The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 02 (of 12): Dresden Edition—LecturesIngersoll, Robert Green
Religion
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 02 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Lectures
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
The doctrine of eternal pain is my trouble with this Christian religion.
I reject it on account of its infinite heartlessness. I cannot tell them
too often, that during our last war Christians, who knew that if they
were shot they would go right to heaven, went and hired wicked men to
take their places, perfectly willing that these men should go to hell
provided they could stay at home. You see they are not honest in it,
or they do not believe it, or as the people say, "they don't sense it."
They have not imagination enough to conceive what it is they believe,
and what a terrific falsehood they assert. And I beg of every one
who hears me to-night, I beg, I implore, I beseech you, never to give
another dollar to build a church in which that lie is preached. Never
give another cent to send a missionary with his mouth stuffed with
that falsehood to a foreign land. Why, they say, the heathen will go to
heaven, any way, if you let them alone. What is the use of sending them
to hell by enlightening them? Let them alone. The idea of going and
telling a man a thing that if he does not believe, he will be damned,
when the chances are ten to one that he will not believe it, is
monstrous. Do not tell him here, and as quick as he gets to the other
world and finds it is necessary to believe, he can say "Yes." Give him a
chance.
Another Objection.
My objection to orthodox religion is that it destroys human love, and
tells us that the love of this world is not necessary to make a heaven
in the next.
No matter about your wife, your children, your brother, your sister--no
matter about all the affections of the human heart--when you get there,
you will be with the angels. I do not know whether I would like the
angels. I do not know whether the angels would like me. I would rather
stand by the ones who have loved me and whom I know; and I can conceive
of no heaven without the loved of this earth. That is the trouble with
this Christian relief-ion. Leave your father, leave your mother, leave
your wife, leave your children, leave everything and follow Jesus
Christ. I will not. I will stay with my people. I will not sacrifice on
the altar of a selfish fear all the grandest and noblest promptings of
my heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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