robert g. ingersoll - holy bible

8/3/2019 Robert G. Ingersoll - Holy Bible

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HOLY BIBLE

Robert G. Ingersoll, 1894

www.englishatheist.org/zing/aboutbible.shtml

Somebody ought to tell the truth about the Bible. he !rea"hers dare not, be"ause they would

be dri#en $rom their !ul!its. %ro$essors in "olleges dare not, be"ause they would lose their salaries.

%oliti"ians dare not. hey would be de$eated. &ditors dare not. hey would lose subs"ribers.'er"hants dare not, be"ause they might lose "ustomers. 'en o$ $ashion dare not, $earing that they

would lose "aste. en "ler(s dare not, be"ause they might be dis"harged. )nd so I thought I would

do it mysel$.

here are many millions o$ !eo!le who belie#e the Bible to be the ins!ired word o$ God **

millions who thin( that this boo( is sta$$ and guide, "ounselor and "onsoler+ that it $ills the !resent

with !ea"e and the $uture with ho!e ** millions who belie#e that it is the $ountain o$ law, usti"e and

mer"y, and that to its wise and benign tea"hings the world is indebted $or its liberty, wealth and

"i#ilization ** millions who imagine that this boo( is a re#elation $rom the wisdom and lo#e o$ God

to the brain and heart o$ man ** millions who regard this boo( as a tor"h that "on-uers the dar(ness

o$ death, and !ours its radian"e on another world ** a world without a tear.

hey $orget its ignoran"e and sa#agery, its hatred o$ liberty, its religious !erse"ution+ they

remember hea#en, but they $orget the dungeon o$ eternal !ain. hey $orget that it im!risons the

brain and "orru!ts the heart. hey $orget that it is the enemy o$ intelle"tual $reedom. iberty is my

religion. iberty o$ hand and brain ** o$ thought and labor, liberty is a word hated by (ings **

loathed by !o!es. It is a word that shatters thrones and altars ** that lea#es the "rowned without

sube"ts, and the outstret"hed hand o$ su!erstition without alms. iberty is the blossom and $ruit o$

usti"e ** the !er$ume o$ mer"y. iberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain o$

!rogress, lo#e and oy.

I. The Origin of the Bible

) $ew wandering $amilies ** !oor, wret"hed, without edu"ation, art or !ower+ des"endants o$

those who had been ensla#ed $or $our hundred years+ ignorant as the inhabitants o$ entral )$ri"a,

had ust es"a!ed $rom their masters to the desert o$ Sinai. heir leader wasMoses, a man who had

been raised in the $amily o$ Pharaohand had been taught the law and mythology o$ Egypt. 0or the

!ur!ose o$ "ontrolling his $ollowers, he !retended that he was instru"ted and assisted by Jehovah,

the God o$ these wanderers.

erything that ha!!ened was attributed to the inter$eren"e o$ this God. 'oses de"lared that he

met this God $a"e to $a"e+ that on Sinais to! $rom the hands o$ this God he had re"ei#ed the tables

o$ stone on whi"h, by the $inger o$ this God, the Ten Commandmentshad been written, and that, in

addition to this, 2eho#ah had made (nown the sa"ri$i"es and "eremonies that were !leasing to him

and the laws by whi"h the !eo!le should be go#erned.

In this way, the 2ewish religion and the 'osai" ode were established.

It is now "laimed that this religion and these laws were and are re#ealed and established $or all

man(ind.

)t that time these wanderers had no "ommer"e with other nations, they had no written

language, they "ould neither read nor write. hey had no means by whi"h they "ould ma(e this

re#elation (nown to other nations, and so it remained buried in the argon o$ a $ew ignorant,

im!o#erished and un(nown tribes $or more than two thousand years.

'any "enturies a$ter 'oses the leader was dead ** many "enturies a$ter all his $ollowers had

!assed away ** the Pentateuchwas written, the wor( o$ many writers, and to gi#e it $or"e andauthority it was "laimed that 'oses was the author.

3e now (now that the %entateu"h was not written by 'oses.


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owns are mentioned that were not in eisten"e when 'oses li#ed.

'oney, not "oined until "enturies a$ter his death, is mentioned.

So, many o$ the laws were not a!!li"able to wanderers on the desert ** laws about agri"ulture,

about the sa"ri$i"e o$ oen, shee! and do#es, about the wea#ing o$ "loth, about ornaments o$ gold

and sil#er, about the "ulti#ation o$ land, about har#est, about the threshing o$ grain, about houses

and tem!les, about "ities o$ re$uge, and about many other sube"ts o$ no !ossible a!!li"ation to a

$ew star#ing wanderers o#er the sands and ro"(s.

It is now not only admitted by intelligent and honest theologians that 'oses was not the author

o$ the %entateu"h, but they all admit that no one (nows who the authors were, or who wrote any

one o$ these boo(s, or a "ha!ter or a line. 3e (now that the boo(s were not written in the same

generation+ that they were not all written by one !erson+ that they are $illed with mista(es and

"ontradi"tions. It is also admitted that 2oshua did not write the boo( that bears his name, be"ause it

re$ers to e#ents that did not ha!!en until long a$ter his death.

5o one (nows, or !retends to (now, the author o$ 2udges+ all we (now is that it was written

"enturies a$ter all the udges had "eased to eist. 5o one (nows the author o$ Ruth, nor o$ 0irst and

Se"ond Samuel+ all we (now is that Samuel did not write the boo(s that bear his name. In the 67th

"ha!ter o$ 0irst Samuel is an a""ount o$ the raising o$ Samuel by the 3it"h o$ &ndor.

5o one (nows the author o$ 0irst and Se"ond ings or 0irst and Se"ond hroni"les+ all we

(now is that these boo(s are o$ no #alue.

3e (now that the %salms were not written by a#id. In the %salms the a!ti#ity is s!o(en o$,

and that did not ha!!en until about $i#e hundred years a$ter a#id sle!t with his $athers.

3e (now that Solomon did not write the %ro#erbs or the Song+ that Isaiah was not the author

o$ the boo( that bears his name+ that no one (nows the author o$ 2ob, &""lesiastes, or &sther, or o$

any boo( in the :ld estament, with the e"e!tion o$ &zra.

3e (now that God is not mentioned or in any way re$erred to in the boo( o$ &sther. 3e (now,

too, that the boo( is "ruel, absurd and im!ossible.

God is not mentioned in the Song o$ Solomon, the best boo( in the :ld estament.

)nd we (now that &""lesiastes was written by an unbelie#er.

3e (now, too, that the 2ews themsel#es had not de"ided as to what boo(s were ins!ired ** were

authenti" ** until the se"ond "entury a$ter hrist.

3e (now that the idea o$ ins!iration was o$ slow growth, and that the ins!iration was

determined by those who had "ertain ends to a""om!lish.

II. Is The Old Testament Inspired?

I$ it is, it should be a boo( that no man ** no number o$ men ** "ould !rodu"e.It should "ontain the !er$e"tion o$ !hiloso!hy.

It should !er$e"tly a""ord with e#ery $a"t in nature.

here should be no mista(es in astronomy, geology, or as to any sube"t or s"ien"e.

Its morality should be the highest, the !urest.

Its laws and regulations $or the "ontrol o$ "ondu"t should be ust, wise, !er$e"t, and !er$e"tly

ada!ted to the a""om!lishment o$ the ends desired.

It should "ontain nothing "al"ulated to ma(e man "ruel, re#enge$ul, #indi"ti#e or in$amous.

It should be $illed with intelligen"e, usti"e, !urity, honesty, mer"y and the s!irit o$ liberty.

It should be o!!osed to stri$e and war, to sla#ery and lust, to ignoran"e, "redulity and

su!erstition.


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It should de#elo! the brain and "i#ilize the heart.

It should satis$y the heart and brain o$ the best and wisest.

It should be true.

oes the :ld estament satis$y this standard;

Is there anything in the :ld estament ** in history, in theory, in law, in go#ernment, in

morality, in s"ien"e ** abo#e and beyond the ideas, the belie$s, the "ustoms and !reudi"es o$ itsauthors and the !eo!le among whom they li#ed;

Is there one ray o$ light $rom any su!ernatural sour"e;

he an"ient


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or o$ religion than in its "on"e!tion o$ the s"ien"es; Is it moral;

It u!holds sla#ery ** it san"tions !olygamy.

ould a de#il ha#e done worse;

Is it mer"i$ul;

In war it raised the bla"( $lag+ it "ommanded the destru"tion, the massa"re, o$ all ** o$ the old,

in$irm and hel!less ** o$ wi#es and babes.3ere its laws ins!ired;


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)ll that we "all !rogress ** the en$ran"hisement o$ man, o$ labor, the substitution o$

im!risonment $or death, o$ $ine $or im!risonment, the destru"tion o$ !olygamy, the establishing o$

$ree s!ee"h, o$ the rights o$ "ons"ien"e+ in short, all that has tended to the de#elo!ment and

"i#ilization o$ man+ all the results o$ in#estigation, obser#ation, e!erien"e and $ree thought+ all that

man has a""om!lished $or the bene$it o$ man sin"e the "lose o$ the ar( )ges ** has been done in

s!ite o$ the :ld estament.

et me $urther illustrate the morality, the mer"y, the !hiloso!hy and goodness o$ the :ld

estament>

THE STORY OF CH!

2oshua too( the ity o$ 2eri"ho. Be$ore the $all o$ the "ity, he de"lared that all the s!oil ta(en

should be gi#en to the ord.

In s!ite o$ this order, )"han se"reted a garment, some sil#er and gold.

)$terward 2oshua tried to ta(e the "ity o$ )i.


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THE STORY OF #OSE$H

%haraoh had a dream, and this dream was inter!reted by 2ose!h.

)""ording to this inter!retation, there was to be in &gy!t se#en years o$ !lenty, $ollowed by

se#en years o$ $amine. 2ose!h ad#ised %haraoh to buy all the sur!lus o$ the se#en !lenti$ul years

and store it u! against the years o$ $amine.

%haraoh a!!ointed 2ose!h as his minister or agent, and ordered him to buy the grain o$ the

!lenti$ul years.

hen "ame the $amine. he !eo!le "ame to the (ing $or hel!. =Gi#e us "orn and we will gi#e you our lands.=

So 2ose!h let them ha#e "orn until all their lands were gone.

But the $amine "ontinued, and so the !oor wret"hes sold themsel#es, and they be"ame the

ser#ants o$ %haraoh.

hen 2ose!h ga#e them seed, and made an agreement with them that they should $ore#er gi#e

one $i$th o$ all they raised to %haraoh.

3ho enabled 2ose!h to inter!ret the dream o$ %haraoh; 2eho#ah? id he (now at the time that

2ose!h would use the in$ormation thus gi#en to rob and ensla#e the !eo!le o$ &gy!t; @es. 3ho

!rodu"ed the $amine; 2eho#ah?

It is !er$e"tly a!!arent that the 2ews did not thin( o$ 2eho#ah as the God o$ &gy!t ** the God o$

all the world.


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So the %ersians, the Babylonians, the 5ubians, the !eo!le o$ Southern India, all had the story

o$ the $all o$ man and the subtle ser!ent.

he hinese say that sin "ame into the world by the disobedien"e o$ woman. )nd e#en the

ahitians tell us that man was "reated $rom the earth, and the $irst woman $rom one o$ his bones.

)ll these stories are e-ually authenti" and o$ e-ual #alue to the world, and all the authors were

e-ually ins!ired.

3e (now also that the story o$ the $lood is mu"h older than the boo( o$ Genesis, and we (now

besides that it is not true.

3e (now that this story in Genesis was "o!ied $rom the haldean. here you $ind all about the

rain, the ar(, the animals, the do#e that was sent out three times, and the mountain on whi"h the ar(

rested.

So the


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o$ se!aration, the ashes o$ a red hei$er, the brazen ser!ent, the water that $ollowed the !eo!le u!hill

and down $or $orty years, and the ins!ired don(ey o$ the !ro!het Balaam;


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"al"ulated to ma(e men better;

0irst and Se"ond hroni"les is but a re*telling o$ what is told in 0irst and Se"ond ings. he

same old stories ** a little le$t out, a little added, but in no res!e"t made better or worse.

he boo( o$ &zra is o$ no im!ortan"e. In this we are told that ing )hasueras was intoi"ated+ that

he sent $or his Cueen, Eashti, to "ome and show hersel$ to him and his guests. Eashti re$used to

a!!ear.

his maddened the (ing, and he ordered that $rom e#ery !ro#in"e the most beauti$ul girlsshould be brought be$ore him that he might "hoose one in !la"e o$ Eashti.

)mong others was brought &sther, a 2ewess. She was "hosen and be"ame the wi$e o$ the (ing.

hen a gentleman by the name o$


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its ra#ings against (ings and nations, its laughter at the wisdom o$ man, its hatred o$ oy, ha#e not

the slightest tenden"y to in"rease the well*being o$ man.

In this boo( is re"orded the absurdist o$ all mira"les. he shadow on the dial is turned ba"( ten

degrees, in order to satis$y


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=I will send the tooth o$ beasts u!on them, with the !oison o$ ser!ents o$ the dust.=

=he sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the #irgin+ the

su"(ling also with the man o$ gray hairs.=

=et his "hildren be $atherless and his wi$e a widow+ let his "hildren be "ontinually #agabonds

and beg+ let them see( their bread also out o$ their desolate !la"es+ let the etortioner "at"h all that

he hath, and let the stranger s!oil his labor+ let there be none to etend mer"y unto him, neither let

there be any to $a#or his $atherless "hildren.=

=)nd thou shalt eat the $ruit o$ thine own body ** the $lesh o$ thy sons and daughters.=

=)nd the hea#en that is o#er thee shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.=

=ursed shalt thou be in the "ity, and "ursed shalt thou be in the $ield.=

=I will ma(e my arrows drun( with blood.=

=I will laugh at their "alamity.=

id these "urses, these threats, "ome $rom the heart o$ lo#e or $rom the mouth o$ sa#agery;

3as 2eho#ah god or de#il;

3hy should we !la"e 2eho#ah abo#e all the gods;


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his, too, was a $ailure ** no s"hools, no Bible. hen he tried (ings, and the (ings were mostly

idolaters.

hen the "hosen !eo!le were "on-uered and "arried into "a!ti#ity by the Babylonians.

)nother $ailure.

hen they returned, and 2eho#ah tried !ro!hets ** howlers and wailers ** but the !eo!le grew

worse and worse. 5o s"hools, no s"ien"es, no arts, no "ommer"e. hen 2eho#ah too( u!on himsel$

$lesh, was born o$ a woman, and li#ed among the !eo!le that he had been trying to "i#ilize $or

se#eral thousand years. hen these !eo!le, $ollowing the law that 2eho#ah had gi#en them in the

wilderness, "harged this 2eho#ah*man ** this hrist ** with blas!hemy+ tried, "on#i"ted and (illed

him.

2eho#ah had $ailed again.

hen he deserted the 2ews and turned his attention to the rest o$ the world.

)nd now the 2ews, deserted by 2eho#ah, !erse"uted by hristians, are the most !ros!erous

!eo!le on the earth. )gain has 2eho#ah $ailed.

3hat an administration?

%II. The !e' Testament

3ho wrote the 5ew estament;

hristian s"holars admit that they do not (now. hey admit that i$ the $our gos!els were

written by 'atthew, 'ar(, u(e and 2ohn, they must ha#e been written in


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his gos!el is utterly at #arian"e with the other three. I$ the other three are true, the gos!el o$

2ohn is $alse. I$ the gos!el o$ 2ohn was written by an ins!ired man, the writers o$ the other three

were unins!ired. 0rom this there is no !ossible es"a!e. he $our "annot be true.

It is e#ident that there are many inter!olations in the $our gos!els.

0or instan"e, in the 68th "ha!ter o$ 'atthew is an a""ount to the e$$e"t that the soldiers at the

tomb o$ hrist were bribed to say that the dis"i!les o$ 2esus stole away his body while they, the

soldiers, sle!t.

his is "learly an inter!olation. It is a brea( in the narrati#e.

he 1Fth #erse should be $ollowed by the 1th. he 1Fth #erse is as $ollows>

=hen 2esus said unto them, Be not a$raid+ go tell my brethren that they go unto Galilee and

there shall they see me.=

he 1th #erse>

=hen the ele#en dis"i!les went away unto Galilee into a mountain, where 2esus had a!!ointed

them.=

he story about the soldiers "ontained in the 11th, 16th, 1Hth, 14th and 17th #erses is aninter!olation ** an a$terthought ** long a$ter. he 17th #erse demonstrates this.

0i$teenth #erse> =So they too( the money and did as they were taught. )nd this saying is

"ommonly re!orted among the 2ews until this day.=

ertainly this a""ount was not in the original gos!el, and "ertainly the 17th #erse was not

written by a 2ew. 5o 2ew "ould ha#e written this> =)nd this saying is "ommonly re!orted among

the 2ews until this day.=

'ar(, 2ohn and u(e ne#er heard that the soldiers had been bribed by the !riests+ or, i$ they

had, did not thin( it worth while re"ording. So the a""ounts o$ the )s"ension o$ 2esus hrist in

'ar( and u(e are inter!olations. 'atthew says nothing about the )s"ension.

ertainly there ne#er was a greater mira"le, and yet 'atthew, who was !resent ** who saw the

ord rise, as"end and disa!!ear ** did not thin( it worth mentioning.

:n the other hand, the last words o$ hrist, a""ording to 'atthew, "ontradi"t the )s"ension>

=o I am with you always, e#en unto the end o$ the world.=

2ohn, who was !resent, i$ hrist really as"ended, says not one word on the sube"t.

)s to the )s"ension, the gos!els do not agree.

'ar( gi#es the last "on#ersation that hrist had with his dis"i!les, as $ollows>

=Go ye into all the world and !rea"h the gos!el to e#ery "reature. In my name shall they "ast out de#ils+ they shall s!ea( with new tongues. hey

shall ta(e u! ser!ents, and i$ they drin( any deadly thing it shall not hurt them+ they shall lay hands

on the si"( and they shall re"o#er. So, then, a$ter the ord had s!o(en unto them, he was re"ei#ed

u! into hea#en and sat on the right hand o$ God.=

Is it !ossible that this des"ri!tion was written by one who witnessed this mira"le;

his mira"le is des"ribed by u(e as $ollows.

=)nd it "ame to !ass while he blessed them he was !arted $rom them and "arried u! into

hea#en.=

=Bre#ity is the soul o$ wit.=

In the )"ts we are told that> =3hen he had s!o(en, while they beheld, he was ta(en u!, and a

"loud re"ei#ed him out o$ their sight.=


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5either u(e, nor 'atthew, nor 2ohn, nor the writer o$ the )"ts, heard one word o$ the

"on#ersation attributed to hrist by 'ar(. he $a"t is that the )s"ension o$ hrist was not "laimed

by his dis"i!les.

)t $irst hrist was a man ** nothing more. 'ary was his mother, 2ose!h his $ather. he

genealogy o$ his $ather, 2ose!h, was gi#en to show that he was o$ the blood o$ a#id.

hen the "laim was made that he was the son o$ God, and that his mother was a #irgin, and that

she remained a #irgin until her death.

hen the "laim was made that hrist rose $rom the dead and as"ended bodily to hea#en.

It re-uired many years $or these absurdities to ta(e !ossession o$ the minds o$ men.

I$ hrist rose $rom the dead, why did he not a!!ear to his enemies; 3hy did he not "all on

aia!has, the high !riest; 3hy did he not ma(e another trium!hal entry into 2erusalem;

I$ he really as"ended, why did he not do so in !ubli", in the !resen"e o$ his !erse"utors; 3hy

should this, the greatest o$ mira"les, be done in se"ret. in a "orner;

It was a mira"le that "ould ha#e been seen by a #ast multitude ** a mira"le that "ould not be

simulated ** one that would ha#e "on#in"ed hundreds o$ thousands.

)$ter the story o$ the Resurre"tion, the )s"ension be"ame a ne"essity. hey had to dis!ose o$

the body.

So there are many other inter!olations in the gos!els and e!istles.

)gain I as(> Is the 5ew estament true; oes anybody now belie#e that at the birth o$ hrist

there was a "elestial greeting+ that a star led the 3ise 'en o$ the &ast+ that


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were "aused by de#ils+ that de#ils too( !ossession o$ and li#ed in the bodies o$ men and women.

hrist belie#ed this, taught this belie$ to others, and !retended to "ure diseases by "asting de#ils out

o$ the si"( and insane. 3e (now now, i$ we (now anything, that diseases are not "aused by the

!resen"e o$ de#ils. 3e (now, i$ we (now anything, that de#ils do not reside in the bodies o$ men.

I$ hrist said and did what the writers o$ the three gos!els say he said and did, then hrist was

mista(en. I$ he was mista(en, "ertainly he was not God. )nd i$ he was mista(en, "ertainly he was

not ins!ired.

Is it a $a"t that the e#il tried to bribe hrist;

Is it a $a"t that the e#il "arried hrist to the to! o$ the tem!le and tried to indu"e him to lea!

to the ground;

=


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In those ignorant days these $alsehoods added to the $ame o$ hrist. But now they !ut his

"hara"ter in !eril and belittle the authors o$ the gos!els.

an we now belie#e that water was "hanged into wine; 2ohn tells o$ this "hildish mira"le, and

says that the other dis"i!les were !resent, yet 'atthew, 'ar( and u(e say nothing about it.

a(e the mira"le o$ the man "ured by the !ool o$ Bethseda. 2ohn says that an angel troubled the

waters o$ the !ool o$ Bethseda, and that whoe#er got into the !ool $irst a$ter the waters were

troubled was healed.

oes anybody now belie#e that an angel went into the !ool and troubled the waters; oes

anybody now thin( that the !oor wret"h who got in $irst was healed; @et the author o$ the gos!el

a""ording to 2ohn belie#ed and asserted these absurdities. I$ he was mista(en about that he may

ha#e been about all the mira"les he re"ords.

2ohn is the only one who tells about this !ool o$ Bethseda. %ossibly the other dis"i!les did not

belie#e the story.

=I was a le!er, and this man "ured me with a tou"h.= 5o woman said> =I am

the widow o$ 5ain and this is my son whom this man raised $rom the dead.=

5o man said> =I was blind, and this man ga#e me sight.=

)ll silent.

%III. The $hilosoph+ of Christ

'illions assert that the !hiloso!hy o$ hrist is !er$e"t ** that he was the wisest that e#er uttered

s!ee"h.

et us see>

Resist not e#il. I$ smitten on one "hee( turn the other.

Is there any !hiloso!hy, any wisdom in this; hrist ta(es $rom goodness, $rom #irtue, $rom the

truth, the right o$ sel$*de$en"e. Ei"e be"omes the master o$ the world, and the good be"ome the

#i"tims o$ the in$amous.

5o man has the right to !rote"t himsel$, his !ro!erty, his wi$e and "hildren. Go#ernmentbe"omes im!ossible, and the world is at the mer"y o$ "riminals. Is there any absurdity beyond this;

o#e your enemies.


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Is this !ossible; id any human being e#er lo#e his enemies; id hrist lo#e his, when he

denoun"ed them as whited se!ul"hers, hy!o"rites and #i!ers;

3e "annot lo#e those who hate us.


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)nd yet it is said that hrist is an eam!le $or all the world. id he desert his $ather and

mother; =3oman, what ha#e I to do with thee;=

he %harisees said unto hrist> =Is it law$ul to !ay tribute unto aesar;

hrist said> =Show me the tribute money.=hey brought him a !enny. )nd he saith unto them>

=3hose is the image and the su!ers"ri!tion; =hey said> =aesars.= )nd hrist said> =Render unto

aesar the things that are aesars.=

id hrist thin( that the money belonged to aesar be"ause his image and su!ers"ri!tion were

stam!ed u!on it; id the !enny belong to aesar or to the man who had earned it;


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(new that his "hur"h would in#ent and use instruments o$ torture+ that his $ollowers would a!!eal

to whi! and $agot, to "hain and ra"(. =@ou

shall not burn, im!rison and torture in my name. @ou shall not !erse"ute your $ellow*men.=

3hy did he not !lainly say> =I am the Son o$ God,= or, =I am God=; 3hy did he not e!lain the

rinity; 3hy did he not tell the mode o$ ba!tism that was !leasing to him; 3hy did he not write a"reed; 3hy did he not brea( the "hains o$ sla#es; 3hy did he not say that the :ld estament was

or was not the ins!ired word o$ God; 3hy did he not write the 5ew estament himsel$; 3hy did

he lea#e his words to ignoran"e, hy!o"risy and "han"e; 3hy did he not say something !ositi#e,

de$inite and satis$a"tory about another world; 3hy did he not turn the tear*stained ho!e o$ hea#en

into the glad (nowledge o$ another li$e; 3hy did he not tell us something o$ the rights o$ man, o$

the liberty o$ hand and brain;

3hy did he go dumbly to his death, lea#ing the world to misery and to doubt;

I will tell you why.


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he men who did the sele"ting were ignorant and su!erstitious. hey were $irm belie#ers in the

mira"ulous. hey thought that diseases had been "ured by the a!rons and hand(er"hie$s o$ the

a!ostles, by the bones o$ the dead. hey belie#ed in the $able o$ the %hoeni, and that the hyenas

"hanged their se e#ery year.

3ere the men who through many "enturies made the sele"tions ins!ired; 3ere they **

ignorant, "redulous, stu!id and mali"ious ** as well -uali$ied to udge o$ =ins!iration= as the

students o$ our time; )n ins!ired boo( should "ertainly e"el all the boo(s !rodu"ed by

unins!ired men. It should, abo#e all, be true, $illed with wisdom, blossoming in beauty ** !er$e"t.

'inisters wonder how I "an be wi"(ed enough to atta"( the Bible.

I will tell them> his boo(, the Bible, has !erse"uted, e#en unto death, the wisest and the best.

his boo( stayed and sto!!ed the onward mo#ement o$ the human ra"e. his boo( !oisoned the

$ountains o$ learning and misdire"ted the energies o$ man.

his boo( is the enemy o$ $reedom, the su!!ort o$ sla#ery. his boo( sowed the seeds o$ hatred

in $amilies and nations, $ed the $lames o$ war, and im!o#erished the world. his boo( is the

breastwor( o$ (ings and tyrants ** the ensla#er o$ women and "hildren. his boo( has "orru!ted

!arliaments and "ourts. his boo( has made "olleges and uni#ersities the tea"hers o$ error and the

haters o$ s"ien"e. his boo( has $illed hristendom with hate$ul, "ruel, ignorant and warring se"ts.his boo( taught men to (ill their $ellows $or religions sa(e. his boo( $unded the In-uisition,

in#ented the instruments o$ torture, built the dungeons in whi"h the good and lo#ing languished,

$orged the "hains that rusted in their $lesh, ere"ted the s"a$$olds whereon they died. his boo( !iled


21/28

$agots about the $eet o$ the ust. his boo( dro#e reason $rom the minds o$ millions and $illed the

asylums with the insane.

his boo( has "aused $athers and mothers to shed the blood o$ their babes. his boo( was the

au"tion blo"( on whi"h the sla#e* mother stood when she was sold $rom her "hild. his boo( $illed

the sails o$ the sla#e*trader and made mer"handise o$ human $lesh. his boo( lighted the $ires that

burned =wit"hes= and =wizards.= his boo( $illed the dar(ness with ghouls and ghosts, and the

bodies o$ men and women with de#ils. his boo( !olluted the souls o$ men with the in$amous

dogma o$ eternal !ain. his boo( made "redulity the greatest o$ #irtues, and in#estigation the

greatest o$ "rimes. his boo( $illed nations with hermits, mon(s and nuns ** with the !ious and the

useless. his boo( !la"ed the ignorant and un"lean saint abo#e the !hiloso!her and !hilanthro!ist.

his boo( taught man to des!ise the oys o$ this li$e, that he might be ha!!y in another ** to waste

this world $or the sa(e o$ the net.

I atta"( this boo( be"ause it is the enemy o$ human liberty ** the greatest obstru"tion a"ross the

highway o$ human !rogress.

et me as( the ministers one -uestion>


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he more I ha#e had o$ human e!erien"e, the more I ha#e read. he greater brain I ha#e, the more

the star says to me. In other words, nature says to me all that I am "a!able o$ understanding.

hin( o$ a God wi"(ed and mali"ious enough to ins!ire this !rayer in the 1F9th %salm? hin(

o$ one in$amous enough to answer it?


23/28

0or my !art, I would in$initely !re$er to (now all the results o$ s"ienti$i" in#estigation than to

be ins!ired as 'oses was. Su!!osing the bible to be true+ why is it any worse or more wi"(ed $or

$ree*thin(ers to deny it, than $or !riests to deny the do"trine o$ e#olution, or the dynami" theory o$

heat; 3hy should we be damned $or laughing at Samson and his $oes, while others, holding the

nebular hy!othesis in utter "ontem!t, go straight to hea#en;

5ow when I "ome to a boo(, $or instan"e, I read the writings o$ Sha(es!eareSha(es!eare,

the greatest human being who e#er eisted u!on this globe. 3hat do I get out o$ him; )ll that I

ha#e sense enough to understand. I get my little "u! $ull. et another read him who (nows nothing

o$ the drama, who (nows nothing o$ the im!ersonation o$ !assion+ what does he get $rom him;

Eery little. In other words, e#ery man gets $rom a boo(, a $lower, a star, or the sea, what he is able

to get $rom his intelle"tual de#elo!ment and e!erien"e. o you then belie#e that the bible is a

di$$erent boo( to e#ery human being that re"ei#es it; I do. an God, then, through the bible, ma(e

the same re#elation to two men;


24/28

5othing "an be "learer than that 'oses re"ei#ed $rom the &gy!tians the !rin"i!al !arts o$ his

narrati#e, ma(ing su"h "hanges and additions as were ne"essary to satis$y the !e"uliar su!erstitions

o$ his own !eo!le.

)""ording to the theologians, God, the 0ather o$ us all, wrote a letter to


25/28

and a !i"torial woman, I su!!ose, and a !i"torial man, and may be it was a !i"torial sin. )nd only a

!i"torial atonement?

'an must learn to rely on himsel$. Reading bibles will not !rote"t him $rom the blasts o$

winter, but houses, $ire and "lothing will. o !re#ent $amine one !low is worth a million sermons,

and e#en !atent medi"ines will "ure more diseases than all the !rayers uttered sin"e the beginning

o$ the world.

&hat &o-ld Yo- S-bstit-te for the Bible as a 0oral )-ide?

Robert G. Ingersoll

www.in$idels.org/library/histori"al/robertJingersoll/bibleJsubstitute.html

@ou as( me what I would =substitute $or the Bible as a moral guide.=

I (now that many !eo!le regard the Bible as the only moral guide and belie#e that in that boo(

only "an be $ound the true and !er$e"t standard o$ morality.

here are many good !re"e!ts, many wise sayings and many good regulations and laws in the

Bible, and these are mingled with bad !re"e!ts, with $oolish sayings, with absurd rules and "ruel

laws.

But we must remember that the Bible is a "olle"tion o$ many boo(s written "enturies a!art and

that it in !art re!resents the growth and tells in !art the history o$ a !eo!le. 3e must also

remember that the writers treat o$ many sube"ts. 'any o$ these writers ha#e nothing to say about

right or wrong, about #i"e or #irtue.

he boo( o$ Genesis has nothing about morality. here is not a line in it "al"ulated to shed

light on the !ath o$ "ondu"t. 5o one "an "all that boo( a moral guide. It is made u! o$ myth and

mira"le, o$ tradition and legend.

In &odus we ha#e an a""ount o$ the manner in whi"h 2eho#ah deli#ered the 2ews $rom

&gy!tian bondage.

3e now (now that the 2ews were ne#er ensla#ed by the &gy!tians+ that the entire story is a

$i"tion. 3e (now this be"ause there is not $ound in


26/28

he lo#e o$ !arents $or "hildren is natural, and this lo#e is $ound among all the animals that

li#e. So the lo#e o$ "hildren $or !arents is natural, and was not and "annot be "reated by law. o#e

does not s!ring $rom a sense o$ duty, nor does it bow in obedien"e to "ommands.

So men and women are not #irtuous be"ause o$ anything in boo(s or "reeds.

)ll the en ommandments that are good were old, were the result o$ e!erien"e. he

"ommandments that were original with 2eho#ah were $oolish.

he worshi! o$ =any other God= "ould not ha#e been worse than the worshi! o$ 2eho#ah, and

nothing "ould ha#e been more absurd than the sa"redness o$ the Sabbath.

I$ "ommandments had been gi#en against sla#ery and !olygamy, against wars o$ in#asion and

etermination, against religious !erse"ution in all its $orms, so that the world "ould be $ree, so that

the brain might be de#elo!ed and the heart "i#ilized, then we might, with !ro!riety, "all su"h

"ommandments a moral guide.

Be$ore we "an truth$ully say that the en ommandments "onstitute a moral guide, we must

add and subtra"t. 3e must throw away some, and write others in their !la"es.

he "ommandments that ha#e a (nown a!!li"ation here, in this world, and treat o$ human

obligations are good, the others ha#e no basis in $a"t, or e!erien"e.'any o$ the regulations $ound in &odus, e#iti"us, 5umbers and euteronomy, are good.

'any are absurd and "ruel.

he entire "eremonial o$ worshi! is insane.

'ost o$ the !unishments $or #iolations o$ laws are un!hiloso!hi" and brutalK he $a"t is that

the %entateu"h u!holds nearly all "rimes, and to "all it a moral guide is as absurd as to say that it is

mer"i$ul or true.

5othing o$ a moral nature "an be $ound in 2oshua or 2udges. hese boo(s are $illed with

"rimes, with massa"res and murders. hey are about the same as the real history o$ the )!a"he

Indians.he story o$ Ruth is not !arti"ularly moral.

In $irst and se"ond Samuel there is not one word "al"ulated to de#elo! the brain or "ons"ien"e.

2eho#ah murdered se#enty thousand 2ews be"ause a#id too( a "ensus o$ the !eo!le. a#id,

a""ording to the a""ount, was the guilty one, but only the inno"ent were (illed.

In $irst and se"ond ings "an be $ound nothing o$ ethi"al #alue. )ll the (ings who re$used to

obey the !riests were denoun"ed, and all the "rowned wret"hes who assisted the !riests, were

de"lared to be the $a#orites o$ 2eho#ah. In these boo(s there "annot be $ound one word in $a#or o$

liberty.

here are some good %salms, and there are some that are in$amous. 'ost o$ these %salms aresel$ish. 'any o$ them are !assionate a!!eals $or re#enge.

he story o$ 2ob sho"(s the heart o$ e#ery good man. In this boo( there is some !oetry, some

!athos, and some !hiloso!hy, but the story o$ this drama "alled 2ob, is heart*less to the last degree.

he "hildren o$ 2ob are murdered to settle a little wager between God and the e#il. )$terward,

2ob ha#ing remained $irm, other "hildren are gi#en in the !la"e o$ the murdered ones. 5othing,

howe#er, is done $or the "hildren who were murdered.

he boo( o$ &sther is utterly absurd, and the only redeeming $eature in the boo( is that the

name o$ 2eho#ah is not mentioned.

I li(e the Song o$ Solomon be"ause it tells o$ human lo#e, and that is something I "anunderstand. hat boo( in my udgment is worth all the ones that go be$ore it, and is a $ar better

moral guide.


27/28

here are some wise and mer"i$ul %ro#erbs. Some are sel$ish and some are $lat and

"ommon!la"e.

I li(e the boo( o$ &""lesiastes be"ause there you $ind some sense, some !oetry, and some

!hiloso!hy. a(e away the inter!olations and it is a good boo(.

:$ "ourse there is nothing in 5ehemiah or &zra to ma(e men better, nothing in 2eremiah or

amentations "al"ulated to lessen #i"e, and only a $ew !assages in Isaiah that "an be used in a

good "ause.

In &ze(iel and aniel we $ind only ra#ings o$ the insane.

In some o$ the 'inor %ro!hets, there is now and then a good #erse, now and then an ele#ated

thought.

@ou "an, by sele"ting !assages $rom di$$erent boo(s, ma(e a #ery good "reed, and by sele"ting

!assages $rom di$$erent boo(s, you "an ma(e a #ery bad "reed.

he trouble is that the s!irit o$ the :ld estament, its dis!osition, its tem!erament, is bad,

sel$ish and "ruel. he most $iendish things are "ommanded, "ommended and a!!lauded.

he stories that are told o$ 2ose!h, o$ &lisha, o$ aniel and Gideon, and o$ many others, are

hideous+ hellish.

:n the whole, the :ld estament "annot be "onsidered a moral guide.

2eho#ah was not a moral God.


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3hat is morality;

In this world we need "ertain things. 3e ha#e many wants. 3e are e!osed to many dangers.

3e need $ood, $uel, raiment and shelter, and besides these wants, there is, what may be "alled, the

hunger o$ the mind.

3e are "onditioned beings, and our ha!!iness de!ends u!on "onditions. here are "ertain

things that diminish, "ertain things that in"rease, well*being. here are "ertain things that destroy

and there are others that !reser#e.

Intelligen"e.

3e want the e!erien"e o$ man(ind, the true history o$ the ra"e. 3e want the history o$

intelle"tual de#elo!ment, o$ the growth o$ the ethi"al, o$ the idea o$ usti"e, o$ "ons"ien"e, o$

"harity, o$ sel$*denial. 3e want to (now the !aths and roads that ha#e been tra#eled by the human

mind.

hese $a"ts in general, these histories in outline, the results rea"hed, the "on"lusions $ormed,

the !rin"i!les e#ol#ed, ta(en together, would $orm the best "on"ei#able moral guide.

3e "annot de!end on what are "alled =ins!ired boo(s,= or the religions o$ the world. hese

religions are based on the su!ernatural, and a""ording to them we are under obligation to worshi!

and obey some su!ernatural being, or beings. )ll these religions are in"onsistent with intelle"tual

liberty. hey are the enemies o$ thought, o$ in#estigation, o$ mental honesty. hey destroy the

manliness o$ man. hey !romise eternal rewards $or belie$, $or "redulity, $or what they "all $aith.

hese religions tea"h the sla#e #irtues. hey ma(e inanimate things holy, and $alsehoods

sa"red. hey "reate arti$i"ial "rimes. o eat meat on 0riday, to enoy yoursel$ on Sunday, to eat on$ast*days, to be ha!!y in ent, to dis!ute a !riest, to as( $or e#iden"e, to deny a "reed, to e!ress

your sin"ere thought, all these a"ts are sins, "rimes against some god, o gi#e your honest o!inion

about 2eho#ah, 'ohammed or hrist, is $ar worse than to mali"iously slander your neighbor. o

-uestion or doubt mira"les is $ar worse than to deny (nown $a"ts. :nly the obedient, the "redulous,

the "ringers, the (neelers, the mee(, the un-uestioning, the true belie#ers, are regarded as moral, as

#irtuous. It is not enough to be honest, generous and use$ul+ not enough to be go#erned by

e#iden"e, by $a"ts. In addition to this, you must belie#e. hese things are the $oes o$ morality. hey

sub#ert all natural "on"e!tions o$ #irtue.

)ll =ins!ired boo(s,= tea"hing that what the su!ernatural "ommands is right, and right be"ause

"ommanded, and that what the su!ernatural !rohibits is wrong, and wrong be"ause !rohibited, areabsurdly un!hiloso!hi".

)nd all =ins!ired boo(s,= tea"hing that only those who obey the "ommands o$ the su!ernatural

are, or "an be, truly #irtuous, and that un-uestioning $aith will be rewarded with eternal oy, are

grossly immoral.

)gain I say> Intelligen"e is the only moral guide.

robert g. ingersoll - holy bible

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