The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 07 (of 12): Dresden Edition—DiscussionsIngersoll, Robert Green
Religion
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 07 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Discussions
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
Not only were the Greeks and Romans and Egyptians far in advance of
the Christians in the treatment of the mentally diseased, but even the
Mohammedans were in advance of the Christians about 700 years, and in
addition to this they treated their lunatics with great kindness.
The temple of Diana of Ephesus was a refuge for insolvent debtors, and
the Thesium was a refuge for slaves.
Again, I say that hundreds of years before the establishment of
Christianity there were in India not only hospitals and asylums for
people, but even for animals. The great mistake of the Christian clergy
is that they attribute all goodness to Christianity. They have always
been engaged in maligning human nature--in attacking the human heart--in
efforts to destroy all natural passions.
Perfect maxims for the conduct of life were uttered and repeated in
India and China hundreds and hundreds of years before the Christian
era. Every virtue was lauded and every vice denounced. All the good that
Christianity has in it came from the human heart. Everything in that
system of religion came from this world; and in it you will find not
only the goodness of man, but the imperfections of man--not only the
love of man, but the malice of man.
Let me tell you why the Christians for so many centuries neglected
or abused the insane. They believed the New Testament, and honestly
supposed that the insane were filled with devils.
In regard to the contest between Dr. Buckley, who, as I understand it,
is a doctor of theology--and I should think such theology stood in need
of a doctor--and the _Telegram_, I have nothing to say. There is only
one side to that contest; and so far as the Doctor heretofore criticised
what is known as the "Christmas Sermon," I have answered him, leaving
but very little to which I care to reply in his last article.
Dr. Buckley, like many others, brings forward names instead of
reasons--instead of arguments. Milton, Pascal, Elizabeth Fry, John
Howard, and Michael Faraday are not arguments. They are only names;
and, instead of giving the names, Dr. Buckley should give the reasons
advanced by those whose names he pronounces.
Jonathan Edwards may have been a good man, but certainly his theology
was infamous. So Father Mathew was a good man, but it was impossible
for him to be good enough to convince Dr. Buckley of the doctrine of the
"Real Presence."
Milton was a very good man, and he described God as a kind of
brigadier-general, put the angels in uniform and had regular battles;
but Milton's goodness can by no possibility establish the truth of his
poetical and absurd vagaries.
All the self-denial and goodness in the world do not even tend to prove
the existence of the supernatural or of the miraculous. Millions
and millions of the most devoted men could not, by their devotion,
substantiate the inspiration of the Scriptures.
There are, however, some misstatements in Dr. Buckley's article that
ought not to be passed over in silence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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