Robert G. Ingersoll, America’s Preacher of Freethought

Robert G. Ingersoll, America’s Preacher of Freethought Robert Ingersoll was born in Dresden, New York.  His mother died when he was only three years old.  His father was a Congregationalist minister, adhering to a Calvinist theology, and also an ardent abolitionist.  After the death of Robert’s mother, he moved around New England and the Midwest, where he held ministerial positions with many congregations, moving frequently. Because the family moved so much, young Robert’s education was mostly at home.  He read widely, and with his brother studied law. In 1854, Robert Ingersoll was admitted to the bar.  In 1857, he made Peoria, Illinois, his home. He and his brother opened a law office there. He developed a reputation for excellence in trial work. Known for:  popular lecturer in the last 19th  century on freethought, agnosticism, and social reform Dates:  August 11, 1833 - July 21, 1899 Also known as:  The Great Agnostic, Robert Green Ingersoll Early Political Associations In the 1860 election, Ingersoll was a Democrat and a supporter of Stephen Douglas. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1860 as a Democrat. But he was, like his father, an opponent of the institution of slavery, and he switched his allegiance to Abraham Lincoln and the newly-formed Republican Party. Family He married in 1862. Eva Parker’s father was a self-avowed atheist, with little use for religion. Eventually he and Eva had two daughters. Civil War When the Civil War began, Ingersoll enlisted.  Commissioned as a colonel, he was the commander of the 11th Illinois Cavalry.  He and the unit served in several battles in the Tennessee Valley, including at Shiloh on April 6 and 7, 1862. In December of 1862, Ingersoll and many of his unit were captured by the Confederates, and imprisoned.  Ingersoll, among others, was given the option of release if he promised to leave the Army, and in June of 1863 he resigned and was discharged from service. After the War At the end of the Civil War, as Ingersoll returned to Peoria and his law practice, he became active in the radical wing of the Republican Party, blaming the Democrats for Lincoln’s assassination. Ingersoll was appointed Attorney General for the state of Illinois by Governor Richard Oglesby, for whom he had campaigned. He served from 1867 to 1869.  It was the only time he held public office.  He had considered running for Congress in 1864 and 1866 and for governor in 1868, but his lack of religious faith held him back. Ingersoll began to identify with freethought (using reason rather than religious authority and scripture to form beliefs), delivering his first public lecture on the topic in 1868. He defended a scientific worldview including the ideas of Charles Darwin. This religious non-affiliation meant that he was unable to run successfully for office, but he did use his considerable oratory skills to give speeches in support of other candidates. Practicing law with his brother for many years, he was also involved in the new Republican Party. In 1876, as a supporter of candidate James G. Blaine, he was asked to give the nominating speech for Blaine at the Republican national convention.  He supported Rutherford B. Hayes when he was nominated. Hayes tried to give Ingersoll an appointment to a diplomatic job, but religious groups protested and Hayes backed down. Freethought Lecturer After that convention, Ingersoll moved to Washington, D.C., and began to split his time between his expanded legal practice and a new career on the lecture circuit.  He was a popular lecturer for most of the next quarter century, and with his creative arguments, he became a leading representative of the American secularist freethought movement. Ingersoll considered himself an agnostic.  While he believed that a God who answered prayers did not exist, he also questioned whether the existence of another sort of deity, and the existence of an afterlife, could even be known.  In response to a question from a Philadelphia newspaper interviewer in 1885, he said, â€Å"The Agnostic is an Atheist. The Atheist is an Agnostic. The Agnostic says: ‘I do not know, but I do not believe there is any god.‘ The Atheist says the same. The orthodox Christian says he knows there is a God, but we know that he does not know. The Atheist cannot know that God does not exist.† As was common in that time when out-of-town traveling lecturers were a main source of public entertainment in small towns and large, he gave a series of lectures that each were repeated many times, and later published in writing.  One of his most famous lectures was â€Å"Why I Am an Agnostic.†Ã‚  Another, which detailed his critique of a literal reading of the Christian scriptures, was called â€Å"Some Mistakes of Moses.†Ã‚  Other famous titles were â€Å"The Gods,† â€Å"Heretics and Heroes,† Myth and Miracle, â€Å"About the Holy Bible,† and What Must We Do to Be Saved? He also spoke on reason and liberty; another popular lecture was â€Å"Individuality.†Ã‚  An admirer of Lincoln who blamed Democrats for Lincoln’s death, Ingersoll also spoke about Lincoln.  He wrote and spoke about Thomas Paine, whom Theodore Roosevelt called a â€Å"filthy little atheist.† Ingersoll titled a lecture on Paine With His Name Left Out, the History of Liberty Cannot Be Written. As a lawyer, he remained successful, with a reputation for winning cases.  As a lecturer, he found patrons who funded his continued appearances and was a huge draw for audiences.  He received fees as high as $7,000. At one lecture in Chicago, 50,000 people turned out to see him, though the location had to turn 40,000 away as the hall would not hold so many.  Ingersoll spoke in every state of the union except North Carolina, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. His lectures earned him many religious enemies. Preachers denounced him. He was sometimes called â€Å"Robert Injuresoul† by his opponents. Newspapers reported in some detail his speeches and the reception of them. That he was the son of a relatively poor minister, and made his way to fame and fortune, was part of his public persona, the popular image of the time of the self-made, self-educated American. Social Reforms Including Women’s Suffrage Ingersoll, who had earlier in his life been an abolitionist, associated with a number of social reform causes.  One key reform he promoted was women’s rights, including the legal use of birth control, women’s suffrage, and equal pay for women. His attitude towards women was apparently also part of his marriage. He was generous and kind to his wife and two daughters, refusing to play the then-common role of a commanding patriarch. An early convert to Darwinism and evolution in science, Ingersoll opposed social Darwinism, the theory that some were â€Å"naturally† inferior and their poverty and troubles were rooted in that inferiority. He valued reason and science, but also democracy, individual worth, and equality. An influence on Andrew Carnegie, Ingersoll promoted the value of philanthropy. He counted among his larger circle such people as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Eugene Debs, Robert La Follette (though Debs and La Follette were not part of Ingersoll’s beloved Republican party), Henry Ward Beecher (who did not share Ingersoll’s religious views), H.L. Mencken, Mark Twain, and baseball player â€Å"Wahoo Sam† Crawford. Ill Health and Death In his last fifteen years, Ingersoll moved with his wife to Manhattan, then to Dobbs Ferry. While he was participating in the 1896 election, his health began to fail.  He retired from law and the lecture circuit, and died, probably of a sudden heart attack, in Dobbs Ferry, New York, in 1899.  His wife was at his side.  Despite rumors, there’s no evidence he recanted his disbelief in deities on his deathbed. He commanded large fees from speaking and did well as a lawyer, but he did not leave a great fortune. He sometimes lost money in investments and as gifts to relatives. He also donated much to freethought organizations and causes.  The New York Times even saw fit to mention his generosity in their obituary of him, with an implication that he was foolish with his funds. Select Quotes from Ingersoll Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so. All religions are inconsistent with mental freedom. The hands that help are better far than lips that pray. â€Å"Our government should be entirely and purely secular. The religious views of a candidate should be kept entirely out of sight.† â€Å"Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows.† â€Å"What light is to the eyes - what air is to the lungs - what love is to the heart, liberty is to the soul of man.† â€Å"How poor this world would be without its graves, without the memories of its mighty dead. Only the voiceless speak forever.† â€Å"The Church has always been willing to swap off treasures in heaven for cash down.† â€Å"It is a great pleasure to drive the fiend of fear out of the hearts of men women and children. It is a positive joy to put out the fires of hell. â€Å"A prayer that must have a cannon behind it better never be uttered. Forgiveness ought not to go in partnership with shot and shell. Love need not carry knives and revolvers.† â€Å"I will live by the standard of reason, and if thinking in accordance with reason takes me to perdition, then I will go to hell with my reason rather than to heaven without it.† Bibliography: Clarence H. Cramer.  Royal Bob. 1952.Roger E. Greeley.  Ingersoll: Immortal Infidel. 1977.Robert G.  Ingersoll. The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll. 12 vols. 1900.Orvin Prentiss Larson. American Infidel: Robert G. Ingersoll.  1962.Gordon Stein.  Robert G. Ingersoll, A Checklist. 1969.Eva Ingersoll Wakefield.  Letters of Robert G. Ingersoll. 1951.

(power relations) in Greco-Roman myth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

(power relations) in Greco-Roman myth - Essay Example This is again reflective of issues we continue to deal with today. By analyzing these issues within the plays of the ancients, such as the power struggle women fought against the exercise of power men had over them, it may be possible to learn something about how we deal with these issues now. One shining example of this exploration into power struggles can be found in Sophocles’ play Antigone. This play tells the story of one of Oedipus’ daughters, Antigone. It opens just after her two brothers have killed each other in a battle to see who would be king of Thebes, one having held the throne for the past year and the other marching on the city to enforce an earlier agreement regarding who will rule Thebes for the following year. While one brother is given a lavish and honorable burial, the other is ordered to be left rotting in the sun under punishment of law. Even though both brothers had reasonable claims, King Creon only acknowledges the letter of the law in the case, foreshadowing the trouble to come. Antigone, however, feels both brothers were wrong and both should be given the god-ordered rites of burial. Completely defying the law as set forth by Creon, and thus rejecting the power he is supposed to have over her, Antigone chooses to act instead in ke eping with her deep-seated and widely accepted religious beliefs that dictate all bodies should be buried. The trouble with trying to determine which character, Creon or Antigone, should have the right of power is made difficult by the very real and present flaws found within Antigone herself. She enters the first scene already raging regarding Creon’s decree and his nerve in believing he has any power over her. She is seen as bold, rash and passionately incapable of tempering her behavior, thus reinforcing the then-prevailing belief that women needed the steady guidance of men to

Ethic Diversity in China Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethic Diversity in China - Term Paper Example Although these two groups, Tibetans and Mongolians are the vast majority groups, which have the biggest population, China is ethnically very diverse nation. Based on the country’s provincial data for the years 1982 to 2007, there is evidence that the neoliberal process in China has many impacts on the minority groups in the country. Apart from the eastern coastal regions, the other parts of China are highly ethnically diverse (Smith 76). The other parts of the country are four times more ethnically diverse than the coastal parts. Most of these minority ethnic groups in China are highly affected by the neoliberal process over the last years. Neoliberal process affects these groups in terms of economical, political, and social conditions. Over the last thirty-five years, China has gone through a fast economic development and growth in the world. However, according to many studies the coastal provinces have an average growth, which is much higher than in the other provinces. During the 1970s and 1990s, the GPD per capita of the coastal province grew by a rate of 10% much higher than in the other provinces (Schiller and Ayse 178). The inequality of income generation between the coastal regions and the other poor provinces, which accommodates the majority minority groups of china such as Tibetans and Mongolians, continued to increase over time. Nowadays, the majority of the poor citizens of China are found with these minority groups living in the western China. The gap between the rich and the poor keeps on increasing hence portraying the impacts of neoliberal process in the country. The big question asked by many people is, why are coastal provinces richer than the other provinces in China? Many studies have investigated the factors that affect the income inequality in the country. Most of the studies conclude that it is due to the neoliberal process in the country that

Global Climate Change Essay Essay Example for Free

Global Climate Change Essay Essay Global Climate change is a term used to describe a gradual increase or change within the average temperature of earth’s atmosphere and its oceans. Global climate change is a rising issue in today’s society. There are various factors as to why the climate is changing; the factors are both human and natural. The human activities that cause climate change are burning fossil fuels, driving cars, and deforestation. The human causes are widely discussed but nobody ever considers the natural causes. Natural causes that contribute to global climate change are animal and plant respiration, volcanic eruptions, and the melting of ice caps. Although human activity is a main cause we still need to consider the natural causes because they are a huge factor when it comes to Global climate change. One natural effect of Global climate change is through animal and plant respiration. When a plant or an animal dies their bodies will decay into the ground. Once their bodies decay all of the C02 that was in their body is released into the atmosphere and the ground. The plants and animals that are buried deep underground will become fossil fuels millions of years later. Which is another leading cause of global climate change when humans burn them. All the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from the death of an animal or plant causes climate change. Carbon dioxide is a green house gas, which is a gas that traps heat into the atmosphere. Green house gases are essential for human, animal, and plant life but the amount that we have on earth is negatively affecting our climate. The earth hasn’t held this much carbon for 420,000 years. Another natural effect of global climate change is through volcanic eruptions. When a volcano erupts it releases aerosols, which are a cooling agent for earth. But the volcanoes also release carbon dioxide a green house gas. This may seem like it’s not a problem because the cooling will keep the  heating in balance. But that’s not always the case, the cooling agent can leave our atmosphere and go into different layers of the earth. The further it goes into the layers determines how long it will take for the cooling to effect our atmosphere. For example, if the aerosols reach the stratosphere it can take years until it is released back onto the earth. While the release of co2 is an immediate effect because it’s trapped in the atmosphere. Below in image one, there is a graph that shows the affect a volcano has on the earth. As you can see in 1975 before the volcano erupted earth’s temperature was significantly lower. But in the 1980’s before it fully erupted earth’s temperature was rising, due to co2 being released. But once the volcano fully erupted in 1991 temperatures have not been below the +.01 mark, but they are still dropping and rising. This up and down effect of the temperature has caused cold temperatures, which lead to crop failures, which in return lead to extreme famine in the North American region. The last natural cause of global climate change that I will be discussing is the melting of ice caps. The melting of ice and snow seems like good thing because water is being absorbed back into our atmosphere, but in reality it isn’t a good thing at all. When the sun hits a bright surface, like snow it goes through a albedo process. The albedo of the snow causes 95% of the suns energy to be reflected. Below in image 2 it shows exactly how this process works. First the suns rays are reflected on to a surface to be reflected back into the space. But with all the snow melting the suns rays are being absorbed into the atmosphere causing the earth to heat up more. Before I fully researched global, I thought it was an event that was strictly caused by humans. But from the information that was provided you can see that that isn’t the case at all. Natural causes of global climate change affect the earth in a very significant way. Although the human causes of global climate change do outweigh the natural causes some scientist believe that this is just a natural cooling and warming event that goes through.

Multicultural Social Studies Essay -- Education

Multicultural Social Studies More now than ever before in the educational history of our nation has multicultural education become important. Due to the ever increasing diversity in our nation, the global economy, and the mobility of our work force, diversity in the classroom is affecting our classrooms. With such a diverse student population teachers must understand that each student will bring his own background knowledge and experience into the learning environment. The task that is presented to teachers is to prepare the students to understand and interact with all the different cultures that are present or that the student may come into contact with, while at the same time teach them content which does not offend a student’s cultural identity. Why is multicultural education important? â€Å"Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS,1994b) endorses the belief that students should be helped to construct a pluralist perspective based on diversity. This perspective respects differences of opinion and preference, race, religion, gender, class, ethnicity, and culture in general.† (Hass & Sunal, 2011, p. 304) With the ever increasing diversity found within this country, and the interdependency between different cultures on a world-wide platform it is important for our students to not only accept these differences, but to also understand the differences. Dr. Geneva Gay states: Multicultural education can ease these tensions by teaching skills in cross- cultural communication, interpersonal relations, perspective taking, con- textual analysis, understanding alternative points of view and frames of reference, and analyzing how cultural conditions affect values, attitudes, beliefs, preferences, expectations, and behaviors. .. .../pdf/session3/3.Multiculturalism.pdf Banks, J. (2008). Teaching Strategies for ethnic studies. (8th Ed.). Boston: Pearson. Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Safford, P. (1992). Human Diversity in Education. New York: McGraw-Hill. Fry, T. S. (2000). Muticultural Perspectives Help by Preservice Social Studies Teachers. The Journal of Critical Inquiry Into curriculum and Instruction . Gay, G. P. (1994). A Synthesis of Scholorship in Muticultural Education. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from North Central Regional Educational Laboratory: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/leadrshp/le0gay.htm Hass, M. E., & Sunal, C. S. (2011). Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades. Boston: Pearson. Kostelink, M., Whiren, A., Soderman, A. S., & Gregory, K. (2002). Guiding children's social development: Theory to practice. Albany, NY: Thomson Delmar.

Gifted Children: An Overview

Started in the 1970†³s, America†s Gifted & Talented programs are used to enhance the curriculum of students included in either category in order to challenge and strengthen their unique abilities. These students are usually provided a separate class with specialized lessons in all areas and a teacher with a special degree in gifted education. I feel that it is important that the teacher was a gifted student who would know what the students must face as â€Å"above average† members of their school. The job market for gifted education offers a wide range of opportunity and gifted teachers are needed all over the One of the earliest programs for gifted and talented students was set up in 1974, at The Old Donation Center, in Virginia Beach. Students scoring within the top 3% of students on an assessment test are referred here to be further challenged. These students are considered gifted and have special teachers and classes to promote development of their talents and minds. Programs like this began to pop up around the nation in the 70†³s; however, gifted students were looked down upon by teachers, parents, and peers. Many people considered them to be â€Å"freaks† because they were different. They didn†t understand the implications of the terms â€Å"gifted† and â€Å"talented†. Most people simply expected gifted students to act more mature or to be geniuses, even though gifted students are the same as other children in their needs as human beings. Some gifted students were forced to grow up too fast and some simply ignored the fact that they were smarter than others, thus, they were lost in the shuffle. The irony of it all is that gifted-ness seems to run in families and the children of these repressed gifted students are, themselves, But what exactly is a â€Å"gifted† student? Students (elementary & secondary) are given a repertoire of tests. These tests check IQ, psychomotor ability, specific academic aptitude/talent, creative and productive thinking, leadership ability, and skills in the visual and performing arts. The main requirement, the IQ, is tested by a standardized IQ test (remember, however, that IQ tests are not always perfectly accurate). Ratings are given to each bracket of IQ scores: If a student receives a rating of â€Å"gifted† or higher (130+), he/she is considered to be a gifted student and is introduced into the designated programs. These students are given the opportunity to choose classes that are meant to teach them how to use their minds for critical thinking, reasoning, and artistic pursuits. Students in these classes are also exposed to culture, literature, and other subject areas that are not usually covered in what they term â€Å"normal classes†. The gifted classes are mainly in an open format allowing the student to create the parameters of his/her work and allowing them to be creative in their learning experience. Each class is presided-over by a teacher that has specialized degrees in gifted education. Almost every school in the United States has a need for a gifted class, making job opportunities endless; there are never Gifted teachers must have both a degree in education (secondary or elementary) and a degree in special education (gifted). These teachers are individuals that must have stamina, people skills, and open minds. It is also important (to the students) that the teacher himself/herself was also classified as gifted. It sets a common bond, shows them that the teacher understands the problems they face as so-called â€Å"smart kids†. These students are often ridiculed by heir peers and looked-down upon by their teachers. They are often separated from others their age by a barrier that can only be described as their â€Å"intelligence†. This is why, often, gifted teachers have degrees in administration, counseling, or psychology. All teachers that I interviewed told me that a continually upgraded education is a must (as are additional degrees). In order to keep up with the students one must attend seminars, workshops, special classes, etc. There is no end to the amount of education that could help you to understand gifted students and the role of their teacher†. Also, if a teacher has extra educational qualifications, he/she could be asked to step up to the position of administrator or, more often, counselor. This means pay raises. Though the average salary for teachers is approximately $27,500 per year, it is â€Å"a worthwhile undertaking† according to Jane Mansueto, â€Å"It is incredible to work with gifted students. They are incredible! † She went on to remark that it is fascinating to imagine that they are of the same level of intelligence as the teacher and what they must be feeling inside. She feels that the students are not bothered by what their peers think, but actually tend to understand that other†s opinions mean little compared to their own. Mrs. Mansueto taught at Elm Grove Middle School for 5 years. She commented on her role as a gifted teacher to consist of â€Å"one part mentorship, one part hardship, and one part friendship†. When asked what kind of hours she keeps, she laughed and asked if she was supposed to have time off. According to Mrs. Mansueto, unlike a â€Å"normal† teacher, a gifted teacher has no books to go by or preset material to teach, or, or that matter, a preset subject to teach. They are given a blank page and, using input from students, must draw up lessons from every subject area and constantly challenge the inquisitive minds of the gifted. Jane Mansueto attended Trinity College where she majored in both elementary education and gifted education. Her favorite part of being a gifted teacher is being with the students, working hand in hand with them to plan and carry out projects and trips. Though the pay is average, and there is not much room to be promoted if you wish o remain in the classroom, gifted teaching has its personal rewards. Jeff Simpleton, a gifted teacher as well as a former gifted student, states, â€Å"I really think that by being gifted, I am in touch with what they have to go through. They know that I can understand. † Mr. Simpleton†s class consists of 6 high school students, who have many problems due to the intelligence barrier and a kind of isolation that has built up over the years between themselves and their classmates. They seem to feel that they have a reputation that they must live up to. The students try to please everyone†¦ hey push themselves with sheer motivation and determination and drive. Mr. Simpleton feels that this is â€Å"what makes them so great†. He feels that anyone with a sense of adventure and a need for something new day after day would find teaching a gifted class to be the perfect job for Gifted teachers are important to the development of their students minds. They are understanding individuals who must work hard to make the curriculum interesting and challenging. With the proper education it is possible to go far as a teacher of the gifted.

Tarpan - Facts and Figures

Name: Tarpan; also known as Equus ferus ferus Habitat: Plains of Eurasia Historical Period: Pleistocene-Modern (2 million-100 years ago) Size and Weight: About five feet tall and 1,000 pounds Diet: Grass Distinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; long, shaggy coat About the Tarpan The genus Equus--which comprises modern horses, zebras and donkeys--evolved from its prehistoric horse forebears a few million years ago, and flourished in both North and South America and (after some populations crossed the Bering land bridge) Eurasia. During the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, the North and South American Equus species went extinct, leaving their Eurasian cousins to propagate the breed. Thats where the Tarpan, also known as Equus ferus ferus, comes in: it was this shaggy, ill-tempered horse that was domesticated by the early human settlers of Eurasia, leading directly to the modern horse. (See a slideshow of 10 Recently Extinct Horses.) Somewhat surprisingly, the Tarpan managed to survive well into historical times; even after millennia of interbreeding with modern horses, a few pure-bred individuals roamed the plains of Eurasia as late as the early 20th century, the last one dying in captivity (in Russia) in 1909. In the early 1930s--perhaps inspired by other, less ethical eugenics experiments--German scientists attempted to re-breed the Tarpan, producing what is now known as the Heck Horse. A few years earlier, authorities in Poland also tried to resurrect the Tarpan by breeding horses with noticeably Tarpan-like traits; that early effort in de-extinction ended in failure.