It should not be forgotten that the orthodox savior has failed after
trying for eighteen centuries. He even fails to save his own professed
people and to make them any better than other folks.
4. Orthodoxy has a prospective heaven. Liberalism takes no stock in
harps and crowns in the sky country--and is not terrorized by smoke
from the sulphur lake.
5. Orthodoxy insists that the most imperative duty is to believe, while
Liberalism teaches that man should think, question, and investigate,
and always be governed by reason.
The one preaches "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear (us the
preachers);" the other teaches that "he who has brains to think,
let him think."
6. Orthodoxy commands you to obey. Liberalism inspires you to defy
despotism and to love liberty.
7. Orthodoxy tells you that there is merit in believing. Liberalism
shows you that there is no merit in belief.
8. Orthodoxy maintains that belief is subject to one's will. Liberalism
proves that intelligent belief depends upon evidence, and that
religious beliefs are inherited.
9. Orthodoxy hinges most of its teachings upon the traditions of
the past, the mysteries of the present and the hopes of an imaginary
future.
Liberalism admits of no postponement. "One world at a time," and now
is the time.
10. Orthodoxy is opposed to the teachings of science. See the lives
of Galileo, Bruno, Copernicus.
11. Orthodoxy persecutes her own followers; for example: Dr. Thomas,
Professor Swing, Professor William Robertson Smith of Aberdeen
College, Scotland, Professor Winchell of Vanderbilt University,
Professor Blauvelt, Professor John Miller of Princeton, New Jersey,
and hosts of others.
12. Orthodoxy seeks to guide men by authority, mottoes, and
texts. Liberalism inspires man to govern and guide himself through
the exercise of his own reason.
13. Orthodoxy teaches that the innocent must suffer that the guilty
may escape. Liberalism teaches that justice should be meted out to
all. The great scheme of salvation failed because it was a "scheme." It
is now pretty well known as a "bankrupt scheme."
14. "The Bible has stood the attack of Infidelity during eighteen
centuries." Ignorance has stood the attack of knowledge for a much
longer time, and yet ignorance has not so very materially suffered--it
is still ignorance.
Vice has stood the attacks of virtue ever since the world
began. Superstition has been besieged by science for many centuries,
and yet superstition seems hale and hearty and bids fair to have a long
life. Is it true that those who believe in the Bible are willing to
have it tested by reason, justice, or humanity? It is not true that
it has stood the test of science. Christians are not willing to have
the Bible tested.
"The Infidel rejects the religion of his mother." Not always; but
even suppose it were true, did not Jesus reject the religion of his
mother? Did not Paul, Peter, Luther, Wesley--did they not all reject
the religion of their mothers?
Does not preaching consist in asking people to reject the religion
of their mothers and to come over to the preacher's religion?
"Freethinkers are ruthless, and do not care how much they hurt our
feelings. They speak coarsely upon sacred subjects." Yes; but do not
Christians hurt our feelings? They send us to hell, and then put on
a look of injured innocence if we do not sweetly return them "thanks."
It is often charged that Freethinkers do not believe anything. While
it is true that we are not strong in any form of religious beliefs,
yet it is true that we have most positive and decided convictions in
regard to this world. We advocate freedom, truth, justice, equity,
and every known human virtue. These all have an existence, we believe
in all these present existing virtues. We believe in the realities,
but the saint believes in the unrealities. He relishes as the meat
and drink of his soul, such airy nothings as: dreams, visions,
trances, inspirations, revelations, mysteries, miracles, witches,
evil spirits, demons, devils, angels, immaculate conception, raising
of the dead, drinking poison with impunity, omens, signs, sorcery,
magic, resurrection, and ascension.
"We are fools for Christ's sake," says the apostle, and in the language
of the Quaker, we must say, we have not the heart to contradict him.
It is objected that "Freethought has no moral standard."--Yes it
has--it has Reason the only true lamp to man's path. "But Reason is
fallible, you can not always trust it." You cannot always trust the
reason of him who is not well developed mentally and well informed. But
the Bible is fallible, and always fallible, and you can trust it in
but very few places except where it presents truth; and this moral
truth is older than it. So we could get along without the Bible, but
we could hardly get along without Reason, although some people try to.
"There is no agreement among Freethinkers." That is their
glory. Freethought has no procrustean bed upon which it may bring all
of its constituency to one and the same size. The glory of Freethought
is that it inspires man to become free and possess his liberty against
all invaders. To be free is to be a man, and not to be free is to be
a slave.
Is there, let me ask, anything like agreement among the creeds? Have
the Bible expounders always seen eye to eye? Do the biblical critics
all harmonize? Where, I would like to know, can you find more
disagreement than in the Christian church?
Infidelity.
"Infidelity is honest. When it reaches the confines of reason, it says:
I know no further.
"Infidelity does not palm its guess upon the ignorant as a
demonstration. Infidelity proves nothing by slander--establishes
nothing by abuse.
"Infidelity has nothing to hide. It has no 'holy of holies,' except
the abode of truth. It has no curtain that the hand of investigation
has not the right to draw aside. It lives in the cloudless light,
in the very noon of human eyes.
"Infidelity has no bible to be blasphemed. It does not cringe before
an angry god.
"Infidelity says to every man: Investigate for yourself. There is no
punishment for unbelief.
"Infidelity asks for no protection from legislatures. It wants no
man fined because he contradicts its doctrines.
"Infidelity relies simply upon evidence--not evidence of the dead,
but of the living.
"Infidelity has no infallible pope. It relies only on infallible
fact. It has no priest except the interpreter of nature. The universe
is its church. Its bible is everything that is true. It implores
every man to verify every word for himself, and it implores him to
say if he does not believe it, that he does not.
"Infidelity does not fear contradiction. It is not afraid of
being laughed at. It invites the scrutiny of all doubters, of all
unbelievers. It does not rely upon awe, but upon reason. It says to
the whole world: It is dangerous not to think. It is dangerous not
to be honest. It is dangerous not to investigate. It is dangerous
not to follow where reason leads.
"Infidelity requires every man to judge for himself. Infidelity
preserves the manhood of man." (Ingersoll's "Interviews," p. 165.)
Por.--Why, man, what's the matter? Don't tear your hair.
Sir Hugh.--I have been beaten in a discussion, overwhelmed and
humiliated.
Por.--Why didn't you call your adversary a fool?
Sir Hugh.--My God! I forgot it!
The Objects of Orthodoxy and Liberalism.
Liberalism, like all reform movements, is poorly understood by all
the masses. The more ignorant of the clergy know nothing of its real
objects, and the few who do understand it dare not tell the truth,
therefore we can not refer to its real objects too often. In this
article we propose to place side by side the principle objects of
Orthodoxy and Liberalism without comment so that our readers will be
able to study them in contrast and see which is the more reasonable.
Orthodoxy seeks first and above all to glorify God; Liberalism seeks
first and above all to glorify man.
Orthodoxy seeks to save men from hell; Liberalism seeks to save them
from vice, ignorance, and superstition.
Orthodoxy teaches men how to die; Liberalism teaches them how to live.
Orthodoxy says believe and be saved; Liberalism says behave and
be saved.
Orthodoxy promises happiness to the elect in another world; Liberalism
seeks to make all happy in this one.
Orthodoxy encourages men to seek for mansions in the skies; Liberalism
encourages them to secure homes on earth.
Orthodoxy teaches men to rely on God and pray; Liberalism teaches
them to rely on themselves and work.
Orthodoxy teaches self-abnegation; Liberalism teaches self-respect.
Orthodoxy tells you what the Bible means; Liberalism takes it for
granted the Bible means what it says.
Orthodoxy says salvation is by faith only; Liberalism says it is by
honesty, education, and industry.
Orthodoxy offers a substitute for the sins of such as believe;
Liberalism expects every man to answer for his own acts. (Independent
Pulpit.)