Progress.

Freethought Review, Volume II, Issue 14, 1 November 1884, Page 6

Progress.

AUCKLAND RATIONALISTIC ASSOCIATION. The following report of the work of the above Association for the past month has just reached ns ; Sir, —Another month having rolled round, I again write you a few lines on matters appertaining to the Freethought movement and progress in Auckland. We have unquestionably been dull during the past month, our young lecturer, Mr. Selby, having left us for that delightful but very quiet place, Nelson. I presume he will soon favour your more business-like city with a visit, and I hope you will give him a cordial reception. We are expecting a visit from Mr. Thos. P. Walker, of Sydney, who is pronounced one of the best Freethought lecturers in Australasia. He will doubtless make things more lively than they are just now in this city. Ivo has also announced it is his desire to visit us, so that we are likely to have & plethora of lectures during the next month or two. Our progress lately, if sure, has been rather slower than usual, if we except the Lyceum, which is making more progress than any other branch of the Association. Through the unhesitating liberality of Mr. Samuel Coombs, of this city, it is now supplied with a full set of flags, rosettes, regalia, etc., sufficient for superintendents, class conductors, and 144 pupils ; and last Sunday the children seemed thoroughly to enjoy being ornamented with the pretty badges, scarfs, etc. A meed of praise is also due to the ladies who devoted their time to the making-up of the materials into the necessary shapes for banners, flags, and scarfs. Up to the present we have not tested the question of charging for admission on Sundays, except as to lectures only, and on these occasions we have made a specific charge, without having had any police interference. The question, however, is having the consideration of the Premier, and I trust will soon be satisfactorily settled. Hoping to have more generally interesting matter to communicate next month,l am, Ac., W. C. Dunnes, Hon, See, Auckland, October 15, ISS4. WELLINGTON FREETHOUGHT ASSOCIATION. The report of the above Association for the last month reads as under : Sir, —My last communication referred to our engagement with Mr. Sawkins. Since his departure, we have had the pleasure of the presence of our old friend, " Ivo ” (Mr. Jos, Evison), from whom we have had an intellectual treat in a series of three lectures on " Spiritualism,” in which he gives a theory for the phenomena, the same never having been disputed by Materialists, and acknowledged as a fact by well-known scientists. His next lecture on " Who are the Infidels ?" will be delivered on Sunday, the 19th inst. It has been highly spoken of in Christchurch, and. from what I can gather is a masterly and grand oration. We shall have another lecture by “ Ivo,” and then Mr. Selby arrives in a fortnight under engagement to us.

Our Association is favourably progressing, with an addition to our member-roll often members since my report. —I am, &c,

W. Tyrrell, Sec. Lyceum, Tory St., Oct. 17, 1884. CANTERBURY FREETHOUGHT ASSOCIATION. The Secretary of this Association, in his monthly report, writes : Greeting.—Dearly Beloved Brother, — Since my last epistle to the N.Z. Freethought Churches, verily I say unto you that the evenings of certain Sundays were taken up as follows : —Sept 21, " David ; his True Biography, but not as told by the Orthodox,” by " Ivo,” at the Theatre ; Sept. 18, “ Bible Stories,” illustrated by S. Ponker ; Oct. 5, “The Living Soul ; What, When, Where,” by J. Billcliff; Oct. 12, “ Woman, and Marriage, illustrated by the Life of Lncretia Mott, of the Society of Friends,” by F. C. Hall. I see that the holy ones are again getting a petition signed for Bible-reading in Schools. It is wanted to teach morality. Freethinkers can teach that at home, and at their Sunday Schools. Why can’t Christians do the same ? Or, why not have the lot read in schools —the Apocryphal New Testament and the Addendum from Heaven to Joseph Smith, as well as the Old and New Testaments.

We have ordered from Melbourne a dozen copies monthly of the ' Young Secularist,' for the elder scholars of our Lyceum. The Christchurch dissenting parsons have protested against Sabbath excursions of M.H.R.'s in the s.s. Hinemoa. It surprises me that these Ministers did not at the same time see the injustice of their chapels being exempt from local taxes. I have been very pleased to read such good and long notices in the Wellington papers of " Ivo's " attacks on Spiritualism. I have not heard of so many seances here lately. A few weeks a<*o I was told I should go into the thing thoroughly before I ridiculed it as a delusion. I answered it would be very dangerous for everybody to study and investigate all the phases of madness, and, as I considered this as one, I think it best to leave it alone—especially as it is being investigated so much already, with no good results.

I have just received a letter from our President (Mr. Pratt), who is visiting the European Freethought Churches. He expects to return to Christchurch early next year.—Yours, &c,

F. C. Hall, Secretary Christchurch, Oct. iS, ISS4.

NELSON FREETHOUGTIT ASSOCIATION. Mr. Ldw. Player, Secretary of the above Association, writes as under : Sir. — Since my last we have held our annual general meeting, and I am happy to say that, as on funner meetings, the Association found itself with a cash balance in hand, after sending home, during the last quarter, two sums of money for books lor our library, and pamphlets and leaflets for free circulation. ■ At present we have Mr. Isaac Selby here, giving a course of lectures, viz.: " Is the Bible our Highest Guide to Morality ?” “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” “ Sampson, the Fox-hunter,” and “ How was the World Made ? ’ The first two have been delivered to full audience:;, and the loud and continued applause at the end of the lectures, is an evidence of his ability. In my opinion, for so young a man, his ability as a lecturer is surprising. An arrangement has been made for a debate between him and the Rev. H. J. Lewis, of the Congregational Church here, which is to take place at the Theatre Royal, on the 6th November, the subject to be — " Is it reasonable to believe in a God who is the maker and moral governor of the Universe ?” We have every confidence m Mr. Selby as a debater, and i may say the debate is looked forward to with much interest. Mr. H. J. Lewis is a clever man and a scholar. He takes the affirmative, and Mr. Selby the negative. I may mention that our Committee have resolved to have no lectures at the Freethought Hall on Sunday evenings during Mr. Selby’s lectures, which take place at the Masonic Hall, it being more commodious, and seating a greater number of people.— I am, &c., Low. Flayer, Hon. Sec. Oct. 20, ISS4. WANGANUI FREETTTOUGI IT ASSOCIATION. The Secretary’s report for the past month reads as follows : Sir, The work of the Association has been carried on with considerable vigour since I sent you my last report. On almost every Sunday lectures and addresses of a very intellectual character have been given by members, conspicuous amongst which was a lecture on the “ Life and Philosophy of the late J. S. Mill,” bv the President, and an address on " Inspiration,” by a member. Both gentlemen ably dealt with their respective subjects, the audiences being well pleased. Here I will mention that, notwithstanding the fact that discussion is invited at the close of any and all of the addresses, etc., given ; that most of them are upon very debate,able grounds, and that an Association termed the Young Men’s Christian Association is in existence here (under the patronage of nearly all the ministers of the gospel in Wanganui), we never get any controversy from any one holding orthodox opinions. Let discussion be allowed at the close of the Y.M.C.A.’s lectures, and I feel confident we shall not be afraid to put our views to the test, or to test those of others.

Mr. Geo. Sawkins has given a course of lectures here, which have taken well. The lecturer traces the origin of the rites and ceremonies of the Christian Churches in the beliefs of the ancient sun-worshippers. His arguments are strong and well put. His large astronomical knowledge he calls to aid in finding a reasonable explanation for some of the “ smaller difficulties ” of the Bible—such as the " Jonah-whale business,” and “ the sun standing still." Unlike the generality of Frccthought lecturers (whose arguments are mostly 11 worn out,” and confined simply to a criticism of the Bible), Mr. Sawkins strikes out new grounds, approaches his subject from various points, in such a manner as to be easily followed and understood ; then, summing up, brings an overwhelming amount of evidence in favour of his cause, and carries his points with great effect. To those who have never heard Mr. Sawkins, my advice is —do so at the earliest opportunity. The majority of this Association are of opinion that he is the ablest exponent of Freethought we have yet had in Wanganui. The purport of the three lectures delivered by him, entitled God and the Devil,” " Satan,” and “ Under the True Cross,” was to show that the narratives contained in the Christian Bible could not be considered historically correct. He examined various of the stories; traced the story of God and his actions, the Devil and his, and Christ and his proceedings, likewise contending that, at the mildest, it must be conceded such stories were highly improbable. In dealing with this portion of his subjects, the lecturer pointed out several new objections, but, from the nature of his enquiry, was necessitated to traverse a deal of ground previously gone over by Freethought writers and lecturers. He succeeded in maintaining the interest of his hearers by introducing humorous illustrations of his various arguments, and then proceeded to enquire whether, under the veil of Eastern allegory, certain astronomical facts were not recorded in the Bible narratives. The possibility, and even likelihood, of there being a reformer named Jesus, was admitted, but, with the simple story of the unsuccessful career of the unfortunate Gallilean, had been mixed up oriental allegory. Mr. Sawkins explained the origin of the doctrines of good and evil as being the fundamental principles of all theologies, and a primary fact in existence. Based on it were a perfect host of absurdities, resulting from the vulgar idea that the abstract ideas of good and evil which had been personified in God and Devil, ere real personalitiesactual entities. The names of God, Devil, and Christ, in various languages, were shown to be merely titles of the sun, and several instances of gross and apparently intentional misinterpretations were pointed out, more notably the word translated ‘ Lord ' from the Greek. The names of the Devil were also traced in various languages to the names of the sun, and instances shown of where the translators of the Bible had not known whether to translate a word ; God ' or ‘ Devil,’ and had, in fact, attributed in one passage to God what in another was put down as the action of the Devil. By means of several astronomical diagrams the movements of the heavenly bodies were partly explained, and various texts of Scripture quoted as perfectly applying to the phenomena of the skies. Mr. Sawkins explained that he had merely glanced at the astronomical significance of the Scriptures, his remarks being of necessity somewhat disconnected, as in but a short series of three lectures he was urged to point out the more notable coincidences between astronomy and the Bible stories, rather than systematically deal with the subjects in order. The lecturer was loudly applauded at the conclusion of each address. —I am, &c., J. J, Buckrell, Secretary. STRATFORD. The following letter from an enthusiast in the cause of Freethought came to hand at the last moment. We have pleasure in finding a place for it : Sir, — Kindly allow me space in your paper to thank that great friend of truth and knowledge, “ Blue Pencil,” for the valuable assistance that he has rendered me, in my efforts to form an Association in the Stratford and Ngairc district, by the liberal donation of valuable Freethought literature that he has just so kindly and generously forwarded to me. In a young and scattered district like this, the beginning must necessarily be on a small scale, and the work for some time almost exclusively confined to the distribution of literature of a scientific and rational character. The great need of an Association of this kind has been made manifest by the deplorable results that have lately followed the visit of a set of Evangelists of the lowest and most bigoted type, who have succeeded, by the aid of picturing a devil of the most revolting and horrible form imaginable, and a hell compared with which a seat on a red hot stove would be the height of comfort and ease, in reducing a. large proportion of the nnllitiikhuj class of the population into a state of little less than idotic lunacy. When this happy result has been attained, the performance was wound up by marching these poor, half-demented dupes, consisting of men, women, and children, to a river, on a day when the thermometer was only a few degrees from freezing point, and dipping them three times in its icy waters. For the privilege of undergoing this senseless torture, I am informed, they had each to pay a fee of one pound. The sight of such a degrading spectacle in a progressive age like the present, would make us well exclaim with Shakespeare■“ Can such things be, and overcome us like a summer’s cloud, without our special wonder. ” In the face of such deplorable ignorance; progress will necessarily bo slow, and great care needed in the selection of literature best suited to each individual case, so that the mind so long wrapped in the clouds of ignorance and superstitious darkness, may be gradually brought to bear to receive the lights of truth and knowledge. Hoping that I have not trespassed too much on your valuable space, and that 1 may shortly be able to report that the Stratford Truthseekers’ Association (a title suggested by our friend “ Blue Pencil ”) has made satisfactory progress,—l remain, &0., Stratford, Oct. *23. Thus. E. Crowuurst,

WAYERLEY FREETHOUGHT ASSOCIATION. We have to thank the Yice-President of the Waverley Freethought Association (Mr. H. F. Mason) for the following items : Sir,—We hold our meetings regularly every Sunday evening, when books are exchanged, and the principal topics of the day are discussed, Since the establishment of this Association we have been tolerably free from interference, but it is evident that hostile feelings are simply inactive, and will appear whenever opportunity offers. We have already experienced this. The building we have been in the habit of using is now converted into a public reading room, but as it was not opened on Sunday we concluded that our meetings could be held there as usual. Two members of the Library Committee, however, instructed the Librarian to refuse the key to all and sundry. The opportunity wa's too good to be lost by the goody-goodys, so we have another illustration of the dog in the manger. We have now made arrangements that are not likely to be interfered with. 1 take this opportunity of congratulating you on having successfully piloted the Review through its first year, and hope it has been as successful in a pecuniary sense as it has in a literary. Our principles are spreading slowly, but surely, in this district. Our members have not been largely augmented of late, but we have many friends who have not declared themselves. Fear seems to be the chief deterrent, but in time this feeling will wear off, when many will realise that their best interests lie in the direction of assisting to emancipate suffering humanity from the chains in which it has been enthralled for centuries. Yours, &c., H. F. Mason,

Vice-President. Waverley, Oct. 23, ISS4,