american atheist magazine (january 1964)

8/10/2019 American Atheist Magazine (January 1964)

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M E R I C A R T I E I S T

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V o l.

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I n T h i s I s s u e . .

N E W S

N E W S C O P E

P R A Y F O R P E A C E

G O D

T H E M A G I C S E V E N

L E T T E R S T O Y E E D IT O R

B O O K O F T H E M O N T H

E D I T O R I A L

T h e S t a f f . .


3/28

The news presented in these columns, which

fills approximately one half of the magazine, is

chosen to demonstrate to you, month after month,

that the dead reactionary hand of religion is al-

ways with you. It dictates how much tax you

pay, what food you eat and when, with whom you

sleep, if you should have children, if you die in

concentration camps, if you are segregated in

some manner from other human beings, what you

read, what movies you see, and what you should

or should not believe about life. Religion is

politics and always the most reactionary politics.

W e editorialize our news to emphasize the

above thesis. Unlike any other magazine or neto s-

paper in America ~~we admit it

e H U R C H V O T E S T A X G I F T

Although America's churches have been for

many years tax exempt in violation of the legal

and constitutional principle of separation of

church and state, one church in Des Moines,

Iowa, has decided it wants to pay something for

the services for which others are taxed.

N e w s

fees for exclusive stories and pic

father is still employed and the fam

be faring very well without tax relief

that available to anyone and everyone

Roman Catholic family should be si

base discrimination against all oth

especially families which are larg

Fischer family.

Just because predominantly Rom

Canada favored the Dionne quintup

reason why our country should favor

cause of the actions of nature, and b

are Roman Catholic. Many people in

States could use a special tax relief

their group - particularly the aged

fixed income.


4/28

the defense of a fellow preacher whose life was

threatened after he said there had been applause

in a Dallas public school classroom when a

teacher announced Pres ident Kennedy had been

shot. Each minister has come up with the name

of at least one high school student or teacher

who had witnessed cheering in the Dallas class-

rooms when the shooting was announced.

The threatened Methodist minister, Rev.

William Holmes made his statement on a national

television program on November 26th. Within five

minutes after the interview the network's station

received an outpouring of telephoned threats on

Mr. Holmes' life and a warning that the station

would be blown up. Police threw up a protective

net around the station. Five squad cars went to

the minister's home, shut off his telephone, set

up a guard on the grounds and took his wife and

two small sons to an undisclosed place. As of

December 2nd the family had not been allowed

to return home.

Neither of Dallas' two newspapers has re-

ported any of this--the bomb threat or the mur-

attorney who was a disciple of Robe

soll, agnostic leader. Walser, who

ficer in the Union Army, went to

after the war. He became the Barton

superintendent of schools, later

attorney and then a member of the

A land speculator, he dreamed of

of churches where a man might purs

of thought or belief without interferen

plaint. He acquired land on the prai

east of the Kansas line. Libera I's C

became the site of a large pavilion

theater, with an open stage, and a w

trac k.

G. W. Baldwin, an Atheist finan

host of other Atheists, agnostics, f

and later - spiritualists, joined

Walser established the Instruction

the Liberal Normal School and Busin

which later merged with the new

University. Classes were held at th

Mental Liberty Hall. Famed medium

seances in Spiritualist Hall.


5/28

bership encompassing Hthe majority of the

town's 612 residents.

W E I N S I G N I F I C A N T F E W

Rev. Albert Cavanaugh, minister of evangel-

ism at Central Methodist Church, 1875 North

Central Street, and Hev. C. Vaughan Rock, pas-

tor of the First Southern Baptist Church, 1202 N.

Third St., both in Phoenix, Arizona were asked

recently if Atheists are more outspoken against

religion than previously, or whether they have

become tranquil because they fear social sanc-

tions.

Atheists probably have a harder time today

getting a platform. People just are not interested

in listening to them. , Mr. Cavanaugh said. lie

said Atheism had never been an important. move-

ment and he dismissed U. S. Atheists as an in-

significant' group. He added that social s anc-

tions against Atheists have decreased in recent

years. He felt that An Atheist would enjoy

it

if society used pressures against him. They're

oddballs, anyway. He was not convinced that

the Russian Molcke n Christian H

Jumpers faith. The driver contends

tor Vehicles Code deprives him of

tional right to freedom of worship si

believes photography a violation of

of the Bible:

Thall shalt not make unto thee

images or any likeness of anything

heaven above, or that is in the ea

or thai is in the water under the eart

The pastor of the Old Romanski

which Mr. Shubin is a member explain

Molokans migrated from Czarist

19U5 to 1914 to live in a land with

just.ice for all. The main body of th

grated to Los Angeles and the ma

sect lives there.

F R E E D O M O F T H E P R E S S

Protestants United of Washington,

month released a statement in reg

difficulties in purchasing advertising


6/28

A L L I A N C E F O R W H A T

The United States is aiding Columbia's Pub-

lic School system through the Alliance for Pro-

.gre ss . In 1962 the aid was $3,500,000 in grants.

In the public schools Colombian children are

taught to hate and sus pect Protestants as en-

emies of the Fatherland. No Protestant may be

employed as a teacher or Principal in the public

schools.

A recent study by the Evangelical Confeder-

ation of Columbia reveals that the public

schools there are more parochial than the pri-

vate schools of the Roman Catholic Church in

the United States.

Many North Americans, including non-believ-

ers, are concerned over this aid to the Colom-

bian public schools as they are presently organ-

ized. They and we believe that aid should be

given in accordance with the United States

principle of separation of Church and State.

ation on the ground that he would b

persecution if forced to return to

But, under the ruling now given b

Supreme Court, He must be deporte

slavia and face trial for crimes again

country.

Artukovic is a Catholic and he ha

to get Catholic support such as Luk

the former supreme knight of the Knig

umbus. Yet, the Vatican has recorde

officially over the wholesale murder

Protestants under his direction. T

bishop of Mostar commenting on the m

Small wonder ... the conversion o

dox to Catholocism has been a compl

if

the Lord had granted the competent

more understanding and the commo

car.ry out the conversions with mo

less violence, the number of Cath

have increased at least 500,000 and

lics in Bosnia and Herzegovina would

from 700,000 to 1,300,000.


7/28

purpose of the clinic was to have been to help

families who rely on the Hospital services

(those on welfare) to have the same family plan-

ning advice available to those with greater in-

comes. Those who asked for it would have been

given instruction in contraceptive methods, in-

cluding the rhythm method which has the ap-

proval of Roman Catholic authorities.

It was assumed that the clinic would pay for

itself in a practical way by cutting the number

of deliveries of babies handled at taxpayers

I

ex-

pense by the County Hospital. The obstetrical

department is overcrowded, a condition which

threa tens its accred ita tion.

Dr. Karl Meyer, head of Cook County medical

institutions said that space could be made avaiL

able at the hospital complex for the clinic. Med-

ical authorities believe family planning is part

of good medicine. And so, in an unbelievable

move Cook County Board members deferred ac-

tion, unanimously, until after the December 1st

deadline given by the donor - thus killing the

project

I n this manner they declined to talk over the

arguments in favor of the clinic or even to put

that we quote them in full.

The revolution in ethical thinking of Prote

tants has occurred with such speed that m

Catholics seem unaware that contraception is

longer in Protestant eyes an evil thing, but m

be a good, virtuous and even holy action,

manded by the changed conditions of modern

and commended by the vast majority of phy

cians.

The failure to recognize this revolution in P

testant ethical and religious thought leaves n

a few Catholic laboring under the erroneous im

pression that their views on contraception st

reflect the moral concensus of virtually t

whole Christian community.

It is this cultural lag-the failure to appreciat

the radical change in Protestant thinking--tha

partly explains

their occasional recourse to t

police power of the state to suppress contracep

tive birth-control practices, advertis ing a

clinics.

Father O'Brien noted that there are 300 d

nominations represented in the nation's re

gious life and they must learn to live together.


8/28

A W A K E W IT N E S S E S

Awake is the semimonthly magazine pub-

lished by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Socie-

ty of New York, Inc. (117 Adams St.k Brooklyn

1, New York) The Watchtower Society is the

voice of the Assemblies of Jehovah's Witnesses.

In Volume XLIV, Number 16 they print a four

page article titled Bible Reading - But Not in

School in defense of the Supreme Court De-

cision.

They ask how the decision stands in the light

of the Holy Bible and answer in this vein:

For true Christians it (the decision) merely un-

derscores what the Bible clearly teaches-that it

is the parents' res ponsibility to teach their

children true worship. This is made clear not on-

ly in the Hebrew Scriptures but in the Christian

Greek Scriptures where fathers are told: Go on

bringing them up in the discipline and authorita-

tive advice of Jehovah. (Eph , 6:4; Deut. 6:6,7)

Christians are not to sidestep their God-given re-

s pons ibil

ity ,

trying to turn it over to schools or

. When children are coerced by law

tion, custom or other pressures to exp

cept a faith that is neither theirs

their parents, their humanity is denied

When men are turned away from G

because of the color of their skin, th

ity is denied. When men, women and

cause of their color, are berated, b

bombed for trying to vote, to get an

buy a house, or be served in a pu

their humanity is denied.

The letter, entitled Of Judgment

c iliation was signed on behalf of

by Rev. Silas G. Kessler, moderator

hundred seventy-fifth General Assemb

Rev. Theophilus M. Taylor, Secret

General Council.

A N D T H E U . S . C O N G R E S S

Proposals in the House of Represe

force a vote on a Constitutional ame

mitting prayers and Bible reading


9/28

prisoner's right to receive the Holy Quran, bible

of the Mus lims. The petitioner, Thomas Cooper,

age 31, who was sentenced to two one hundred

year terms ten years ago after a tavern killing,

had asked the court to be permitted to receive

Mus lim literature.

Appeals Judge F. Ryan Duffy brazenly fts-

serted the denial was based on certain social

studies which purport to show that the Muslims

are not a religious movement, but one dedicated

to the overthrow of the white race.

L O V E T H Y N E IG H B O R

In Seattle, Washington, an ordinance has been

proposed for opening housing so that discrimina-

tion because of race or creed would beprohib-

ited. Opposition was expected, but the type of

opposition and the direction it has taken is un-

usual.

Rev. Thomas W. Miller, minister of the Cal-

vary Bible Presbyterian Church, has appointed

himself 'the voice' of the conservative religious

B U T T H E f t E A R E S O f l , 1 E S A N E C

Canon John Poarce-H iggins o

Cathedral, Church of England, in

icized the

Brhle

this fall as a record

wrong history and unfulfi l.ed propheci

I cons idc.r the pre seri. use of the

by the average Christian teacher to

greatest obstacles to hunan brotherh

terracial understanding that exists.

said.

He as ket' his re llow clergy if

help but ask theruse lve: what ev

have that the Bible is any more or le

of God than any of the other anc in

of the world, or even ot any other

s pirational contribution or record

know ledge and experience.

There is too much fo.rgy pleading

argued, am or.g Christ ian r.polog ists ,

defend either the r.uth or icy of the

authority of the church as the prop


10/28

collect $10.3 million for new buildings and en

dowment for that Catholic College. The millions

sought in direct gifts is supplemented (Sister

Maria Renata, president of the College says) by

the $2,550,000 loan the college received in June

from the federal government to finance the dining

hall and the first residence hall.

Now the announcement has been released

that Studebaker Corporation is quitting South

Bend, and in fact the United States. The last

day of scheduled work was in the third week of

December. Since South Bend's economy was

dominated by this industry, we worry a little a-

bout the church college's drive. If they cannot

milk the now-unemployed-ex-Studebaker workers

will they go back to the federal government for

more loan money to complete their building,

and thus dip into our pockets and yours?

G O O D B Y E D R . S I L V E R

We can, with confidence, say 'Goodbye' to

Dr. Silver, for he is certain now to be booted out

of his job as professor of history at the Univer-

In the past year many preachers

ministerial groups have made courage

but the church as a whole has placed

with the status quo, he said.

O U T O F T H E IR O W N M O U T H

If one sits bac k and observes the

generally convict themselves out o

mouths. For instance, a year long

just been completed by Rev. Conrad

executive secretary of the Luther

Board of Theological Education on th

Talent of Divinity Students.

The study has uncovered a serio

academic talent among Divinity st

Bergendoff reported:

We have long lived under the

that the ministry has attracted the

college graduates. It comes as a sh

fore to find in all our seminaries th

1962-1963 only 117 students out of

an average of A from their college.


11/28

At the same time he appealed to bishops for

a greater' severity in the selection of student

priests to prevent deplorable defections of

some ministers from the sanctuary . He reiter-

ated that those called to be priests must live in

v irgina I chas tity and be ready to sacrifice

not a few legitimate desires of nature in order to

faithfully fulfill their tasks of good pastors.

While talking in this vein, Pope Paul did not

explain the papal cultural policy of nephews

and nieces . In recent history, since it is vul-

gar for the Popes to acknowledge their sons and

daughters as their lusty predecessors did - open-

ly - the custom has arisen to designate their off-

s pring as nephews and nieces.

The fornication producing the children is

most probably 'virginal chastity' with a 'magic

wand'.

B U T T H E M E T H O D IS T S

But the Methodists were unhappy with their

flocks Bishop James K. Mathews, of Boston, in

Board believes (sic) that road mon

paving roads, driveways and parkin

our churches and schools is one of

most appreciated ways of spending o

ey.

The County has done ... paving

improvement at each of the followin

during the past year (1963):

Mt. Bethel Church, Lime's Spr

Mt. Zion Church, Verbena Methodi

Verbena Colored Church, Verbena B

orium, Clanton Church of Christ, P

ley Baptist Church, Bethsalem Bap

Kingdom Hall, First Baptist Church

Pinedale Church, Jemison Church

Big Springs Colored Church, New Sa

Church.

Plans are either complete or in

to place many more of our fine churc

paved roads or do driveway and

work within the next six to twelve

They are as follows: The Oak Grove


12/28

O N L Y IN B A L T IM O R E

Maryland is an infamous state. It is the home

of Cambridge where the National Guard had to

stop racial riots and Gwynn Oak Park where

civil rights were defied and even clergymen

jailed en masse. It is the site of the legal and

physical harassment of the Murrays for three

years ..... and so, wouldn't one expect a Consti-

tutional Prayer Foundation to be spawned there?

Wouldn't one expect the Superintendent of Pub-

lic Schools to be one of the incorporators? That

is exactly what happened. Francis Burch, city

solicitor who fought and lost the Bible-Prayer

case is chairman and co-founder.

In something akin to a second grade movie

plot, the Foundation is staffing names on its

Board of Directors. William Randolph Hearst Jr.

editor-in-chief, The Hearst Newspapers, an-

nounced his support of the foundation recently.

Also, directorships have been accepted by:

**His Excellency James Pike, Bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of the State of California.

**Governor Love of Colorado.

**Governor Fanin of Arizona

**Governor Carvel of Delaware

**Attorney General of Maryland Thomas Finan.

E X P L O IT T M E L IT T L E C H IL D R E N

The National Information Bureau, the n

leading advisor on philanthropy recently

an evaluation of Boys' Town, Nebraska,

a tone of discouragement it advised that

Town has refused all requests for audited

cial statements and budgets. Said the NIB:

Requests for information have been

pletely ignored. It continues to fail to me

minimum standards of your Bureau. It

Actually, Boys' Town is so rich that it

barrassed to give out financial statements.

estimate of the worth of Boys' Town by

ities in the field range from $24,000,00

$40,000,000. The Boys' Town accommodate

bout 900 boys. In other words, it has asse

at. least, but most probably in excess

$30,000 per boy.

Some years ago a legis lative inquiry

charity rackets showed that more than

all money received at Boys' Town was go

to the hands of the solicitation promoters.

then, Boys' Town has discontinued the

the high pressure promoter, but not the u

his technique. Boys' Town does its ow

raising.


13/28

N e w s c o p e

Congress has passed and President Johnson

has signed a one and a quarter billion College

Aid Bill.

The bill, authoriz ing money for grants and

loans over the next three years, was passed, 54

to 27, over the protests of senators who objected

to its provision for aid to church-related colleges

and

UII

ivers ities .A

A floor fight on the college aid bill was led

by Senators Ervin


14/28

Business Machines (IBM) Corp., and United ten years. J. C. Cantrell, their execut

Fruit Company Wine, Beef and Trading Stamps , .tary says their lease-backs are an

:}: 'hedge: against inflation. These pro

St. Andres Church, Chicago, owns Holly-

;'0;

eluding super-markets and service sta

wood Roosevelt and Sacramento EI Rancho ho- vided 17% of the foundation's 1962

tels purchased for $10 million. come of $2.8 million.

St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass,'Colo-,

rado raises Hereford cattle' for its own use, but

markets about 300 surplus head a year at the

Denver stock market.

Christian Brothers of California (owned by

De La Salle Institute) largest manufacturers of

commercial brandy in the United States, claimed

exemption from profit taxes because it was a

church and the property belonged to the Pope:

U. S. District Judge Sherril Harlbert, Sacramen-

to, California, on July 24, 1961, stated that the

Internal Revenue Service had been too lenient to '

religious orders by adopting a regulation exemp-

ting subsidiary corporations owned by such or-

ders and he ld the winery liable for $489,000 tax-

es for years 1952, 1953 and 1956. The winery

appealed from this Federal Court decision.

Three Bloomington,' Illinois, ch

First Baptist, First Christian and Se

byterian started a hotel business w

spending a penny - using the X mon

membership pledge manuever outlined

g inning of this article. They purchase

Biltmore Hotei from Hilton Hotels Co

(Hilton is pledged to put prayer back

The hotel was then leased back to t

tion. The last heard, the profit to th

was $450,000. This hotel is in Dayto

The First Church (Congregational)

mont, New Hampshire, operates a lau

.~ .

First Methodist Church, Chicago,

operates Chicago Temple. ~'22 stor

rented commercially'to lawyers, 'pro


15/28

786 acres and 14 industrial buildings for invest-

ment and development purposes.

Many of the Mormon bus ines ses are set up as

separate corporations, but most often Zion Se-

curities Corporation handles the business enter-

prises. The Mormons' pride themselves on pay-

ing property and corporate income taxes, but the

Church pays no income taxes on d ivfdends from

business activities.

A religious sect called the Self-Realization

Fellowship, operating its own bus iness direct-

ly, made so much money on the Mushroomburg-

er Restaurant in Hollywood that it opened an-

other one in Encinitas, California.

In Milbank, South Dakota, United' Brethern

Church sells bread and cheese.

A religious press prints for Scott Tissue or- -

ganization in Harrisburg, Penna.

A religious press prints Top Value Stamps in

Original value of real estate

paid by Catholics

Original value of real estate .

paid by Protestants .

A run down of tax exempt prop

churches looks something like th

percentage given as that percent

able property.

Pennsylvania:

Ohio

California

Maryland

New Jersey

..... 14%

...... 14.9

13.5

17.

18.

We have one question. When ch

merica have 'gift' incomes alone of

ly $4.5 billion a year, when they h

from businesses -- really only touc

bove, why should they need thi

windfall from the College Aid Bill?


16/28

P r a y f o r P e a c e

by Jack B rady

Jack Brady has been in newspaper work most

of his adult life and published a newspaper of

his own for nine years.

After many years of research and observation

of the Priest-King fraud, Brady concludes that

the very foundation of today's so-called

ciuili-

zation is founded upon fraud and exploitation.

It is Brady's opinion that it is man's pocketbook

that makes man an animal of note, and without,

the pocketbook, man would go through life as un-

noticed as a den of ants.

of the church. I remarked that

Empire of the German nation no

and that conditions had changed.

to his word. The Pope assured

Catholic subjects would stand by

solute fidelity in good times and

And they did. The Roman C

gave wholehearted support to the

dorsing its ruthless methods and

aims of the Junker class. Its C

so called because it happened


17/28

Central powers would win, and changed it ~

course only in the last few months of the

CO]t-

flict.

This position of the Roman Catholic; church

was in line with her policy. Thus the Homiletic

and Pastoral Review of May,

1949

states, Ail

sorts of private individuals may feel that a given

war is unjustifiable; but that is scarcely enough

to justify them in refusing to fight and. undergo-

ing the consequences therefor. Roman Cath c-

lies in the United States who have claimed con-

scientious objection have had their claims voic-

ed by the courts on the grounds that their church

did not support their position .(3) No wonder,

then, that Abrams, author of Preachers Present

Arms , said he was unable to locate a s iuglc

priest who had scruples against World War 1.

That the major blame for World War II must be

laid at the feet of totalitarianism, and es pec ia l-

ly Nazism, is well known. But not equally we'I

known is the fact that the Roman Cathol ic

church played the leading role in Nazifying Ger-

many. This, however, should not seem s ingulcr

in view of the success of dictators in Italy, Spa in

I'ope Pius XII did not reconfirm t

n.ent, Pope John XXIII did so, much

sternation of the West German governm

German Roman Catholics (9), but pe

Adenauer, as he, when Lord Mayor o

1929,

sent his congratulations to

s ign ing the Lateran Treaty, telling

name will be written into the history

Homan Catholic church in golden lett

Further, it was a Roman Catho

Stae

mpf le ,

a man of learning and

editor who took Hitler's manuscript

,

Kampf and spent months in rewriting

Trlg

it. so as to make it an effective

for Nazi propaganda.

(11)

Particularly vital was the role

Catholic Center Party played in Hitl

rower. I ts chancellors, Dr. Bruening

yon Papen, together with its head M

japa

l prelate and professor Ecclesiasti

at Bonn paved the way over a period

years for Hitler to take over. (12)


18/28

lira, and recognized the Roman Catholic church

as the State church, in turn the Church made a

number of concessions to Mussolini (13).

These Concordats gave Mussolini and Hitler

great advantages. Each held the Roman Catholic

church to its side of the bargain. Especially use-

ful to the Dictators were these Concordats in

World War II. Then history repeated itself, for

the Roman Catholic church again vigorously sup-

ported the war on both sides.

The foregoing should be sufficient to show

how much the Roman Catholic Church is re-

sponsible in relation to the two World Wars and

the Nazi and Fascist terrors.

Does our present Pope really mean to pray

for peace?

References

1. The Case of Dr. Bruening, Bernh

pp. 15-79.

2. The Vatican and the War, Camille

p.325.

3. Hitler, Konrad Heiden, p. 10.

4. The Christian Century, Nov. 17,

5 .. Wiesbadener Tagblatt, Feb.

28,

1

6. Die Weit, June 11, 1960, p. 17

7. Commandant of Auschwitz, Rud

p 17.

8. New York Times, May II, 1960,

p

9. Minneapolis, Minnesota Star, Nov.

10. Hamburger Fremdblatt, Feb. 12,

11. Hitler and I, Otto Strasser, pp.

12. Lewiston, Maine, Evening Journa

1959.

13. Documents on International Affa

pp. 216/241.

14. Documents on International Aff

pp. 442-452.


19/28

Reader's Digest

for October,

lS3Q .,

carrie: a

reprint of a December, 19'f6, article on sev m

p.oofs of God. The Plain 'I'rut'i, Fe bn.arv , 19;'0,

c.irries a similar art ic le which offe: s seven s

U-

i.ar proofs. Let's examine the] 1.

Number 1 - Natural Law. There are de fin te

immutable laws that govern the umvers e , Lavs

require a lawgiver, therefore God must have

wade these laws.

Comment: There seems to be a c nfusion h.re

between 'laws' and laws '. Nat r 1 lav.s , s

c.ch

as gravity, are not legislated into e. istence like

traffic laws. Nor can they be revoked.

A

sc i-n-

tist observes an apple fall. After sufficient such

observations we call this the 'law of gravity' It

is merely an observance of something that has

happened enough times in a certain way that we

can be fairly certain it will happen in the same

manner next time. A human made law tries to ;:re-

vent things from happening.

The first error is one of logic - an attempt to

compare apples with oranges (natural with human

laws). The second error is the assumption tl. it

God must have made the laws. Why not a Murti m,

s utes all sorts of facts about it.

You see, he says, if this thing di

live such and so, it would not exist, ther

Cod

must have given it this quality.

Consider this: did you ever notice h

r

ors es legs are just exactly the right l

breach from its body to the ground?

1 gs were shorter they would not touch, a

t

.ey were longer they would dig into the gr

1 he legs are exactly the right length, there

(od must have given them to the horse.

:f

course, but it is the basis of many relig

a .guments , such as the two we have just e

i

ed.

Number

3 -

Animal Instinct. Geese fly s

hhe winter. Homing pigeons have built

dar. Instinct keeps animals alive. God must

given it to them.

Comment: This is the horse and legs

n.ent

again, in different clothes, No proof

f red for anything. There is just the blunt

rr.ent God did it. God should sue for sla


20/28

Number 6 - Economy o f nature. It is so amaz-

ing how God provides checks and counterchecks

in nature to prevent one species from overrun-

ning the earth.

Comment: Again? The same argument de-

serves the same answer. There is an added c om-

ment. The checks provided (by what?) have not

been adequate. Many species have become ex-

tinct, and at the moment man is very apt to over-

run the earth. He should get out of bed once in

awhile and try to make this a better life for liv-

ing, not make more life to crowd out living.

Number 7 - The idea of God. The fact that

man alone of all creatures can conceive of God

must prove his existence. Since- our minds are

bound to our environment we cannot possibly

think of things which are not in that environment.

Comment: At long last, we are given a dif-

ferent argument. It is so obviously fallacious

that we need not spend much time with it. Man

has conceived of all sorts of things that do not

exist, such as: goblins, witches, flying dragons,

Santa Claus, bug-eyed monsters. Thinking of

such things in no way proves their existence.

One can conceive of having a beautiful mansion,

a million dollars in the bank, and one's own pri-

vate rocket to the moon. This is a far cry from

deteriorating does not indicate that it

made simultaneously, or that it was 'm

ell.

2 -

Design.

This is the claim that eve

in the universe operates in a certain way

sign requires a designer - hence, God.

the basic argument that most religious

use. Let us examine it once more.

Comment: Logic infers that if a comple

like the universe requires a designer, me

cause it is complex, it must have been d

by something more complex than it. Henc

had a designer, ad infinitum.

It is claimed that the universe operate

does because it was designed by God.

ample: the moon circuits the earth in 28

not 27 or 29, but 28. We can even pred

the phases of the moon. Because the moo

consistant, it is claimed that it must hav

designed to be so. Stop for a moment an

imagine any motion of the moon about w

would be impossible to claim a design.

moon revolved around the earth for 1

reversed orbit for 3 hours, rushed offjto

6 weeks, and behaved very erratically,

this disprove design? Not in the least

would simply say,


21/28

thing and it will not hurt them. Have a drink of

arsenic and then pray that it will not harm you.

This is 'kind of' drastic - but they say they be-

lieve in prayer.

Not one of the arguments given is valid proof

of the existence of God. The usual re tort is,

All right, if you do not accept any of our ar-

guments then you prove that God does not exist.

Now isn't that just like a Christian?

said that God did not exist. I simply s

was no evidence to indicate such an e

If the Christian says God exists, then

him to prove it. So far, he has not don

spite this fact, priests and ministers

take money from their flock under

tenses. They falsely claim that the exi

God has been proven. It has not.

STATEMEN T

OF

OWN ERSHIP , MAN AGEMEN T AN D

IRUL TION

(Act of October23, 1962: Section 4369. Title 39, United States Code)

-

1 DAlE OF FIl NG I _/Q 6 3 1

2

. TITlE OF PUBlICATION

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~~v

\4. LOCATION OF KNOWN OFFICE OF PUBLICATION

{Street, city, county, state, zip code)

1 5 ; ; ; 6

W 1 .n . f L ,1 l d

1 ? o a d 3 ali.i.molle I tw w i . a n r j :>121?

Publisher:

File two cop

this form with your

-------------------------1

1 5 .

LOCATION OF Ti1E H~ADQUAlITERS OR GENERAL BUSINESS OFFICES oJ THE PUB6sHERS

(Not printers}

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W 1 . n . l o m : L

R o a d . 3al .i1.mo1l.e..

M . . . . .

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i PUBlISHER (Name and address)

6. NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF /l UBlISHER, EDITOR, AND MANAGING EDITOR

~~


22/28

l e t t e r s t o Y e E d i t o r

Dear Editor:

The magazine (November issue) inc luded

some comments from a Russian journal about the

inculcation of Atheism in Russia, but no edito-

rial explanation made it clear to your readers

whether you favoured the inculcation of certain

ideas (Atheism) and not others (re l igionism ) by

the coercive power of the State.

Put simply, I am a devout believer in the non-

existence of God, but I want awfully to be free

to disbelieve in my own way, and I would feel

every bit as coerced in the Soviet Union (more

so, even) being made to disbelieve after the

Marxist dialectical pattern, as I feel coerced

and violated in my freedom here when my kids

are forced to mouth the sickly putty-pieties of

the masses from social, not so much political,

conformism.

Bette Chambers

ness of the Christian scheme of salvatio

become clearer and stronger with ad

years, and see no reason for thinking

ever

change them.

This is cited in

Rome e

Responsibilit

the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln,

lished in

1897

by Thomas

M.

Harris, B

General,

U.

S. Army, and member of the

Commission which tried and convicted

spirators to the murder.

Other quotes from this source

L incoln

was an avowed and open infi

went further against Christian beliefs, d

and principles than any man ever heard.

T. Stewart, Lau: Partner.

I

Lincoln were asked whether he beli

God, he would have said

l

do not know

God exists'. William H. Herndon, Law

(The enclosure was an article from another free- if we could be of any help. Perh


23/28

thought journal, and we quote it here, changed

to suit ourname.d.qorporati on.) - ..

,J.

t ~: :~ > .~.: , ._,. _

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GIFTS, n~NA:r:.~Q~S.~,WIL:LS:#ANDBEQUESTS

1~-~;i~;,: ~-~~. (-~;:~ /~ ~ I:~ ~ ~ :;=: :~. ,

We have received from. time. to time iqqtiirjes.

from our re;ders ~regarding' i~8tj~ills and Ct~~ta_':

ments. Sam'e:~iend's have' to'ldu~ that tl; ey have

remembered us in 'their wlllsand~want tobesure

that such donations stand up incourt. '.-;' .

- . . .~ : ; .; : f - ;

The correct wording of such bequest is:

could be drawn that beneficiaries w

their leg acies

otily=uihen

proof was

trustee that-a humaniet funeral serv

vid ed this

practice: o f

personal r

corpse

would

b e

stopped.

. We would -: be happy to hold will

and-

see

ihai:: burial services or w il

1

to hQspltals,O r cremations were c

each individual desired. After all,

are

ours,

and our wishes should b

I

give and bequeath to the Freethought Soci-

ety of America, Inc., a non-profit organization,

incorporated in the State of Ohio, the fol lowing

monies, personal .o r real property ............... : ... A A Isit observing the national o

to be use'~ by the Soc iety to,

promote

fre . ..; ,;., 'Dear E d i f 6 f ; r :

. ~ ~ --