Religion, a curse!-Why?

Chapter IV

I« It True That Religion, as Preached and Practiced to this Day, by Any and All Creeds in Existence the World Over, Is the Great Moral Force or Agency for Good That We Are Asked to Believe It Is, or Is the Very Opposite the Case? 89

CHAPTER IX. Conclusion 247

The plan of this work is simple, and yet it is novel. In its distinctive features, it differs from any book that has yet been published. Although everything contained therein has perhaps been touched upon by different writers, such a mass of convincing facts in such comprehensive language on a subject of this kind has to my knowledge never found its way in any book, especially one of this size, on the market to-day. My purpose is to prove to the world that there is no more reason to be in fear of death or the hereafter than there is for a child to fear a bogy man, and that religion of every description as preached to this day is not only the bogy man's story for grown-ups, but that it is the curse of the human race. Many readers will call this strong language and a bold assertion, but I can assure my religious friends that the assertion is as true as it is strong or bold, and I am positive that if you read the different chapters of this work carefully, you will be convinced of this.

I have for several years studied the teachings of religion in general and that of the leading creeds in particular, and observed the effect this so-called message of God or great moral force has on the people the world over. This has convinced me that religion of all descriptions as taught and practised to this day is far from what it is pictured to us to be by its spokesmen or representatives, and that instead of it being an agency for good, it is an agency for evil. The great unrest in every part of the universe and the visible struggle of humanity for more light and the naked truth show that it is both necessary and timely to place such facts before the world which will awaken the human race from the death-like intellectual slumber in which false teachings, the fostering of superstition, and the persesecution suffered through centuries have left an overwhelming majority of the people to this day. This condition of the people is also the main cause for the misery prevalent in the world to-day.

In writing this book, I have therefore no other object in view than to expose the faulty if not criminal doctrines handed down to us through ages, and acquaint the world with a doctrine, if we call it such, where instead of superstition and blind faith in dogmatic assertions, reason and facts shall reign supreme. The existence of the old or present day doctrines of all religious creeds depends on blind faith, superstition, and the general ignorance of its adherents, for whenever spiritual light breaks in on one of them, there is one believer lost to that cult. The new doctrine, which will embrace every human being the world over, depends for its existence on truth and knowledge, the very things that spell death to the old-form religions, and therefore deserves the support of every honest man and woman. The history of all religious creeds is one of rapine and murder; it is so full of fiendish deeds that it makes one shudder to think thereof, and, what is more, many, if not all, of them would this very day, if given the opportunity, commit the same evil deeds as of old. I consider it high time that a true picture of their past be given to the world and a remedy proposed. In spite of all this damaging evidence, the representatives of these creeds tell us that religion is not a man-made affair, but a God-ordained work of mystery. These self-styled representatives of a God or Gods, knowing that the record of their creed will not bear investigation, leave no stone unturned in their effort to keep their followers in mental darkness, and they have so far been indeed successful.

They will undoubtedly issue so-called warnings and orders to their followers not to read this publication, as they have done many times before when they considered themselves in danger of losing their livelihood through the enlightenment of the people. But, in spite of the desperate effort these supposedly holy men are making to keep their followers in ignorance, I have the utmost confidence that the convincing arguments used and the many facts produced in this work will bring the desired result. The very people, religious reader, who will tell you that it is a sin to read this and similar books are the very first ones who read these forbidden publications. The reason the clergy do not want their followers to read books of this kind is because the information which these books impart is generally such that it makes the receiver thereof a subject more difficult to be deceived and consequently less willing to be shorn. These self-styled representatives of a God or Gods on earth would also have you believe that, because they make their living by preaching to others, they received special power of understanding, and are therefore able, nay, even entitled to dictate to others and do their thinking for them. I, therefore, appeal to you, dear reader, that whatever you may do, do not permit anyone to do your thinking for you, no matter what position he may hold, or how high he may stand in your estimation. This would mean nothing less than the giving up on your part of the greatest gift nature has bestowed upon you, and the only thing outside of your form which entitles you to a place among civilized human beings, namely, the power of thinking and reasoning. The preachers of all creeds and denominations are just as human as you and I, and their brains are made of the same material as those of all other people. Yes, it is safe to say that three-fourths of what they preach to others as the positive truth, they themselves know absolutely nothing about, and when pressed, they will admit this fact. They are also in every other respect no better than anyone else, and many of them are not half as good as most other people. Do not let them bluff you, dear reader, do your own thinking. Remember, all progress is due only to people who did their own thinking, and who were not afraid to learn from and discuss their ideas with others. Human beings who are either too lazy or too cowardly to think for themselves can have no share in the progress made. They are only dragged along. Remember, religious reader, we are living in the twentieth century, and not in the Middle Ages. Every man and woman in this enlightened age should read on every subject whether they agree with the writer or not, for as long as it is new to them, they will add to their store of knowledge.

While it is true that clergymen of all creeds, especially the orthodox ones, are in reality nothing more or less than misleaders of the people, and that many are unscrupulous individuals who use their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of their dupes, it is equally true that there are many good men among them. These last named clergymen detest the damnable work their position forces them to do and would give up that miserable business this very day, if they did not fear the scorn of their relatives and friends, or were sure of the means of a livelihood after leaving their present positions. To all such clergymen, to whatever creed they may belong, I offer my hand of fellowship and ask them to take courage and join me in the task of enlightening our fellow-men and women, instead of helping to keep them in mental darkness. An overwhelming majority of people the world over are not only ready to throw aside a doctrine based on blind faith and superstition and to embrace one based on truth and knowledge, but are anxiously waiting for an opportunity to join a movement of this kind. This in turn spells that those interested but unable to agitate by tongue or pen will gladly contribute their mite in support of those who can and will carry the true message of peace and brotherly feeling to all mankind. Come and join in the good work. To the clergymen or laymen who persist either through ignorance, cowardliness, or for other reasons best known to themselves in presenting to people as the truth what is not the truth, I throw my challenge to debate the question, either verbally in a public meeting or in the daily press. Will these supposed lovers of righteousness defend their position in public? We shall see. To awaken the human race from that dangerous mental slumber which to this day retards their intellectual development, and prove to them that many of their supposed friends are in reality their worst enemies, to banish superstition and hatred for our fellow-men from the minds and hearts of men and instill brotherly love, to make enlightenment reign supreme and bring about the true brotherhood of all mankind is my most earnest desire and my highest ambition.

Many able and well-meaning writers have robbed their own work of much good that it would otherwise have done by using big words and complicated expressions in expressing their views. Big words and high-sounding phrases are all very well when one writes exclusively for highly educated people, but their use is entirely out of place in a publication of any kind which is intended for all classes of society. While the educated man and woman derives the same benefit whether the writer of anything expresses himself in high-tone or plain everyday language, the hard-working and poorly educated man and woman in all walks of life will not be able to get the full meaning when they have to conuslt a dictionary several times on each page they read. It being my desire to reach and benefit every member of the human race and not only a small portion thereof, I have used throughout this book words and expressions so plain that I believe anyone at all able to read will find no trouble in grasping the full meaning thereof. I am not writing this book to make a name for myself, but for the sole and only purpose of helping my fellow-men and women the world over to escape from that mental slavery in which religion of all description holds the overwhelming majority of human beings to this very day. Therefore, I care not what critics may say in regard to my style of writing or words and expressions I use.

In conclusion I will make for the benefit of those readers who may think that the writer of these lines is a person who was raised as an unbeliever, the following statement, the truth of which can be easily ascertained : I was born and raised a strict Roman Catholic, served mass for four years, and came very near studying for the priesthood. A second cousin of mine is a priest for the last twenty-five years. Up to my twenty-second year, I was as religious as it is possible for one to be. I defended the Catholic church against all comers and to the best of my ability. The last occasion for this, I found in 1897 on board a ship on the way to Europe, where I locked horns with a Protestant minister who apologized for every word he had said against the Catholic church before a large number of men. He then asked me to enlighten him on the doctrines and usages of the Catholic church. This I did to the best of my ability. In my travels and studies, there was created within me without my realizing it, an everincreasing doubt as to the correctness of the religious teachings I had received, which soon matured in the firm conviction that they were wrong. For over a year, after having been thoroughly convinced of the untruthfulness of my early teachings, my conscience would not permit me to advocate my new belief, fearing that my deduction might after all not be correct and would mislead others. I spoke to a number of Jewish, Catholic and Protestant friends and acquaintances of my new convictions.

Each one of them gave me his advice as to how I could see the light again, as they termed it. This I obeyed to the letter in every case, for I wanted to learn the truth, no matter what it would disclose. After repeatedly praying on my knees for guidance from God, if there were a God in existence, to the truth and out of error, if I were in error, after reading verses from the Bible and listening to many sermons and heart-rending songs in Catholic and Protestant churches, I became each time more convinced than before of the correctness of my views. After going through every conceivable test for over a year in my endeavor to know the truth, I was not only more strongly convinced than ever that I was right, but I felt it to be my duty to impart my newly-found knowledge to my fellow-men and women. This I have done ever since at every opportunity with encouraging success. I will further state that no one human being in this world is responsible for my turn of mind. The convictions expressed by many and my own Observations are the only responsible factors. I will also state that I was at no time a supporter of any other religious creed than the one I was raised in, for all creeds now look alike to me. When I ceased being a supporter of the Roman Catholic church, I did not become what many call an unbeliever, but a critic of the harmful religious doctrines and a believer in and an advocate of the noblest and most natural doctrine ever expounded, namely, the true brotherhood of all mankind.

I would not have mentioned one word about myself were I not desirous of acquainting my readers with the fact that the author of this publication is not a born unbeliever, as many may surmise, but one who has experienced the advantages or disadvantages whatever one may term it of a strict religious training. Having tried to keep steadfastly in view the determination to write this work in an impartial spirit, to speak with respect of all parties mentioned herein, but never to conceal the truth, I commit it to the considerate judgment of the thoughtful reader.

J. K.

Chapter I

Is There in Existence a Conscious Supernatural Personality or God, Who Rules this Universe?

Before entering into the subject proper, I will announce that I am not opposed to all religion, good or bad, merely because of its name, as some may think, but that, on the contrary, it matters not to me what name any person or persons may see fit to give to any object or movement under the sun, I judge by the quality and results only. For instance, if a law should be passed that hereafter beefsteak must be called manure, and manure beefsteak, would that new name make a piece of good quality beefsteak worth less as a nutriment than under the old name, or would the new name make manure into anything better than it was before ? You will answer in one chorus : No. A name when applied to any religious movement makes just as little difference as the names made in the two objects mentioned above, at least as far as I am concerned. Every religious system in existence claims for itself the ultimate object of bringing about the brotherhood of man. The fundamental principle of the Christian religion is : Love thy neighbor as thyself. But it also makes no difference what institutions or individuals lay claim to. Actions and the results thereof speak for themselves and louder than words can do.

In dealing with the subject before me, I shall give to religion, as a whole, due credit for all the good it did in the past or is doing to-day. Before going to the kernel of our subject, let us look into the real meaning of four words often recklessly used, but little understood, namely, religion, faith, believer, and unbeliever. Webster's dictionary defines religion as any system of faith or worship ; love and obedience toward God. Now, my friends, what is there in that definition that should make it so dreadful for one not to be religious? Let us examine. Religion is any system of faith or worship. We have very many systems of faith or worship, all established and managed by mere men and women, of which each claims to be the only right one. Which one shall we support if it be absolutely necessary to support one? Religion means love and obedience toward God. Again I must ask what is there in a name, and, in this case, a name by which we know nothing, but merely imagine something. A thousand different people have each a different idea of what God is, and, in fact, we can give the name God to many things, as the definition in the dictionary will show us. God is a supernatural being conceived of as possessing

Supernatural Being or God?

divine powers and attributes ; idol ; a person or thing deified or honored to excess. So much for the definition of what God is. In a later chapter, I shall prove that the God theory is only an imagination at its best.

Now, my friends, what harm can there be in not loving or obeying when we really do not know whether the object of our love or obedience is in existence or not? I shall use the following illustration to make still clearer to you, religious reader, what it means to believe or not believe. Let us place before us a young man who was raised from infancy in a charitable institution, and who had just been released therefrom to step into the world, so to speak, and earn his own livelihood. While in the institution, the words father and mother were never mentioned to him, although he often thought of them and wondered who his parents were, and where they might be. But as soon as he is able to provide for himself, and perhaps for others as well, a man who claims to be a representative of his parents calls upon him and speaks thus : "Your father and mother have sent me here to tell you that they insist on you sending them, through me, their representative, not less than Two Dollars per week. Your parents also told me to tell you that, if you do as directed, they will reward you, and, for failure to do so, you will receive severe punishment." When the young man hears the names father and mother mentioned and learns that they are interesting themselves in him, he becomes very joyful and asks the man who called on him where his parents are, and expresses the desire to see and speak to them. The self-styled representative tells the young man that it is impossible to see his parents, or even know where they keep themselves, but that he must obey the orders given through him their representative without asking any questions, or suffer the consequences. The young man in turn assures his caller that he is willing to make any possible sacrifice for his parents' sake and begs again for the privilege of meeting them personally. Again he receives the same reply as before. Now the young man becomes suspicious and speaks to the supposed representative in this manner : "I don't believe that you are a representative of my parents, but an imposter, and I believe you know absolutely nothing about them. Furthermore, I am sure that, if my father and mother were alive and knew of my whereabouts, they would gladly permit me to deal with them personally. I, therefore, will not obey any orders given by you and am not afraid of the punishment you claim will be the result of disobedience."

In exactly the same position that this young man stands to his parents and this selfstyled representative of theirs, we common folks, we know-nothing sheep, stand to the God preached to us and his supposed representatives on this earth. Had this young man blindly believed what his caller told him and obeyed his orders, he would be, from a religious standpoint, a good loyal believer. Whereas, since he made use of his thinking apparatus, discovered the imposter, and refused to be fooled by him, he is considered an unbeliever. These selfstyled apostles of a God or Gods know absolutely nothing about the God or Gods they preach to us. It is their way of making a living, dear reader, nothing more and nothing less.

So much for not being a believer or not being religious. Let us now consider faith. Webster's dictionary defines faith as follows: Belief ; trust in another ; the assent of the mind to divine revelations ; fidelity ; a system of doctrines or tenets. Readers, look over the array of proof that there is absolutely nothing steadfast or deserving of conisderation about the word faith. It simply implies that to have faith means to trust in or take for truth what someone else sees fit to convey to you, to bring your mind to that point where it is willing to accept something for truth without having any facts whatever to base your trust on. This shows us that to have faith means to imagine something, and nothing else. By defining faith, we have practically also a definition for belief or believer, for both faith and belief practically stand for the same thing. A believer is one who accepts as true something not actually proven ; one who adheres to a religious faith. Again, my friends, we see that there is no importance at all in being a believer, for it signifies nothing more than that one takes something for granted without even having a semblance of proof. In other words, he brings his mind to imagine that something, which was told to him, is the truth. The last of the four words, unbeliever, is now easy to define. It simply means a person who refuses to take something as the truth because someone tells him to imagine that it is so, and who demands proof for everything he is asked to accept as true. Can you blame him, religious reader? The whole can be summed up in these few words. The believer permits a fool or knave to make a fool of him ; the unbeliever refuses that pleasure to either the fool or the knave.

Having shown, first, that religion is not the holy article some people would like us to believe it to be ; second, that to be a believer does not signify the goodness and holiness, and to be an unbeliever, the dishonesty and devilishness generally ascribed to each, I hope that the following will be read with less bias than it would have been, had I neglected to make this fact clear. We will now investigate at close range the question we have asked ourselves: Namely, is there in existence a conscious, supernatural personality, or God, who rules this universe, and we may add who demands and deserves to be loved and honored by all mankind ? It is my purpose to show that the one and only God of the Jews, the Christians, and the Mohammedans is in the same box with the manifold Gods of the Confucionists and Buddhists.

In this chapter, however, I will content myself with exposing the one-God theory only, for two reasons : Firstly, it will make the word-

Supernatural Being or God?

ing less confusing, and it will enable the reader to grasp the full import of the arguments more easily ; secondly, if I succeed in proving the one-God theory to be a man-invented delusion, then I have also proven the plural-God theory to be such.

To approach this subject correctly, we must ask ourselves, first of all, this question : Have the advocates of the God theory ever told us with a reasonable certainty, what or who this supposedly great and grand something called God is? For surely it is the most natural thing in the world for anyone who is told about the existence of something, the truth of which cannot be conveyed to him by any of his five senses, to ask what it is. In order that the charge may not be brought against me, that I am not presenting my opponent's side in a fair and impartial way, I will let them do the speaking themselves. The authority which I select will, I believe, be accepted by its friends and foes alike, as a worthy one. For, no matter how many crimes or errors may be attributed to the Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, it must be admitted, that the really important members thereof are a highly educated body of men, who, when speaking or writing in their own behalf for the public to read or hear, will spare no pains to make the case for themselves at least look its best. Yes, it is the very best they can produce, their masterpiece. I would have gladly selected the writings of an older creed as an authority, but I am not familiar with the Hebrew language, and by reading ever so many books, written and translated into both English and German, I find no answer to the question under discussion equal to the one I selected. I refer to the book entitled "Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church" published with the consent of the Catholic church in the United States in 1888, approved by Pope Leo XIII, and endorsed by not less than twenty-five bishops, archbishops, and cardinals.

The answer to our question appears in the above publication on page fifty-one under the heading "The Existence of God." Under a better heading one could surely not expect to find the information we are looking for, and what is more, the author thereof tells us right at the beginning that a clear and intelligent view of God is one of the first requisites for all of us at this day, of which I certainly approve. This statement, from their own lips, as it were, shows that they admit, surprising as it may seem, that a layman has a right to inquire into, and to request an explanation on matters of this kind. We have surely a right, after seeing the above bold statement in print, to expect an answer so plain and so accurate that no one at all able to read and think can fail to understand who this God, which they promise to describe, really is or of what he consists. Below you will find the article in question reproduced word for word under its own heading. I advise you to read it not once, but several times, to make sure you have grasped the full meaning thereof.

Is There in Existence a Conscious THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

"A clear and intelligent view of God is one of the first requisites for all of us at this day ; and it is just this view which the Catholic catechism gives, and which all the wise men of the world seem unaccountably to miss.

" 'God is unspeakable/ says Saint Augustine ; 'it is easier to say what he is not, than to express what he is. Neither the earth nor the sea is God. Nothing that is found in the sea or that moves through the air is God. What shines in the heavens, the stars, the sun, the moon, all this is not God. Heaven itself is not God. Would you know what he is? He is what eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, what it hath not entered the heart of man to conceive.' The reason why it is impossible for us to express in sufficiently clear terms the idea of God springs from his infinite perfection, which elevates him above all that our senses and mind can grasp. Yet, we say that he is the greatest, the most perfect being, and it is as such that we conceive him ; but we must beware of classing him, as it were, with other beings. In order to give a more precise idea, we call God an infinitely perfect spirit, the Creator and the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth; but in using these terms we must not liken him to spirits in whom thoughts, sentiments, and desires are subject to continual changes. God is a spirit, but a spirit alone of his kind. He is an infinitely perfect spirit, which has existed without beginning, who is subject to no kind of change, who possesses existence in himself with all possible perfections in the highest degree/'

Now that you have read the article, which starts in by telling us that it is, first of all, necessary to have a clear and intelligent view of God, I hope the explanation contained therein has not disappointed you. I hope that after you read that God is unspeakable, that he is neither the earth nor the sea, that he is not what is in the heavens, the stars, the moon, or the sun, the following emphasized sentence did not make you think that this great and reliable authority has explained nothing, in fact, that it is impossible for him to explain anything on that subject because he knows absolutely nothing about it. "The reason why it is impossible for us to express in sufficiently clear terms the idea of God springs from his infinite perfection, which elevates) him above all that our senses and mind can grasp." The oftener I read the article in question, especially the above sentence and one or two others, the more it convinces me that that great explanation, which does not explain, has, on the vast majority of readers, if not on all, the same effect that it has on me. That is to say, they know just as much about the existence of a God after they have read, reread and studied it as they knew before.