Freethought Legacy of Ingersoll
Presented by Roger Greeley, minister emeritus of the Unitarian People's Church in Kalamazoo, Mi
About the Speaker
About the Event
Announcements
11-18-98 (Meeting #36)
Our own Walter Van Dam and Roger Greeley spoke on a recent public radio show,
WGVU, answering questions on atheism, freethought and R.G. Ingersoll, and
promoting this Freethought Association event. Walter said that he was asked
back for future discussions on radio.
The calendar of events for the following 5 alternate Wednesdays is: Dec 2:
“Promise Keepers”, a topic moderated by Jeff Smith; Dec. 16: Holiday Party.
Please bring finger foods and drinks to share. On Dec 30th there will be no
meeting. January 6: we will be discussing planning future events, business
and gather input on growth and activities; January 20: Walt Van Dam will
moderate “Reality Therapy.”
We are pursuing the establishment of a library of books, magazines and tapes.
If you are able to donate any items or assisting in this project, please
contact Walt.
There was an excellent letter to President Clinton submitted by Free Thinkers
of Ventura County member, Stuart Bechman, regarding the opposition of
government involvement, and was reprinted in our 11-18 bulletin.
Next meeting: Wed. Dec. 2, at 7 p.m., UICA, Jeff Smith, “Promise Keepers”.
We thank all who attended our special presentation on Nov 18 and hope to see
you all back in upcoming meetings.
“The notion that faith in Christ is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss,
while a dependence upon reason, observation and experience merits everlasting
pain, is too absurd for refutation, and can be relieved only by that unhappy
mixture of insanity and ignorance called ‘faith’”.
“If God created the universe, there was a time when he commenced to create.
Back of that commencement there must have been an eternity. In that eternity
what was God doing? He certainly did not think. There was nothing to think
about. He did not remember. Nothing had ever happened. What did he do”?
Can you imagine anything more absurd than an infinite intelligence in infinite
nothing wasting an eternity?” (Quotes from R.G. Ingersoll)
Presentation
In lieu of our regular meeting, we had a special presentation: “Freethought
Legacy of Ingersoll” given by Roger W. Greeley, minister emeritus of the
Unitarian People’s Church in Kalamazoo, Mi. In addition to not missing a
Sunday in 28 years of ministry, he has authored two books on Robert Green
Ingersoll and has made over 100 presentations of the life of the “Great
Infidel”, many in full costume.
Greeley was well-prepared and prompt. He spoke to us for two hours, the
latter part given over to a question and answer period, from the theater part
of the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art. We had just shy of 50 people in
attendance. Greeley quipped at one point that it was a far cry from the 50
thousand that Ingersoll himself could command in his day and reminded us that
this was before public address systems, microphones and other electronic aids.
Many who came to see him were thrilled just to catch a glimpse of him. He was
a master orator, highly successful lawyer and secular humanist. A relentless
proponent of equality for all people, the rights of women and children,
responsible and responsive government and individual freedom of conscience, he
was the leading light in the progressive thought of the day.
Greeley gave us a good sense of the times that Ingersoll lived in (1833 – 1899) and how far ahead of these times he was in his enlightened views. But
he also showed how, ironically, those times were far more open to progressive
leadership and bold, assertive, controversial thinking than our own! Greeley
painted the picture of R.G. Ingersoll as not only a powerful orator but also a
charismatic presence, imbued with a photographic memory for anything he read
or heard; a genius, who could unleash astounding, extemporaneous salvos to the
questions of reporters and others. Like T.H. Huxley, he could communicate to
and attract the devotion and even “worship” of both the “common man” and the
luminaries of the day. Of the latter, Ingersoll drew the admiration and
following of Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Eugene Debs, Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and others.
Greeley gave numerous accounts of Ingersoll’s philanthropy and generous
personality toward individuals and causes he believe in. He also spoke of
Ingersoll’s election to the office of Attorney General of Illinois, shortly
after the civil war (the war where he had been a Colonel – the title in which
he was most commonly addressed). He was a strong contender for Governor of
Illinois but would not soft pedal his anti-clerical, secularist stance so was
no longer viable.
He apparently knew the Bible by heart as well as Shakespeare plays; the
former to devastate, the latter to praise. His lectures were divided into
attacks on the cruelties and absurdities of religion and on tributes to those
he held in highest regard: Humbolt, Burns, Paine, Voltaire and his beloved
Shakespeare.
Greeley quoted Michael Monahan’s appraisal that despite his patriotism, sense
of civic duty, kindness and devotion to the best in humankind, that he ”...had
committed treason against the Unknown and this, in spite of the fame and
success which his talents commanded, made him a social Pariah. The herd
admired and envied his freedom, but for the most part, they gave him the roa
and walked down the other side” to explain how he could be largely unknown
today.
After the talk and excellent questions and insightful answers, we had
refreshments and talked informally with Greeley and each other.
Attendance: 47
Recorder, Charles LaRue
