Listen to these words of an atheist:

[Sister Alvear]

Listen to these words of an atheist:

Were I a religionist, did I truly, firmly, consistently believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and the practice of religion in this life influences the destiny in another, the Spirit of truth be my witness, religion should be to me everything. I would cast aside earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as less than vanity. Religion should be my first waking thought, and my last image when sleep sunk me in unconsciousness. I would labor in her cause alone. I would not labor for the meat that perisheth, not for the treasure on earth, where moth and rust corrupts, and thieves break through and steal; but only for a crown of glory in heavenly regions. Where treasure and happiness are alike beyond the reach of time or chance. I would take thought for eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained to heaven worth a life of suffering. There should be neither worldly prudence nor calculating circumstance in my engrossing zeal. Earthly consequences should never stay my hand or seal my lips. I would speak to the imagination, awaken the feelings, stir up the passions, and arouse the fancy. Earth, its joys and its griefs, should occupy no moments of my thoughts; for these are but the affairs of a portion of eternity, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly miserable or everlastingly happy. I would deem all who thought only of this world, merely seeking to increase temporal happiness, and laboring to obtain temporal goods, pure madmen. I would go forth to the world and preach to it, in season and out of season; and my text should be, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (A.S. Ormsby, in Alone with God)


Were I a religionist, did I truly, firmly, consistently believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and the practice of religion in this life influences the destiny in another, the Spirit of truth be my witness, religion should be to me everything. I would cast aside earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as less than vanity. Religion should be my first waking thought, and my last image when sleep sunk me in unconsciousness. I would labor in her cause alone. I would not labor for the meat that perisheth, not for the treasure on earth, where moth and rust corrupts, and thieves break through and steal; but only for a crown of glory in heavenly regions. Where treasure and happiness are alike beyond the reach of time or chance. I would take thought for eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained to heaven worth a life of suffering. There should be neither worldly prudence nor calculating circumstance in my engrossing zeal. Earthly consequences should never stay my hand or seal my lips. I would speak to the imagination, awaken the feelings, stir up the passions, and arouse the fancy. Earth, its joys and its griefs, should occupy no moments of my thoughts; for these are but the affairs of a portion of eternity, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly miserable or everlastingly happy. I would deem all who thought only of this world, merely seeking to increase temporal happiness, and laboring to obtain temporal goods, pure madmen. I would go forth to the world and preach to it, in season and out of season; and my text should be, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (A.S. Ormsby, in Alone with God)

[TRFrance]

Deep.