All should be taught that there is no evidence of the existence of the supernatural--that the man who bows before an idol of wood or stone is just as foolish as the one who prays to an imagined God,--that all worship has for its foundation the same mistake--the same ignorance, the same fear--that it is just as foolish to believe in a personal god as in a personal devil--just as foolish to believe in great ghosts as little ones. So, all should be taught that the forces, the facts in Nature, cannot be controlled or changed by prayer or praise, by supplication, ceremony, or sacrifice; that there is no magic, no miracle; that force can be overcome only by force, and that the whole world is natural. All should be taught that man must protect himself--that there is no power superior to Nature that cares for man--that Nature has neither pity nor hatred--that her forces act without the slightest regard for man--that she produces without intention and destroys without regret. All should be taught that usefulness is the bud and flower and fruit of real religion. The popes and cardinals, the bishops, priests and parsons are all useless. They produce nothing. They live on the labor of others. They are parasites that feed on the frightened. They are vampires that suck the blood of honest toil. Every church is an organized beggar. Every one lives on alms--on alms collected by force and fear. Every orthodox church promises heaven and threatens hell, and these promises and threats are made for the sake of alms, for revenue. Every church cries: "Believe and give." A new era is dawning on the world. We are beginning to believe in the religion of usefulness.