Lectures of Col. R. G. Ingersoll, Volume I: Including His Answers to the Clergy, His Oration at His Brother's Grave, Etc., Etc.Ingersoll, Robert Green
Religion
Lectures of Col. R. G. Ingersoll, Volume I: Including His Answers to the Clergy, His Oration at His Brother's Grave, Etc., Etc.
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
Question. Is the Bible true? Answer. "Ingersoll is very fond of
saying 'The question is not, is the Bible inspired, but is it true?'
That sounds very plausible, but you know as applied to any ancient book
it is simply nonsense."
Q. Do you think the stories in the Bible exaggerated? A. "I dare say
the numbers are immensely exaggerated."
Q. Do you think that God upheld polygamy? A. "The truth of which
simply is, that four thousand years ago polygamy existed among the
Jews, as everywhere else on earth then, and even their prophets did not
come to the idea of its being wrong. But what is there to be indignant
about in that? And so you really wonder why any man should be
indignant at the idea that God upheld and sanctioned that beastliness
called polygamy? What is there to be indignant about in that?"
FIFTH, PROF. SWING.
Question. What is your idea of the Bible? Answer. "I think it a
poem."
SIXTH, REV. DR. RYDER.
Question. And what is your idea of the sacred Scriptures? Answer.
"Like other nations, the Hebrews had their patriotic, descriptive,
didactic and lyrical poems in the same varieties as other nations; but
with them, unlike other nations, whatever may be the form of their
poetry, it always possesses the characteristic of religion."
Q. I suppose you fully appreciate the religious characteristics of the
Song of Solomon? No answer.
Q. Does the Bible uphold polygamy? A. "The law of Moses did not
forbid it, but contained many provisions against its worst abuses, and
such as were intended to restrict it within narrow limits."
Q. So you think God corrected some of the worst abuses of polygamy,
but preserved the institution itself?
I might question many others, but have concluded not to consider those
as members of my Bible class who deal in calumnies and epithets. From
the so-called "replies" of such ministers it appears that, while
Christianity changes the heart, it does not improve the manners, and
one can get into Heaven in the next world without having been a
gentleman in this.
It is difficult for me to express the deep and thrilling satisfaction I
have experienced in reading the admissions of the clergy of Chicago.
Surely the battle of intellectual liberty is almost won when ministers
admit that the Bible is filled with ignorant and cruel mistakes; that
each man has the right to think for himself, and that it is not
necessary to believe the Scriptures in order to be saved.
From the bottom of my heart, I congratulate my pupils on the advance
they have made, and hope soon to meet them on the serene heights of
perfect freedom.
INGERSOLL'S NEW DEPARTURE--His Lecture Entitled "What Shall We do to be
Saved?"--Delivered in McVicker's Theatre, Chicago, Sept. 19, 1880 [From
the Chicago Times. Verbatim Report.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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