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
3. That we are unhappy.--Why should we be more unhappy than the
Christian? Why should we not be more happy? We live in the same world;
we believe in making the most of its opportunities for obtaining
happiness, while he (theoretically, at least,) believes that earthly
joy depreciates heavenly bliss; we are cursed by no fear of an angry
God, by no dreams of an endless hell and of a revengeful devil; the
Christian no more than the Infidel, is exempt from accident, sickness
and death, and the agony of parting with loved ones is his no less
than ours. He accepts Revelation and Creation, and hence believes
that we belong to a falling race; we accept Science and Evolution,
and hence believe that we belong to a rising race. Which is the most
rational and hope inspiring belief?
4. That it is "safest to believe."--If this proves anything it proves
too much. If our future (if we have one) can be rendered more secure
by pretending to believe when we do not, then the Protestant should
accept Catholicism, and the Catholic, Protestantism, while the members
of every sect should believe all that is taught by all other sectarists
and Christians of every school should believe all that is contained
in the sacred books of other religions.
5. That we hurt the feelings of those who cherish the old faith.--Why
should the Christian complain that we disturb settled convictions and
cut loose the anchored bark of faith? Has not Christianity ever been
a missionary religion? It seeks to disturb the religion of the whole
world. Christians attack all religions other than their own--our
offence is that we include Christianity in the category of false
faiths. (Lucifer.)
"All Owing to the Bible."
"It is a very common argument with Christians, that only those nations
which have had the Bible are refined, civilized and learned. The
following is the boastful manner in which Christians set forth the
claims of their religion: "Take a map of the world, draw a line around
those countries that have enjoyed the highest degree of refinement,
and you will encircle just those nations that have received the Bible
as their authority in religion." In refutation of this assumption
Horace Seaver writes: "From this language the plain inference is,
that those nations have been indebted to the influence of the Bible
for the positions to which they have attained. Let us follow out a
little this line of argument and see where it will lead.
"The ancient Egyptians stood as far in advance of their contemporaries
as do the nations of Christendom at the present day, as the remains of
their cities and temples fully attest. And if the argument is good,
they were indebted for that superiority to their worship of cats,
crocodiles, and onions!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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