The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 01 (of 12): Dresden Edition—LecturesIngersoll, Robert Green
Religion
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 01 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Lectures
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
The next thing that I find is in the seventh chapter and the second
verse: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Good! That
suits me!
And in the twelfth chapter of Matthew: "For whosoever shall do the will
of my Father that is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and
mother. For the son of man shall come in the glory of his father with
his angels, and then he shall reward every man according.... To the
church he belongs to? No. To the manner in which he was baptized? No.
According to his creed? No. Then he shall reward every man according to
his works." Good! I subscribe to that doctrine.
And in the eighteenth chapter: "And Jesus called a little child to him
and stood him in the midst; and said, 'Verily I say unto you, except ye
be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven.'" I do not wonder that in his day, surrounded by
scribes and Pharisees, he turned lovingly to little children.
And yet, see what children the little children of God have been. What
an interesting dimpled darling John Calvin was. Think of that
prattling babe, Jonathan Edwards! Think of the infants that founded the
Inquisition, that invented instruments of torture to tear human flesh.
They were the ones who had become as little children. They were the
children of faith.
So I find in the nineteenth chapter: "And behold, one came and said unto
him: 'Good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal
life?' And he said unto him, 'Why callest thou me good? There is none
good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments.' He saith unto him, 'which?'"
Now, there is a fair issue. Here is a child of God asking God what is
necessary for him to do in order to inherit eternal life. And God said
to him: Keep the commandments. And the child said to the Almighty:
"Which?" Now, if there ever has been an opportunity given to the
Almighty to furnish a man of an inquiring mind with the necessary
information upon that subject, here was the opportunity. "He said unto
him, which? And Jesus said: Thou shalt do no murder; thou shalt not
commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false
witness; honor thy father and mother; and thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself."
He did not say to him: "You must believe in me--that I am the only
begotten son of the living God." He did not say: "You must be born
again." He did not say: "You must believe the Bible." He did not say:
"You must remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." He simply said:
"Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt
not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy
mother; and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." And thereupon the
young man, who I think was mistaken, said unto him: "All these things
have I kept from my youth up."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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