OCR Text |
Show Insrersoil Talks to Freethinkers. The Freethinkers' Convention, in session ses-sion at Albany, N. Y., was undressed last Sunday evening by Robert G. Ingersoll. The Opera House was filled, and standing room even was scarce. In the course of his remarks Mr. Ingersoll said : "Most people imagine that belief U very important; im-portant; that if you don't believe iu a certain form of religion it is because you want to steal" something; that you would like to eat your own child or commit some fearful crime ; and yet it seems to me that religious belief never had much effect in making people good. Some of the worst people w ho have ever cursed this world have been believers. The gentlemen who made Socrates- drink the hemlock wore believers. The Jews who crucified Christ believed in-God. The devil believes in God, and it does not seem to have ai'V-ct-ed his moral character. Some of ihe worst founders of the Inquisition, tho inventors in-ventors of instruments of torture, burners and branders of human flesh, were believei-s in God. Some of the best men do not believe in God. Giordano Bruno was not a believer, Charles Darwin was not a believer, nor was Humboldt. What is the origin of religion? Fear; nothing else fear born of ignorance. Is it right for a God to govern this world, or should men govern it? Is this Avorld a despotism despot-ism or a republic?. Is one God the source of authority, or does the power to govern come from the consent of the governed? How does God use His power ? He made a man and a woman, and then left them a prey to the devil. He knew exactly what the devil would do, yet He did not interfere. He waited, and then turned the two out. He said to the first woman of the world when He drove her out of the Garden of Eden: 'I will multiply thy sorrow, in sorrow shalt thou-bring forth children, and thy husband shall rule over thee.' Thus our God established estab-lished slavery in every family. No devil could have done worse." The speaker gave manv like illustrations, and then attacked the clerical observance of the Sabbath. The "futility" ' of prayer was next dealt with, and the idea of pleasing God was ridiculed, as there is no use in trying to make God happy. "The Infinite Infin-ite wants nothing." . |