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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sib, —I was very much- surprised to see that they bad sentenced in England a man named Foote to one year's imprisonment for blasphemy. Who would hare thought tbat this would have come to pass in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Is this what is called liberty and freedom. This must be the last of the dregs of what one might bare thought was past, when one party used to burn and destroy the other, because they did not think and say what the other wanted them to do. What barm can it do if all parties have their say. Truth cannot take any barm from what any one can say, nor could it be destroyed by putting any one in prison for it.' If anyone were to be so foolish as to say the sun, moon, and stars did not exist,'and. spoke very disrespectfully of them, that oould not hare the slightest effect upon them. It is just as foolish to say there is no God and to speak disrespectfully of him. But what ' effect could (hat possibly have upon the infinite God ; would that hurt his feelings, or endanger his throne P The point is not whether they speak the truth or not, but whether they ought to hare Mberty to say what they want to say. Many people think that there cannot be a more false and absurd doctrine than what is called the great atonement, or the vicarious sacrifice tbat there is no ether way to Heaven for any man, than to depend upon Christ's merits and righteousness.. But to prevent people from giving utterance to thil falsehood and put them into prison for it is'another thing that would be considered an tncroachmentupon our liberties. Away with such petty, low, mean ideaa, and let one strong united voice go forth from the people ', the Press, and the pulpit, to say that we will not have it. For truth .is inmortal and does not need it, for it cannot die. Falsehood is mortal and cannot live. I do charitably hope that there is not one minister at the Thames'who would sanction that any man should be sent to prison for blasphemy; fnvelj <we bare got a stage further than this. Some people's idea of liberty is very narrow,; what they mean is tbat they shaft Have the liberty to say all they want to say, and no ..one should bare the Siportunity .Jto.'say. anything diffe/ent, at is all the liberty they ought to have. And if they have the impudence to take any more, r then let them'be sentenced to imprisonment with hard labor, that is the best way to convince them of their folly. ~1 am, Ae.','.',i' -, J- Hobn.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18830416.2.21.2

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4455, 16 April 1883, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
464

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4455, 16 April 1883, Page 3

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4455, 16 April 1883, Page 3

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