A handbook of Freethought : $b containing in condensed and systematized form a vast amount of evidence against the superstitious doctrines of Christianity
Religion
A handbook of Freethought : $b containing in condensed and systematized form a vast amount of evidence against the superstitious doctrines of Christianity
Christianity -- Controversial literature; Free thought
Another reason assigned for the origin of the Sabbath is that it was
instituted in commemoration of God's deliverance of the Hebrews out of
Egypt. But this is a flat contradiction of the previous reason given
for observing the Sabbath. This contradiction is enough to invalidate
the evidence of both these testimonies; but that is not all--the first
story about God Almighty being tired after a week's hard work, and
his resting and being refreshed on the seventh day, is so evidently
a myth as to need no argument. It is on a par with all stories about
the man in the moon, and the bit of legend recounting the escape of
the Hebrews from Egypt is full of contradictions and impossibilities
which renders the story absolutely useless as a piece of evidence.
No one knows when or where the observance of the seventh day as a day
of rest and recreation began. It doubtless had small beginnings in
different countries and different times, and has been subject to the
law of evolution. The Sabbath was not a man-made product, but grew
in character and importance as time rolled on. Therefore it is not
true to say the Sabbath was made for man. All the making we see in
history is what the priests have done in this direction. While it is
not true that the priests originated the Sabbath, yet it is true so
far as we can trace the existence of the priesthood that we find them
continually making the day a day for themselves. Sunday is priests'
day. Everybody must go to church to listen to an ignorant man talk,
scold, misrepresent, and abuse everyone who does not believe as
he does. And this is called Divine Service. When the priest rests
temporarily from his labors upon the sinner and the skeptic, he trains
his guns upon some of those who profess as strongly as himself to be
true blue Christians. Take the extremes; the Salvation Army saint and
a fashionable member of the fashionable Episcopal church. The latter
looks down upon the former and calls them "trash, rubbish," and other
classical names, while the soldier of the temporal army returns the
compliment by styling his brethren of the Episcopal persuasion as
"the Devil's dudes." Behold! how these Christians love--to go for
one another.
We have seen that there is no history for the institution of the
Sabbath. We have learned also that to keep this day holy did not mean
to attend preaching or prayer-meetings, or special religious services
of any kind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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