The Legend of a Heretic

[groovedaddy]

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have been peddling their spiritual wares lately. Mr. McCain recently made a high-profile pilgrimage to meet evangelist Billy Graham and his son Franklin, while that same week Mr. Obama endorsed the essence of President Bush’s faith-based service program. Now, both candidates have agreed to appear at a forum at the California megachurch of influential evangelical pastor Rick Warren.

White evangelical and born-again Christians account for nearly one fourth of the electorate — a prize understandably worth fighting over. However, what we won’t see, yet again, this year is either candidate acknowledge — let alone pander to — the 16 percent of Americans categorized by the Pew Forum on Religion and Society as atheist, agnostic or free-range “nothing in particular.” It seems American politicians scarcely think twice about sidling up to the religious fringe — Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama each has had the odd preacher in the attic. But, fearing the wrath of the righteous, they’d rather be struck by lightning than show a glimmer of respect for nonbelievers.

Their forebears on the campaign trail were not all so skittish. At the end of the 19th century, Robert Ingersoll was the most notorious heretic in the land, famous for his lectures debunking Christianity and the Bible. Yet Republicans — yes, the party of George W. Bush and the Rev. Pat Robertson — begged him to campaign in their behalf.

Campaign, he did. For more than two decades, Ingersoll barnstormed across the country drawing huge crowds, including one at an 1896 campaign appearance in Chicago for William McKinley that the Chicago Tribune claimed was 20,000 strong. Ingersoll was not merely a stage attraction but a confidant of Republican leaders — and a highly public one. In a masterful speech, he nominated Senator James G. Blaine for president at the party’s 1876 convention in Cincinnati and nearly won Blaine the nomination. When Blaine lost the contest to Rutherford B. Hayes, Ingersoll stumped vigorously for Hayes in turn.

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/the-legend-of-a-heretic/index.html?ref=opinion

[Hydra]

1. Another proud heretic here

And may our voices make society tremble- for if we don't move ahead, we have nowhere to go.

[charlie]

2. I read in Susan Jacoby's book, Freethinkers

that Ingersoll almost single-handedly restored Thomas Paine's reputation as one of the country's important founders. Paine's Age of Reason made him a pariah and public regard remained low long after his death (Teddy Roosevelt called him "that filthy little atheist") until Ingersoll became his champion.

[bdf]

3. If Jacoby called Paine "one of the country's important founders"

then she did Paine a grave injustice.

If the signers of an admittedly-important document are known as "founding fathers" purely because of their signatures on that document, then Paine deserves the title "founding grandfather." Without him that chunk of the North American continent between Mexico and Canada would probably still be a bunch of British colonies.

Tom Paine was one of the first, if not the first of the pamphleteers (they didn't have the Internet back then) calling for revolution and independence. This was at a time when George Washington was governor of one of the colonies (I don't recall which one) and was himself telling people not to rebel. It was Paine's pamphleteering that convinced the populace, and even Washington, to rebel.

Tom Paine coined the phrase "The United States of America." Even if the revolution had occurred without his efforts (possible), and even if it had been won without his efforts (doubtful), the USA would have a different name today.

When morale was at its lowest, it was Paine's pamphlets in a series called The Crisis that restored it. Even though he has been largely excised from US history, the opening paragraph of the first Crisis Paper is probably known to all Americans, and to the educated of the rest of the English-speaking world (well, the first eight words, at least):

These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

I'm not criticising the founding fathers, but either Tom deserves to be the only person called the "founding father" or he deserves to be the "founding grandfather."

Anyway, how can anybody find fault with a guy who battles an insane tyrant named George? If only there were more people like that...

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. There's some historical mistakes there

Tom Paine was one of the first, if not the first of the pamphleteers (they didn't have the Internet back then) calling for revolution and independence. This was at a time when George Washington was governor of one of the colonies (I don't recall which one) and was himself telling people not to rebel. It was Paine's pamphleteering that convinced the populace, and even Washington, to rebel.

No. Washington was never a governor; after being an officer in the 1750s, he was a landowner. His involvement in the independence movement predates Paine's arrival in America, let alone Paine's pamphlets:

In 1749, Washington was appointed as surveyor for Culpepper County, Virginia after a trek for Lord Fairfax into the Blue Ridge Mountains. He was in the military from 1752-8 before being elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1759. He spoke against Britain's policies and became a leader in the Association. From 1774-5 he attended both Continental Congresses. He led the Continental Army from 1775-1783. He then became the president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/georgewashington/p/pwashington.htm

On January 29, 1737, Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England. His father, a corseter, had grand visions for his son, but by the age of 12, Thomas had failed out of school. The young Paine began apprenticing for his father, but again, he failed. So, now age 19, Paine went to sea. This adventure didn't last too long, and by 1768 he found himself as an excise (tax) officer in England. Thomas didn't exactly excel at the role, getting discharged from his post twice in four years, but as an inkling of what was to come, he published The Case of the Officers of Excise (1772), arguing for a pay raise for officers. In 1774, by happenstance, he met Benjamin Franklin in London, who helped him emigrate to Philadelphia.

His career turned to journalism while in Philadelphia, and suddenly, Thomas Paine became very important. In 1776, he published Common Sense, a strong defense of American Independence from England. He traveled with the Continental Army and wasn't a success as a soldier, but he produced The Crisis (1776-83), which helped inspire the Army. This pamphlet was so popular that as a percentage of the population, it was read by or read to more people than today watch the Super Bowl.

http://www.ushistory.org/Paine/index.htm

Washington was head of the Continental Army before Common Sense was published. Paine was important in pushing for complete independence, but Washington had already taken up arms by then.

[bdf]

7. Whoops! Sorry

I should always google to check my failing recollections. But it was late at night and already past my bed-time.

I'm fairly sure I remember that some important figure in the revolution was a governor who had the opposite view to Paine at the time Paine was pamphleteering. But that could be my memory letting me down again.

My apologies, yet again, for getting it wrong.

[Evoman]

4. That's because courting the religious lunatics is socially acceptable.

Court atheists, and even moderates and leftists will probably call you a hate monger, and an oppressor of fine christians.

Besides, you court the religious people, the atheists take it as normal and may still vote for you. You court atheists, you automatically lose the Religious loons. It's really not a winning proposition for politicians.

[knitter4democracy]

5. Rick Warren. Hmm.

He's evangelism-lite, and he's very popular in evangelical circles. Interesting. I wonder what Obama's going to say and how he's going to handle it.