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Freethought Review, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 February 1884, Page 1

Mrs. Moore’s paper on “ Spiritualism Considered as “ a Religion,” gives a very fair idea of a belief which has grown far more rapidly than Christianity grew in the first two or three centuries, and is formed under conditions which are in many respedts analogous. In each case the decay of the old faith prepared the soil in which the new faith grew. In each case the desire to support the dodtrine of immortality by some more diredl evidence than that derived from a gradually developing tradition, furnished a strong motive to accept any testimony that tended to confirm it. The writer of an extremely able article on “ The Belief in the Immortality “ of the Soul,” in the October number of the'Westmin ster Review, remarks : “Of all the attempts made hitherto “to secure a basis for the belief in a future life, the “ best, in our opinion, is that of modern Spiritists. “ Unsuccessful as we deem it to have been, it deserves “at least the credit of a failure in the right direction, “ a consistent and a necessary experiment.” Their theory is, that the disembodied human being is an organism, so related to this world as to be capable under certain conditions of communicating with its inhabitants. This brings the question within the range of positive science. Spiritists have opened the door to scientific enquiry as to matters of fadt. “ The next question, however,” continues the writer, “ is whether “ they have succeeded in adducing any evidence as to “ the existence of spirits, and to this the reply, in our “ opinion, must be an unmitigated negative.”

Whatever may be the final conclusion arrived at on the question of Spiritualism—how much is fraud, how much is honest self-delusion, how much is erroneous inference, and how much is due to that religious training which makes credulity a virtue—one thing is clear, which is, that its growth cannot be favorable to orthodoxy. Spiritualism is either true or false. If true, it must diredtly displace Christianity. If false, it is a strong logical argument against Christianity put in a most practical form, for it is obvious that if millions of intelligent persons have in our own day been the victims of a delusion, there is no reason whatever for assuming that the Christian belief is not the result of a similar delusion. Hence the list of eminent men —such as Mr. Wallace gives in his book on “ Miracles and Modern Spiritualism ” —who consider the evidence for Spiritualism convincing, may prove to be “ shocking examples ” of human credulity, showing how little weight should be attached to authority where the supernatural is concerned.

The late Judge Maning had during his life and while still in health imbibed the philosophy of the age, his “ faith ” growing weak as his reasoning progressed. He fell ill of a disease beyond the power of the physician’s art, and endured the summation of human suffering a slow cancer eating his life away. In this state he wrote the following letter to Bishop Abraham : —“ I am scarcely able to write, but make the endeavor

“ to thank you most heartily for the kind letter which I “ have but this moment received. After many a hard “ struggle against the ideas of the modern so-called “ philosophers, I have only just now begun to think I “ have faith in Christ as being both Man and God, and “ your letter came to help and encourage me. Do pray “to God to help my unbelief. My mind is not strong “ enough nor my body either to write more, only, dear “ Bishop, pray for me that my faith be helped and “ strengthened to the last. I am in so much pain I “ must end here. I will not trouble you to come to see “ me. I am well read and well taught, and have “thought much on the proofs and evidences of our “ religion, and if I have therefore not faith enough to “ save me, it is the more fault of mine. I nevertheless “ hope and trust in God and Christ for mercy on a “truly repentant sinner. Pray that my faith be made “ clear, dear Bishop ; your letter shows you to be a “ faithful shepherd. Excuse incoherence. I am very “ weak.” A newspaper, in publishing this melancholy letter, observes : “ If there is anything real and genuine “ in the Christian religion it will assuredly show itself “ when death is in full view and certain prospedt. The “following letter, written by the late Judge Maning, “ should be sufficient to prove that religion with him “ was no mere empty profession or insane fancy.” The letter proves exactly the reverse. Poor Maning, in the depth of his suffering, says he has “thought much on “ the proofs and evidences of our religion,” and doubts whether he has sufficient faith to save him. The strong man reduced to the extreme point of physical weakness through pain, the once vigorous mind left just conscious of its own “incoherence,” —is a state wherein Christianity is welcome to find testimony to to the truth of its creed !

If Christianity is to live it must have better reasons than death-bed confessions. The Freethinker may well rest content with the thought that when the mind is vigorous it grasps the conclusions of science, rejecting myth ; and he can afford to concede any advantage to be found in the partial or entire eclipse of reason in the valley of the shadow of death. .The strong mind in the healthy body comes to see that the “ evidences” are baseless. If perchance this mind weakened by disease should sink into second childishness, fearing the hobgoblins which as a child were conjured to terrify,—what is there in that either to arrest the decay of a faith or weaken the moral self-reliance of the Freethinker ?

The Bishop of Melbourne has provided from his armoury an old weapon refurbished in defence of Christianity. In a speech lately delivered he jauntily referred to the association between Indian mythology and Christianity, and strongly advised his hearers when they were met with analogies of the kind to reply —“ impossible.” So confidently did Bishop Moorhouse rely on this vigorous style of dialectics that he repeated the advice several times. The Pope was accustomed

to defend his temporal power by a non possumus —an ever ready and effective reply to the long-drawn-out reasons and vanities of the ordinary diplomatist. It may be that the Australian Bishop has taken a leaf from the Pope’s book. No one will venture to deny that the Sacred College has an intimate knowledge of human nature, or that when it shifts its ground it has sufficient cause in faCts collected by the most perfect of organisations and from the widest field. It is not surprising therefore that a Protestant Bishop should be found profiting by the lessons set him at Rome. The money-making Melbournite has little time to discuss such intricate matters as comparative mythology or religion. A spiritual leader of such consummate taCt as Bishop Moorhouse would grasp the position in a moment, and provide a patent argument to save time and trouble, and yet withal be unanswerable. Idas he not succeeded ? Could any argument be more conclusive and satisfactory to the church-goer not wishing to be bothered than “ impossible ” !

If we could insure that the whole population of New Zealand were supplied with religious papers like, for instance, the ‘ Christian Record,’ a large accession to the ranks of the Freethought party might be expected to follow. For in the art of exhibiting the sectarian virtues of falsehood, personality and rancour the Christian press is certainly not unfaithful to its trust. We have seen a paragraph quoted from the 1 Christian Record,’ in reply to one in the ‘ Presbyterian ’ on the ‘ Echo,’ and of bitterness and malevolence of spirit it would be nearly impossible to have anything more characteristic. We shall not sully our columns by quoting the vicious but silly effusion. It is just sufficient to note the fact that when an illustration of the “ virtues” we have named is required, one has'only to take up a religious newspaper and he is sure not to have far to read before finding it. The degradation of the religious press is becoming proverbial. Only the other day the ‘ Australasian ’ exposed a very flagrant instance of piracy on the part of a Melbourne religious paper, in which an article from the ‘ Saturday Review ’ had been appropriated in a way intended to prevent the fraud from being discovered. By their fruits they are known, and it is not illogical to infer that a creed under which such traits of character are developed is a moral failure.

Our Sydney contemporary ‘ The Liberal,’ in noticing our remarks on Masonry, has not a good word to say for the Craft, which it denounces on the ground of superstitious reverence for an exploded theology, and exclusiveness with regard to women. It refers to the fact that English Masonry repudiated the Grand Orient of France because it struck from its ritual all reference to a god—an argument rather in favor of the contention of Liberal Masons that the order is progressive. ‘ A system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols,’ has within it the principle of development uncontrolled by the forms and dress in which it appears to the world. The step taken by the Grand Orient is proof that the central truth may be preserved while the allegory undergoes modification ; and the time may not be far distant when opinion may have rendered necessary changes even in the most orthodox of the constitutions. At any rate, we know that Freethought has many warm friends in the Craft, who would be prepared to accept changes which would indicatethat virtue required no religious sanctionstogive

it force. The exclusion of women is a relic of ancient and medieval times no doubt, and we would desire to see a tendency to recognise that no civilisation founded on a pure morality can be attained unless women are unreservedly admitted to the position of co-workers with men. But Rome was not built in a day, and it is sufficient to find that in the march of events we are nearing the goal.

It will be seen from our Progress column that the Dunedin Association has taken the initiative towards the establishment of a General Council representing the different Freethought Associations throughout the colony. We trust there will be a general response, and that we shall soon have the pleasure of reporting the first meeting of our own Federal Council. The Freethought movement has lately been making steady progress, of which the formation of fresh Associations will always be the surest sign. In most of the populous centres our flag has been raised, and it is to be hoped that other communities will follow the example. When every town in the colony has its Association, the time will have gone by for concealing one’s opinions. The right of association and meeting is one of the most valuable privileges free men can possess. Let this right be freely exercised wherever there are a few who are bold to think for themselves on all questions, and the Freethought movement will quickly grow into a great power in this colony. An annual meeting of the Council composed of the delegates of the different societies will give unity of purpose, inspire respeCt commensurate with its influence, and give a fresh impetus to the cause.

It is frequently asserted by the clergy that morals and religion arc not taught in the public schools, and that this is sufficient reason for a change of system. Our answer is that there is no reason why morals should not be taught in the public schools, and that religion is not necessary. The second part of this reply at least may not be accepted, and the war will have to rage. But that morality—the highest morality can and ought to be taught is, we think, evident. Every school teacher ought to be a moral instructor, and he who lacks the qualification is without the first essential of his profession. Let us give an illustration of what we mean by moral instruction. The second master of the Wanganui Collegiate School—a trust school not under the ACt—in taking farewell of the boys as editor of a periodical in connexion with the school, gave them some parting advice. He observed : “ The fashion of a school is set “by the upper forms, the eleven, and the fifteen. If “ they are hard-working, honorable, manly, and “ obedient to authority, so will the rest of the boys ; “ but if they waste their time, act dishonorably, talk “ coarsely or impurely, or ridicule sacred things, their “ example will sow seeds in some hearts which will “ bring a crop of ruin in after life.” Further: “ Remember that no word, expression, or deed, “ however small, dies, someone notices it, and its “ effeCl will last for ever. You are a part of the rising “ generation from whom will spring a great New “ Zealand nation. To you will fall no small share of “ making that nation moral and noble, or corrupt and “ base. I ask you earnestly to grant my last request : “ Try and live vp to what yon know to be right. [The italics “ are his.] Never let the honor of your school be “ tarnished by your means.”

There is here in this excellent address just such instruction and advice - as constitute tlie very essence of morals, and if a teacher enforced such a lesson continually in governing his school, he would be instilling into the minds of the young habits of thought and aCtion that would influence them throughout the whole of their after life. Every schoolmaster is a moral teacher more or less, and when the full importance of one of the noblest professions is in this one respeCt realised, the once-despised and now inadequately-recognised school teacher will occupy a higher place in the estimation of society. To instruct others thoroughly a man must convey the impression that, he himself lives up to. the standard he has erected for his school. In the instance we have given of moral instruction, precept and example went hand in hand, producing sympathy and enthusiasm and right conduct. Religion was not wanted. The master probably saw that it would only weaken the moral lesson.

A Professor of one of our Colleges lately remarked to the present writer that the Freethought movement in its aggressiveness tended to prevent the spread of freethought, and he held that undermining or sapping while remaining within the Church was more likely to destroy theological systems. The writer suggested that had Paul attempted to Christianise Judaism by such means, we should not have heard of Christianity, and that the great enthusiast in taking the open and bold course, took the only course likely to spread his faith. It would be vain to deny that change of religious opinions is often brought about by those nominally within the Church. In an age of discussion it is impossible to limit the range of influence possessed by a man of genius and sincerity, while every one who thinks at all for himself, even within the walls of a conventicle, contributes his mite to the ultimate revolution. But it is hardly philosophic to say that an aggressive propaganda tends to arrest the march of enlightened opinion. In England the Broad Church party finds its recruits mainly among the lettered and leisured, leaving the masses in the hands of the Methodists and Revivalists. But Charles Bradlaugh comes on the scene with a bold and adtive propaganda among the masses, and raises an army of Freethinkers guided by reason and reflection : the citadel of superstition *is assailed on all sides, and falls before numbers and intelligence. What did the cultured Deism of the eighteenth century do to break down the creeds and sects ? And why did it fail ? The answer, we think, must be, because there was no bold and honest and aggressive propaganda carried among the people.

GOD. Most schools of thought agree that the existence of God is not demonstrable : many of our deepest thinkers reject altogether the Orthodox and the semi-Orthodox idea of God. Men and women who have mental and moral courage enough to face this gravest of all questions, find themselves Compelled to renounce, one by one, all the notions of a Deity which they ever held. They see that the atributes ascribed to him by Christian and devout Theist. are but magnified human .attributes, the gigantic mist and shadow formed by the human figure. They are forced to allow that will, personality, intelligence, and consciousness arc nothing but human imperfections and limitations, which, projected into boundless space and dignified by the title of infinite, are bound up together into one ideal, heroic figure, and baptized with the' name of God. Annie Desant’s True Basis of Morality.”