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#003 World Parliament of Religions Scrapbook, p. 226
INGERSOLL THE BLOVIATOR.
There is no apparent reason why Colonel
Robert G. Ingersoll should air his views
upon the parliament of religions. He has
aired them, however, and by them has in-
creased the general indifference to his opin-
ions which has developed of late years.
There was a time when people expected
great things of Colonel Ingersoll. He
shocked the country by his audacity and
dash. He possessed a knack of epigram-
matic speech. He was full of fire and en-
ergy. But audacity and epigrams and en-
ergy are of no value unless there is in-
tellect behind them. A bunch of fire-
crackers makes as much noise as a pistol,
but it kills no ducks. Ingersoll has said
many things better than they were first
said. That is his only claim to distinction.
When he attempts to philosophize about
new things it is seen how empty the man is.
When he batters the idol in the temple he
is Samsonic. When he goes forth to build
a new idol there is no straw in his bricks.
Take his words of yesterday for example.
After denouncing all religions as super-
stitions he was asked how, in his opinion,
the problems to meet which religion was
devised can be solved. This was his answer
to the question:
In the first place, we should stop supporting
the useless. The burdens of superstition should
be taken from the shoulders of industry. In the
next place, men should stop bowing to wealth
instead of worth. Men should be judged by
what they do, by what they are, instead of the
property they have. Only those able to raise
and educate children should have them. Children
should be better born, better educated. The
process of regeneration will be slow, but it will
be sure. The religion of our day is supported by
the worst, by the most dangerous people in
society.
This is the veriest balderdash. It is
worse than that, because it contains a hint
that the man does think, feebly, loosely
and at random, it is true, but still does
think. Therefore it has a fascination for
other minds equally untrained and equally
alert. "The burdens of superstition," he
says, "should be taken from the shoulders
of industry." What, we should like to
know, does that mean? If "industry" be-
lieves in a God and a future life, that belief
of necessity lightens his load of care in this
world. The hope of compensation is a sup-
port, not a burden. Yet Ingersoll talks as
though the only comfort of the race were
its greatest curse.
That is a fair sample of Ingersolliana.
The author of it is unworthy of serious
consideration from reasoning men.
JOE COOK AGAIN.
These are tne words with which the
"Rev." Joseph Cook, of Boston, greeted the
visiting orientals at the parliament of
religions:
The case is too serious for mere courtesy. I
go to every religion but Christianity and I find it
lacking. I say to the representatives of every
religion: "Can you cleanse the red right hand of
Lady Macbeth? Can you wash away the crim-
son stain of sin? Can you make the soul at
peace with itself in the environments which sur-
round it?" If you cannot answer these questions
you do not come to this great parliament of re-
ligions with a serious and a sincere purpose.
We must beseech our oriental visitors not
to take Joe Cook seriously. Nobody in this
country does. He doesn't represent Chris-
tianity when he breaks all the rules of hos-
pitality and insults the guests who come
hither, not on their own motion, but on
the invitation of the Christian people.
Mr. Moxom's argument at the religious
parliament yesterday, that man is im-
mortal because he can conceive the idea of
immortality, also establishes the truth of
metamorphosis, palingenesis and the Ptol-
maic and Koreshan systems. It is a sort of
passkey to all the chambers of the fancy.
Archimandrite Jibara's plan to fuse
Christianity and Mohammedanism is im-
practicable. It is also sacrilegious if
Christianity, as we believe, rest upon the
direct revelation of the son of God.
People may laugh at Brother Bonney's
whiskers. But this parliament of religions
has demonstrated that his brains are equal-
ly well developed. The idea to which the
parliament owes itself was an inspiration
of genius.
We learn from the newspaper reporters
that a number of ladies wore attractive
gowns and delivered addresses at the par-
liament of religions yesterday.
Object Description
| Title | World Parliament of Religions Scrapbook 003 |
| Subject LOC |
World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) World's Parliament of Religions (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) World's Congress of Representative Women (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) Chicago (Ill.)--1890-1900 |
| Subject IDA |
Religion Papers |
| Description | This is a collection of documents from the World's Columbian Exposition and the World Parliament of Religions, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893. |
| Date Original | 1893 |
| Searchable Date | 1890s (1890-1899) |
| Identifier | WPRS 003 |
| Coverage Geographic | Chicago (Ill.) |
| Coverage Temporal | 1890s (1890-1900) |
| Type | Text |
| Collection Publisher | Meadville Lombard Theological School |
| Rights | These documents can be read, downloaded, and the transcripts printed for educationalpurposes. |
| Language | en |
| Contributing Institution | Meadville Lombard Theological School |
| Collection Name | Jenkin Lloyd Jones World’s Columbian Exposition Collection |
Description
| Title | 0226 |
| Subject LOC |
World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) World's Parliament of Religions (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) World's Congress of Representative Women (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) Chicago (Ill.)--1890-1900 |
| Subject IDA |
Religion Papers |
| Description | This is a collection of documents from the World's Columbian Exposition and the World Parliament of Religions, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893. |
| Date Original | 1893 |
| Searchable Date | 1890s (1890-1899) |
| Identifier | WPRS 003 |
| Coverage Geographic | Chicago (Ill.) |
| Coverage Temporal | 1890s (1890-1900) |
| Type | Text |
| Collection Publisher | Meadville Lombard Theological School |
| Rights | These documents can be read, downloaded, and the transcripts printed for educationalpurposes. |
| Language | en |
| Contributing Institution | Meadville Lombard Theological School |
| Collection Name | Jenkin Lloyd Jones World’s Columbian Exposition Collection |
| Transcript | #003 World Parliament of Religions Scrapbook, p. 226 INGERSOLL THE BLOVIATOR. There is no apparent reason why Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll should air his views upon the parliament of religions. He has aired them, however, and by them has in- creased the general indifference to his opin- ions which has developed of late years. There was a time when people expected great things of Colonel Ingersoll. He shocked the country by his audacity and dash. He possessed a knack of epigram- matic speech. He was full of fire and en- ergy. But audacity and epigrams and en- ergy are of no value unless there is in- tellect behind them. A bunch of fire- crackers makes as much noise as a pistol, but it kills no ducks. Ingersoll has said many things better than they were first said. That is his only claim to distinction. When he attempts to philosophize about new things it is seen how empty the man is. When he batters the idol in the temple he is Samsonic. When he goes forth to build a new idol there is no straw in his bricks. Take his words of yesterday for example. After denouncing all religions as super- stitions he was asked how, in his opinion, the problems to meet which religion was devised can be solved. This was his answer to the question: In the first place, we should stop supporting the useless. The burdens of superstition should be taken from the shoulders of industry. In the next place, men should stop bowing to wealth instead of worth. Men should be judged by what they do, by what they are, instead of the property they have. Only those able to raise and educate children should have them. Children should be better born, better educated. The process of regeneration will be slow, but it will be sure. The religion of our day is supported by the worst, by the most dangerous people in society. This is the veriest balderdash. It is worse than that, because it contains a hint that the man does think, feebly, loosely and at random, it is true, but still does think. Therefore it has a fascination for other minds equally untrained and equally alert. "The burdens of superstition," he says, "should be taken from the shoulders of industry." What, we should like to know, does that mean? If "industry" be- lieves in a God and a future life, that belief of necessity lightens his load of care in this world. The hope of compensation is a sup- port, not a burden. Yet Ingersoll talks as though the only comfort of the race were its greatest curse. That is a fair sample of Ingersolliana. The author of it is unworthy of serious consideration from reasoning men. JOE COOK AGAIN. These are tne words with which the "Rev." Joseph Cook, of Boston, greeted the visiting orientals at the parliament of religions: The case is too serious for mere courtesy. I go to every religion but Christianity and I find it lacking. I say to the representatives of every religion: "Can you cleanse the red right hand of Lady Macbeth? Can you wash away the crim- son stain of sin? Can you make the soul at peace with itself in the environments which sur- round it?" If you cannot answer these questions you do not come to this great parliament of re- ligions with a serious and a sincere purpose. We must beseech our oriental visitors not to take Joe Cook seriously. Nobody in this country does. He doesn't represent Chris- tianity when he breaks all the rules of hos- pitality and insults the guests who come hither, not on their own motion, but on the invitation of the Christian people. Mr. Moxom's argument at the religious parliament yesterday, that man is im- mortal because he can conceive the idea of immortality, also establishes the truth of metamorphosis, palingenesis and the Ptol- maic and Koreshan systems. It is a sort of passkey to all the chambers of the fancy. Archimandrite Jibara's plan to fuse Christianity and Mohammedanism is im- practicable. It is also sacrilegious if Christianity, as we believe, rest upon the direct revelation of the son of God. People may laugh at Brother Bonney's whiskers. But this parliament of religions has demonstrated that his brains are equal- ly well developed. The idea to which the parliament owes itself was an inspiration of genius. We learn from the newspaper reporters that a number of ladies wore attractive gowns and delivered addresses at the par- liament of religions yesterday. |
