Is The Bible Worth Reading, and Other EssaysWashburn, L. K. (Lemuel Kelley)
Religion
Is The Bible Worth Reading, and Other Essays
Washburn, L. K. (Lemuel Kelley)
Free thought
Is it not about time that a few literary murders were committed, that some
one went through our literature and killed off a lot of nonsensical
expressions that, if they ever meant anything, are meaningless today? If
there was more honesty in the pulpit a great many Bible expressions would
go out of fashion. One of the first that needs to die or be killed is this
foolish expression, “the image of God.” It may be religious, but it lacks
sense. It means nothing in this age. God is a term that eludes definition.
It is a survival of an age of ignorance.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
A man may be a fool and not know it, but he cannot be a fool without
others knowing it.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
There is a pious regard for certain men and women who have in past ages
been, as it were, the world’s salvation. We would honor these men wherever
piety offers her praise, but we would not, like piety, forbid man the
right to excel them. We all know how much easier it is to be saved by
another than to save ourselves, but it cannot be denied that there is a
certain respect, a feeling of admiration, a thrill of reverence for the
man who says: I am a free moral being and scorn to allow another to suffer
for my sins.
RELIGION AND SCIENCE
When religion attacks science it is like trying to cut down the tree of
truth with the hatchet of falsehood. It is unfortunate for Christianity
that it was founded on the book of Genesis. A scientific fact is higher
authority today than a religious fable. Science has found so many facts
that contradict the stories of Genesis that to accept these stories as
divine truth is to make falsehood the word of God.
The one particular enemy of every religion is science. With merciless
labor her votaries have dethroned one after another idol of man. Science
has no creed, no dogmas. Her search is for facts, and on these she stands.
If what is discovered by lovers of truth is contrary to the tenets of
religion, such tenets must be abandoned, for what is scientifically false
cannot be religiously true.
The Christian church is built upon a lot of divine say-soes. Science has
found that these say-soes are not so. The only honest thing for Christians
to do is to give up the book of Genesis as a reliable record. What men
have said that God has said is not necessarily sacred. Men may have lied,
and lies are not holy. Christianity has been afraid of the divine name.
What it has found in the name of God it has blindly worshiped as the word
of God. This stupid action has been a prolific source of mischief. Faith
has carried on its innocent back a thousand impositions through fear to
doubt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account