Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–1899)

In this relatively short piece, Ingersoll points out, pretty much book-by-book, how ridiculous the bible is. In some respects, it is an even better indictment than Thomas Paine's THE AGE OF REASON because Ingersoll goes a little deeper philosophically in his defense of science and of human intelligence. He points out that science has never learned anything from the bible, which was a book of its time(s) and reflects all the ignorance and prejudice of its authors. Ingersoll takes special show more delight in repeating some of the cruelest, most murderous passages in the bible to show what a fiend Jehovah was. He isn't much easier on Jesus, however, asking why Jesus never spoke out against slavery, for instance. I highly recommend that anyone who has doubts about the bible read this. And if you are looking for reinforcement that you are on the right path in abandoning religion, you will love it. There are too many quotable passages to discuss here. I'm sure I will reread this for pleasure more than once. show less

Pure Ingersoll. The great orator lays out two potential worldviews, and contrasts the view of a supernatural world with that of a natural world. The natural world wins, because the emptiness of the supernatural point of view becomes readily apparent in the hands of a master thinker. There were some moments of unintentional humor (or maybe intentional sarcasm? But I think not) as Ingersoll recounts the things that intelligent men (yes, this was an era where intellect and men was assumed to go show more hand in hand; though Ingersoll was not among those, the langauge was still riddled with that assumption) no longer believe. Unfortunately, this was unduly optimistic even in his own time, and with the resurgence of fundamentalist faiths, it becomes almost laughable today, in spite of the fact that there is even more evidence in support of the naturalistic worldview than there ever has been.

An easy read. A good reader should be able to complete it in 30 minutes (it is a little blue-book), and the tidbits from Haldeman-Julius at the end contained some priceless moments of arcana from the 1940s - a bit of a blast from the past. A bit disheartening to see that good man suggest that Darwin's ideas had died forty years before, but then, this was just before the Modern Synthesis which resurrected Natural Selection with a vengeance, show less

As usual, the writing in this work is first rate. The formatting is marginal in this apparently self-published work, but it is not as bad as many I've seen, mostly missing periods that jar when you're trying to read. The thesis is one I agree with...in part...but also find questionable because I know where the doctrine of individuality has led. Overall, a short read (took me 10 minutes) and worth the time.

Ingersoll was a great orator of the 19th century, who also happened to be an outspoken atheist. In the best orations collected in this volume, he uses logic and common sense to demolish any case the bible has for being a moral book, and he also delights in lambasting the clergy. The other essays touch on the centennial of the American Revolution, his brother's death, and farming. At times, Ingersoll is prone to the prejudices of his time, calling Native Americans "savages"--although he says show more British soldiers in the Revolutionary War were worse. He also pretty much says that intelligent people can only develop in the proper climate of places like America. He believes strongly in the healing power of winter. Despite these shortcomings, Ingersoll was a strong opponent of slavery and the church's support of slavery forms part of his indictment of religion. This book is free on Amazon and from other sources. Ingersoll is a voice from the past who, despite his sometimes too flowery rhetoric, is well worth hearing from. And on occasion, he will surprise you with his dry humor. show less