قراءة كتاب The Necessity of Atheism
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THE NECESSITY OF ATHEISM
By
DR. D. M. BROOKS
FREETHOUGH PRESS ASSOCIATION
NEW YORK
Dedicated to
JOSEPH LEWIS IN AMERICA
AND
CHAPMAN COHEN IN ENGLAND
OF WHOM
IT MAY BE SAID:
"How often it has happened that one man, standing at the right point of view, has descried the truth, and, after having been denounced and persecuted by all others, they have eventually been constrained to adopt his declarations!"—(Draper.)
For the old Gods came to an end long ago. And verily it was a good and joyful end of Gods!
They did not die lingering in the twilight—although that lie is told! On the contrary, they once upon a time laughed themselves to death!
That came to pass when, by a God himself, the most ungodly word was uttered, the word: "There is but one God! Thou shalt have no other Gods before me."
An old grim beard of a God, a jealous one, forgot himself thus.
And then all Gods laughed and shook on their chairs and cried: "Is Godliness not just that there are Gods, but no God?"
Whoever hath ears let him hear.
"Thus Spake Zarathrustra"—Friedrich Nietzsche
Contents
| I | THE EVOLUTION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS | 21 |
| II | THE KORAN AND THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS | 31 |
| III | THE PROPHETS MOHAMMED, JESUS, AND MOSES CHARLATANS OR VICTIMS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISEASE | 65 |
| IV | SOUNDNESS OF A FOUNDATION FOR A BELIEF IN A DEITY | 94 |
| V | THE PERSISTENCE OF RELIGION | 115 |
| VI | RELIGION AND SCIENCE | 120 |
| VII | RELIGION AND MEDICINE | 126 |
| VIII | RELIGION AND ASTRONOMY | 148 |
| IX | RELIGION AND GEOGRAPHY | 151 |
| X | RELIGION AND CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS | 154 |
| XI | RELIGION AND GEOLOGY, PHILOLOGY AND EVOLUTION | 157 |
| XII | RELIGION AND WITCHCRAFT | 163 |
| XIII | RELIGION AND MORALITY | 193 |
| XIV | CHRISTIANITY AND WAR | 211 |
| XV | CHRISTIANITY AND SLAVERY | 214 |
| XVI | CHRISTIANITY AND LABOR | 224 |
| XVII | RELIGION AND WOMAN | 242 |
| XVIII | THE PHILOSOPHERS AND THE GREAT ILLUSION | 251 |
| XIX | THE DOOM OF RELIGION; THE NECESSITY OF ATHEISM | 269 |
| XX | CONTEMPORARY OPINION | 309 |
PREFACE
Plain speaking is necessary in any discussion of religion, for if the freethinker attacks the religious dogmas with hesitation, the orthodox believer assumes that it is with regret that the freethinker would remove the crutch that supports the orthodox. And all religious beliefs are "crutches" hindering the free locomotive efforts of an advancing humanity. There are no problems related to human progress and happiness in this age which any theology can solve, and which the teachings of freethought cannot do better and without the aid of encumbrances.
Havelock Ellis has stated that, "The man who has never