Good Sense

Part 1

Produced by Freethought Archives

GOOD SENSE WITHOUT GOD:

FREETHOUGHTS OPPOSED TO SUPERNATURAL IDEAS

By Baron D'holbach

"Freethinker's Library" Series

London: W. Stewart & Co.

A Translation Of Baron D'holbach's "Le Bon Sens"

Transcriber's note: this e-text is based on an undated English translation of "Le Bon Sens" published c. 1900. The name of the translator was not stated.

"Atheism leaves men to Sense, to Philosophy, to Laws, to Reputation, all which may be guides to moral Virtue, tho' Religion were not: but Superstition dismounts all these, and erects an absolute Monarchy in the Minds of Men. Therefore, Atheism did never perturb States; but Superstition hath been the confusion of many. The causes of Superstition are pleasing and sensual rights, and Ceremonies; Excess of Pharisaical and outside holiness, Reverence to Traditions and the stratagems of Prelates for their own Ambition and Lucre."--Lord Bacon.

CONTENTS

1. APOLOGUE

2. What is Theology?

3. What is Theology?

4. Man is not born with any ideas of Religion

5. It is not necessary to believe in a God

6. Religion is founded on credulity

7. All religion is an absurdity

8. The idea of God is impossible

9. On the Origin of Superstition

10. On the Origin of all Religion

11. Religious fears expose men to become a prey to imposters

12. Religion seduces ignorance by the aid of the marvellous

13. Religion seduces ignorance by the aid of the marvellous

14. No Religion, if not ages of Stupidity and Barbarism

15. All Religion was produced by the desire of domination

16. What serves as a basis to Religion is most uncertain

17. It is impossible to be convinced of the existence of a God

18. It is impossible to be convinced of the existence of a God

Part 2

19. The existence of God is not proved

20. It explains nothing to say, that God is a spirit

21. Spirituality is an absurdity

22. Whatever exists is derived from Matter

23. What is the metaphysical God of modern Theology?

24. Less unreasonable to adore the Sun, than adore a spiritual Deity

25. A spiritual Deity is incapable of volition and action

26. What is God?

27. Some remarkable Contradictions in Theology

28. To adore God, is to adore a fiction

29. Atheism is authorised by the infinity of God

30. Believing not safer than not believing in God

31. Belief in God is a habit acquired in infancy

32. Belief in God is a prejudice ov successive generations

33. On the Origin of Prejudices

34. On the effects of Prejudices

35. Theology must be instilled before the age of reason

36. The wonders of nature do not prove the existence of God

37. Nature may be explained by natural causes

38. Nature may be explained by natural causes

39. The world has never been created: Matter moves of itself

40. The world has never been created: Matter moves of itself

41. Motion is essential to Matter: no Spiritual Mover

42. The existence of Man does not prove the existence of God

43. Neither Man nor the Universe are the effects of chance

44. Order of the Universe does not prove the existence of a God

45. Order of the Universe does not prove the existence of a God

46. Absurd to adore a divine intelligence

Part 3

47. Qualities given God contrary to the Essence attributed to him

48. Qualities given God contrary to the Essence attributed to him

49. Absurd to say that the human race is the object of the Universe

50. God is not made for Man, nor Man for God

51. Untrue that the object of the Universe was to render Man happy

52. What is called Providence is a word without meaning

53. This pretended Providence is the enemy of Man

54. The world is not governed by an intelligent being

55. God cannot be considered immutable

56. Good and evil are the necessary effects of natural causes

57. The consolations of Theology and paradise are imaginary

58. Another romantic reverie

59. Vain that Theology attempts to clear its God from human defects

60. Impossible to believe God is of infinite goodness and power

61. Impossible to believe God is of infinite goodness and power

62. Theology's God a monster of absurdity and injustice

63. All Religion inspires contemptible fears

64. Religion, the same as the most somber and servile Superstition

65. The love of God is impossible

66. An eternally tormenting God is a most detestable being

67. Theology is a tissue of palpable contradictions

68. The pretended works of God do not prove Divine Perfections

69. The perfection of God and the pretended creation of angels

70. Theology preaches Omnipotence of its God, yet makes impotent

71. Per all religious systems, God is capricious and foolish

72. It is absurd to say that Evil does not proceed from God

73. The foreknowledge of God proves his cruelty

74. Absurdity of the stories concerning Original Sin, and Satan

Part 4

75. The Devil, like Religion, was invented to enrich the priests

76. God has no right to punish man

77. It is absurd to say, that the conduct of God a mystery

78. Ought we look for consolation, from the author of our misery?

79. God who punishes the faults which he might have prevented

80. What is called Free Will is an absurdity

81. But we must not conclude that Society has no right to punish

82. Refutation of the arguments in favour of Free Will

83. Refutation of the arguments in favour of Free Will

84. God, if there were a God, would not be free

85. According to Theology, man is not free a single instant

86. There is no evil, and no sin, but must be attributed to God

87. The prayers prove dissatisfaction of the divine will

88. Absurd to imagine repair of misfortune in another world

89. Theology justifies the evil permitted by its God

90. Jehovah, exterminations prove an unjust and barbarous God

91. Is God a generous, equitable, and tender father?

92. Man's life, deposes against goodness of a pretended God

93. We owe no gratitude to what is called Providence

94. It is folly to suppose that Man is the favourite of God

95. A comparison between Man and brutes

96. There are no animals so detestable as Tyrants

97. A refutation of the excellence of Man

98. An oriental Tale

99. It is madness to see nothing but the goodness of God

100. What is the Soul?

101. The existence of a Soul is an absurd supposition

102. It is evident that Man dies in toto

Part 5

103. Incontestible arguments against the Spirituality of the Soul

104. On the absurdity of the supernatural causes

105. It is false that Materialism degrades

106. It is false that Materialism degrades

107. Idea of future life only useful to priest's trade

108. It is false that the idea of a future life is consoling

109. All religious principles are derived from the imagination

110. Religion a system to reconciles contradictions by mysteries

111. Absurdity of all Mysteries, invented for the interests of Priests

112, Absurdity of all Mysteries, invented for the interests of Priests

113. Absurdity of all Mysteries, invented for the interests of Priests

114. An universal God ought to have revealed an universal Religion

115. Religion is unnecessary, as it is unintelligible

116. All Religions are rendered ridiculous by the multitude of creeds

117. Opinion of a famous Theologian

118. The God of the Deists is not less contradictory

119. Aged belief in a Deity does not prove the existence of God

120. All Gods are savage: all Religions are monuments of ignorance

121. All religious usages bear marks of stupidity and barbarism

122. The more a religion is ancient and general, the more suspect

123. Scepticism in religious matters from very superficial study

124. Revelations examined

125. Where is the proof that God ever shewed himself or spoke to Men

126. There is nothing that proves miracles to have been ever performed

127. Strange that God spoke differently to different sects

128. Obscurity and suspicious origin of oracles

129. Absurdity of all miracles

130. Refutation of the reasoning of Pascal on miracles

Part 6

131. Every new revelation is necessarily false

132. Blood of martyrs testifies against the truth of miracles

133. Fanaticism of martyrs, and the interested zeal of missionaries

134. Theology makes its God an enemy to Reason and Common Sense

135. Faith irreconcilable with Reason; and Reason preferable to Faith

136. To what absurd and ridiculous sophisms the religious are reduced

137. Ought a man to believe, on the assurance of another man

138. Faith can take root only in feeble, ignorant, or slothful minds

139. That one Religion has greater pretensions to truth an absurdity

140. Religion is unnecessary to Morality

141. Religion the weakest barrier that can be opposed to the passions

142. Honour is a more salutary and powerful bond than Religion

143. Religion does not restrain the passions of kings

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