Sir Matthew Hale believed in witchcraft.
(b) The good and great men of many ages believed in hell--that is,
for somebody else. Practically hell is now in the lower case, if not
entirely closed up for repairs.
(c) Millions of good and wise men for many centuries believed that
this earth was flat, and that the sun went daily round it. And these
good and wise people burned all those who did not agree with them.
(d) Millions of the best of earth at one time believed that it was
right and proper to hang a man for stealing a sheep.
(e) At one time almost every body believed that it was well-pleasing
to God, for Christians to torture and murder heretics.
(f) Millions of the wisest and best men have at different times
believed that the world was speedily coming to an end.
(g) The great men of the past professed to believe in Christianity
because they were compelled to do so through fear of persecution,
torture, and death. Millions of prominent men in society to-day,
have to pretend to believe in the doctrines of the church in order
to be respectable.
(h) In every country under the sun people believe in their own
religion.--The good and great Mohammedans, believe in Islamism. The
good and great Buddhists believe in Buddhism, and the good and great
Brahmins, believe in Brahminism.
(i) The wise men of to-day in Europe and America do not believe in
Christianity. The men of science do not attempt to prove the claims
of Christianity.
It is claimed that Infidelity is demoralizing in its tendency.
(a) With such lives before us as those of Paine, Ingersoll, Palmer,
Bennett, Wright, Seaver, and many others this charge proves to be
groundless.
(b) Liberal principles are not degrading. Truth, liberty, and justice
cannot demoralize, but blind faith does.
"Infidels always repent on their death bed."
(a) Paine did not. Bennett did not. Dr. T. Brown did not. Courtlandt
Palmer, Horace Seaver, Elizur Wright, did not--and millions of other
good men have died tranquilly without any belief whatever in another
world.
"Can Infidelity save the world?"
One thing is certain, namely, that Christianity cannot do it, as it
has been trying to do so for eighteen centuries.
There is no such thing as salvation possible.
The world can be improved most rapidly by allowing everyone to
mind his own business--by giving man his natural and equal rights,
by inspiring him with liberty, for nothing so fully prepares people
for liberty as liberty itself.
"What has Freethought done for the world?"
(a) What has Christianity done for the world? Why it has built schools,
churches, and charitable institutions.
(b) It is true that Christianity instituted schools, colleges,
and universities; but not for the purpose of educating the people
in truth, but in only such knowledge as would not conflict with its
own superstitions. Christian schools have been for ages at war with
science and liberty.
(c) It is true that the church builds asylums for the poor--but it is
the church that is in a large degree responsible for the impoverished
condition of the people. And the very money that builds the almshouse
was begged from the poor, by the church. The church has nothing of
itself to give except preaching. When the church builds an institution
it first becomes a beggar.
(d) The church builds insane asylums. And the church has filled them
with her own people. There are more people made crazy and insane by
religious excitements than by any other one thing.
"What have Infidels given for education, charity, and science?"
We will give the names of six noted Freethinkers, and could give
more, but give these six to begin with: Stephen Girard, Robert Owen,
James Lick, William Maclure, John Rodman, and Peter Brigham. These
gentleman who were all Infidels, gave at least fifteen millions of
dollars for education, science, and charity. The vast sum given by
Stephen Girard for a secular education of orphan children has been
stolen by Christians and put to another use.
Orthodoxy and Liberalism Compared.
1. Orthodoxy has a creed, but Liberalism has none. A creed is something
you do not understand, but it is nevertheless necessary for you to
profess that you believe it--and the more unreasonable and impossible
this something is the greater merit you have in saying you believe it.
2. Orthodoxy has a Bible. Liberalism accepts all bibles and books
for what they are worth.