The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 (of 12)

onceive of the destruction of the smallest atom of substance? It can be ground to powder-changed fr

ttack it with infinite power. It cannot be destroyed. It canno

ook anot

d, cannot be annihilated, it

tible must be

ked myself: W

struction. Force may be changed from one form to another-

yed it could not have bee

t have existed before force. Force could not have existed before matter. Matter and force can only be con

form of force and could not have existed without or apart from matter. Without substance there could

ed. They have existed from eter

ion: Is there a God? Is there a being of infinite in

ence-but it seems to me that perfect intell

rance-goodness and cruelty-care and carelessness-economy and waste.

for life to feed on life-to cr

life. On every blade of grass, something that kills,-something that suffers. Everywhere the strong living on the weak-the superior on the inferior. Everywhere the weak, the insignificant, living on the strong-the inferior on the superior-the highest food for the lowest-man sacrific

dox Christian exp

not forget health and harvest, home and love-but what of pestilence and famine? I cannot harmonize all thes

and sorrow to develop character. If this is true I ask why the infant dies? Millions and millions dr

emselves from their enemies. Why did the God who made them, make

h scales and plates, that other animals could not pierce with tooth or tusk. But the same God made

le, the vulture, the hawk

e seems to be desi

of us all, why did he make the criminal

e mother, who clasps to her breast an idiot

the lightning. How then can we account for the cyclone,

lowed whole States to dry and wither, and at the same time wasted the rain in the sea. Suppose that he allowed the winds to destroy cities and to crush to shapele

heologians, this is exactly

wer, protect his friends? Yet the Christian's God allowed h

uity enough t

ow the innocent to be imprisoned, chained in dungeons, a

is innocence not a perfect shi

swer these

igent, honest man mus