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Ingersoll Day August 11th We have already compared the benefits of theology and science. When the theologian governed the world, it was covered with huts and hovels for the many, palaces and cathedrals for the few. To nearly all the children of men, reading and writing were unknown arts. The poor were clad in rags and skins -- they devoured crusts, and gnawed bones. The day of Science dawned, and the luxuries of a century ago are the necessities of to-day. Men in the middle ranks of life have more of the conveniences and elegancies than the princes and kings of the theological times. But above and over all this, is the development of mind. There is more of value in the brain of an average man of to-day -- of a master-mechanic, of a chemist, of a naturalist, of an inventor, than there was in the brain of the world four hundred years ago. These blessings did not fall from the skies. These benefits did not drop from the outstretched hands of priests. They were not found in cathedrals or behind altars -- neither were they searched for with holy candles. They were not discovered by the closed eyes of prayer, nor did they come in answer to superstitious supplication. They are the children of freedom, the gifts of reason, observation and experience -- and for them all, man is indebted to man. -- Robert Green Ingersoll, "God In The Constitution" We have heard talk enough. We have listened to all the drowsy, idealess, vapid sermons that we wish to hear. We have read your Bible and the works of your best minds. We have heard your prayers, your solemn groans and your reverential amens. All these amount to less than nothing. We want one fact. We beg at the doors of your churches for just one little fact. We pass our hats along your pews and under your pulpits and implore you for just one fact. We know all about your mouldy wonders and your stale miracles. We want a this year's fact. We ask only one. Give us one fact for charity. Your miracles are too ancient. The witnesses have been dead for nearly two thousand years. -- Robert Green Ingersoll, "The Gods" (1872) Ingersoll Day is an annual celebration, taking place on August 11th - the birth date of Robert Green Ingersoll - American Infidel. The Robert Green Ingersoll Memorial Committee, a subcommittee of the Council for Secular Humanism, is dedicated to preserving the memory of Robert Green Ingersoll and to educating the public concerning the works of this 19th Century orator. How To Celebrate Ingersoll Day: Visit Dresden, NY: The Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum showcases Ingersoll's originality, his wit, his power as a persuader, and his role in history - in the Finger Lakes home where he was born. Historical artifacts, displays, and a specially-produced video presentation bring Ingersoll and his times to life. On display are Ingersoll's walking stick; his Masonic sword; a complete manuscript of his most famous speech, "Ghosts"; and a great variety of period artifacts. Explanatory signage tells the whole story of Ingersoll's life, lavishly illustrated with photos, drawings, and period mementos. The upstairs room where Ingersoll was born has been restored with authentic period furniture. A "Local History Room", curated by Dresden village historian Ray Welker, displays artifacts from Dresden's past. Mr. Welker maintains his office and archives upstairs in a private area of the house. Distribute Brochures: Contact the Robert Green Ingersoll Memorial Committee to purchase bulk quantities of the following brochures and distribute them widely within your community. A set of five brochures is available by mail for $3.50. Ordering information is available here.
Read & Present the Works of Ingersoll:
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