expressly ordered to kill heretics in this
world, and the victims only escaped eternal damnation because the chosen
people knew nothing at that time of future rewards and punishments. A
glance at the first few pages of _Crimes of Christianity_ will also show
that the earliest apostles of Christianity were thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of persecution. Paul smote Elymas with blindness for opposing
him, and even "the beloved disciple" said "If there come any unto you,
and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither
bid him God speed." Paul tells the Galatians, "If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
These passages plainly imply that the unbeliever is to be shunned like
poison, and that the teacher of unbelief is a devil. What difference is
there between this and the passage in Mark? As a matter of fact, all the
Christian Churches, from the beginning till now, have taught that
faith is necessary to salvation; and this historic consensus of opinion
justifies the Freethinker in regarding bigotry as of the essence of the
Bible.

Now what is belief? It is an automatic act of the mind, over which the
will has absolutely no power. The will might, indeed, turn the eyes from
regarding evidence in a particular direction, or the entire mind from
attending to the subject at all. But given the evidence before you, and
your own powers of thought, and your judgment is a logical necessity.
You cannot help believing what your intellect certifies as true; you
cannot help disbelieving what your intellect certifies as false. If you
were threatened with everlasting torment for believing that twice two
are four, you could not, by the most tremendous effort of volition,
alter your conviction in the slightest degree. You might be induced to
_assert_ that twice two are five, but whatever your tongue might utter,
your belief would remain unchanged.

The effect of threats, therefore, is not to change belief, but to
produce hypocrisy. Yet this much must be allowed. The threats may
succeed _if they are carried out_. Fear will make multitudes _profess_
without _investigating,_ and as liars often come to believe their
own lies, habitual profession produces a state of mind that has a
superficial resemblance to real belief; and, on the other hand, if the
threats of future punishment are supplemented by penal laws against
heresy, there is a process of artificial selection by