mountains and its valleys; oceans, seas, and rivers; the
two extreme poles, north and south; the center of the earth's surface
and the equator, etc. Next try to satisfy your mind that this planet
has no immediate connection with any other planet--that it belongs
to a system of planets that revolve round the sun, with a space or
distance between them of many millions of miles. And
That this planet is entire and complete in itself.
Whatever substances are about, upon, or within the earth, belong to
this planet and no other.
That not a particle of any substance can leave this earth, whether
visible or invisible.
That all formations, no matter of what character or nature, are made
from substances belonging to this earth.
That the size and weight of this globe has never changed. It is the
same now as it was millions of years ago, or will be at any time in
the future.
That the quantity of water upon the surface of this earth, whether
ocean, sea, lake, or river, has neither increased nor diminished.
That the solid mineral portion of the earth has neither increased
nor diminished either in size or weight.
That the fluid, the watery portion, is susceptible to change of
position and conditions on the surface of this earth, whether above
the earth's surface or upon it.
That all clouds, rain, vapor, mist, moisture, dew, snow, hail, must
be and is taken from the waters on the surface of the earth, and when
clouds, that have been taken from the waters of the earth, fall to the
surface of the earth in the form of rain, vapor, mist, moisture, dew,
snow, or hail, they simply return what has been temporarily taken or
loaned from the waters of the earth.
That in the case of all deluges, freshets, overflows, that have ever
taken place, the waters that enter into their formation have been
taken from the waters of the earth. The waters have simply changed
position from one locality to another.
That all ice formations are nothing more than solidified water. Water
crystallizes by the absence of sunlight, and melts in the presence
of the sun's heat.
That snow is nothing more than congealed water, and returns to water
when heated.
That the quantity of water remains the same. Whether it rains
forty days and nights, or a whole year, it is neither increased
nor diminished.
That the deepest portion of the earth's surface is filled with
water. Being fluid, it naturally fills up the hollows until it has
found its level. If there is more water than it can hold, it will
find its way into the next hollow. And the higher portions of the
earth's surface will not and cannot be covered by water. Such is
the condition of the earth's surface that the deepest places on this
terrestrial globe are filled with water; thus oceans, lakes, pools,
and rivers are formed.
That all living substances, whether vegetable or animal, are composed
more than two-thirds of water.
That more than two-thirds of the entire quantity of food taken daily
into the animal economy consists of water. That is to say, we feed
on more than two-thirds of water.
Nothing living can maintain its existence without two-thirds of water.
Second.
All the material taken from the earth's surface, or from the interior
of the earth's crust, for any purpose whatsoever, no matter how great
the weight or volume may be, does not increase the weight of this
earth, or diminish it. The material has simply been moved from one
place and deposited in another.
The building of one city, or ten thousand cities or more, would not
add one pound more or less to the entire weight of this earth.
All the stone, coal, iron, copper, silver, gold, lead, and all other
mineral substances, used either in building, machinery, or anything
human ingenuity can make or invent--all belong to this earth. No
matter how great the bulk or quantity, it does not influence this
earth one particle.
Moreover, this earth would not be in the slightest inconvenienced in
its motion or evolution whether there were sixteen billion of persons
on its surface, or ten million times as many.
Nor would it make the slightest difference to this terrestrial
globe whether the entire animal creation was destroyed, or increased
indefinitely. It would neither slacken its pace, increase its weight,
diminish its size, change its poles, alter its seasons, nor in any
other way be affected.
The fluids, the solids, and the gases would relatively remain the
same. Let it be distinctly understood, that whatever change may take
place in some remote future, say one billion million of years, more
or less, this earth as a whole will be but little affected. Vegetable
and animal life may disappear, but the component parts of the earth
cannot be destroyed or changed. Furthermore, whatever is produced
upon this earth by the inventive power of man's faculties, in the
arts and sciences mechanical, the natural, and what is thought to be
supernatural, whatsoever shape or character it may take, whether phase
or phenomenon, an idea, thought, or imagination--in fact, every thing,
every essence, from an angel to the devil, from a saint to a sinner,
from a brass button to a god or gods, holy ghosts or divinities,
all, all, are part and parcel of this earth. All there are recorded
in any book, called sacred or profane, inspired or uninspired,
visionary or materialistic, are the creations of the brain of man,
inventions of the brain of man, concoctions and fabrications of the
brain of man. Whether devil, saint, angel, or god, they are of earth,
earthly, chained to this terrestrial globe so long as there is a
brain in human form that can exercise its faculties.
Third.
No things can leave this earth, whether they are things visible,
or things that are not visible.
Nothing can come to us from any distant planet, whether it is visible
or not visible.
All things or beings, whether visible or not visible, tangible or
not tangible, perceptible or imperceptible, belong to this earth,
are the products of the earth.
All things, beings, forms, or shapes, whatever be their nature or
consistence, however they have appeared or been produced, on any
portion of the surface of this globe, are the products of this earth.
All things, beings, forms, shapes, material, or what appears to be
material, are produced upon the surface of this earth.
All things, beings, forms, shapes, phases, or phenomena, and all
manifestations, whether spiritual or supernatural, are the products
of this earth, produced through the material composing the nervous
matter, by the ordinary physiological mechanism of the animal economy.
No psychological condition, as it is termed, can be produced without
nervous matter. It is a function of nerve or brain material. It has
no existence of itself. It is not a product foreign to matter.
The soul is a term employed to represent in the abstract an
intellectual product of, or the result of functional activity of,
brain substance. Where there is no brain there can be no soul. And
souls differ in proportion to size, quality, quantity, educational
or brutal development.
The mind is the collective term for the entire product of nervous
activity, from non-intellectual to intellectual activity. Thus we have
all kinds of minds--vulgar, brutal, licentious, pious, enlightened,
educated, intellectual, refined, ideal, imaginary, etc., etc.
A mind may be simple, mixed, complex, complicated, perverted,
disordered, rational or irrational, etc., etc. The mind is of
ages--infantile, childish, youthful, young, mature, deliberate,
strong, weak, and senile, feminine or masculine, etc., etc.
Nervous effects not understood are interpreted to be supernatural,
not the product of the matter composing brain; this is false.
The so-called spiritual manifestations are, in plain terms, delusions
for susceptible nervous conditions, and generally largely adulterated
with fraud. Nervous conditions bordering on hallucinations may easily
be influenced by a strong nervous force and utilized for swindling
purposes. There is as little truth in spirit manifestations as there
was in the casting out of evil spirits or devils, as related in
the Bible.
Fourth.
Material prosperity consists in the accumulation of wealth, gained
either by industry or inheritance. Wealth is used:
1. To supply food sufficient in quantity to sustain bodily health.
2. To obtain clothing to protect the body from extreme heat, and also
for decorative purposes.
3. To furnish domicile or housing to shelter the body against the
inclemency of the weather, in luxury as our acquired taste may desire.
4. To give us the opportunities of an education and training that we
could not otherwise obtain.
5. To provide for those that are dependent upon us for support,
as children and old persons.
6. To exercise charitable acts, in aiding all those that are either
disabled or unable to procure the necessities of life--clothing
and shelter.
Remember that God has not created anything--either plant, animal,
or man.
While we resemble each other, we are not precisely constructed
all alike.
Dogs are dogs, for example, yet a Skye terrier is not so big as a
Newfoundland dog, nor is either fashioned the same as a bulldog.
The same may be said of plants and trees. The structural tissue of
all trees is wood, yet are the trees not all alike. Nor can the wood
tissue of the various trees be used for the same purpose. Each one
is useful in its own particular line or sphere.
The same may be said of minerals as to their appearance, qualities,
uses, etc., etc.
Each individual is simply the offspring of his parents. God has had
nothing whatever to do in shaping or fashioning him. He has not endowed
him with anything. He has given him neither a soul nor a body. He
is a creature that has been placed upon this earth by his parents,
with all the qualities, form, general construction, composition,
and constitution of his parents.
This hardly requires an explanation. Every farmer and cattle-breeder
understands it. We have every day illustrations with our race-horses,
cattle, etc. Two black persons cannot breed white children. They can
mix them, yes. God had nothing at all to do with the selection of
either the black man or white woman, or the white man or black woman.
Whatever seed is planted, that will grow, and no other. Cabbage
seed will yield cabbages, and nothing else. That law holds good in
nature--like will produce like; subject, however, to modification of
soil, temperature, moisture, of the immediate surroundings. But it
will not change the cabbage. It may be finer, of improved quality,
larger--that's all.
The prevailing notion that we are all created free and equal,
is nonsense.
1. We are not created. We are simply the offspring of our parents
and inherit all the characteristics and qualities of our parents,
which are subject to betterment, improvement, and a higher degree of
culture, or deterioration, depending on circumstances and surroundings.
2. We are not born equal by any means, either in muscular strength,
brain power, size, constitution, or wealth. Therein lies the difference
in the condition and surroundings of man, while we are spending this
short-lived existence on this earth.
3. Whether we are born free, depends upon what form of government we
live under. We are free to comply with the laws of the government under
which we are born, comply with the recognized moral and social laws
in the midst of which our parents reside, where we first saw daylight.
Dismiss the silly notion from your mind that anything can help you,
either priest or any supernatural agency. The priest may help as one
man may help another.
Prayers can avail you nothing, nor blessings. Every man, to be a man,
must act the man! Training, education, culture, makes him one. Free
yourself from priestly influence and church dominion, if you would
be free. Think and reason. Throw off the shackles of ecclesiastical
slavery. Let your own brain work out your own salvation. Never mind
the Jehova, the God of barbarism, the Christ of delusion, or the
Holy Ghost of the imagination. Shake off the dust of superstition
and ignorance if you would be free.
It is the noblest work of man to make himself free--to make himself
equal, not muscular--free from prejudice, free from superstitions,
free from bigotry, free from ignorance, free from vice, free
from passions, free from wrong-doing either to yourself or to
your fellow-man. Equal you can be in brain power, brain culture,
in brain force, by brain culture, education, in the improvement and
perfection of the intellectual faculties, so that we may exercise our
understanding and judgment, free and untrammeled, to the benefit of
ourselves and to the benefit of our neighbors.
The perfection you imagine your God ought to be, exalt yourself to
that perfection, and be an intelligent free man.