SAYINGS OF REDBEARD Reprinted from “Redbeard’s Review”, London, 1896 While statesmen are your shepherds ye shall not *ou can tal' of “human brotherhood” until want for shearing. you(re blac' and blue; no law of hea"en or earth, or hell, can e"er make it true. Men are oppressed in exact proportion to their helplessness. If one man smites you on the cheek, don(t turn the other so, and meek, “Thou shalt not steal.” Thus it was said of old but smash him back and lay him low. time. But I say unto ye, “Let nothing e stolen war for war, and woe for woe. from you.” -"erywhere it is the same % exactly the same. !orms of go"ernment change ut the principle The gold is for him who #./ % for him who of go"ernment ne"er changes. It is taxgathering. either plays the game "ictoriously or breaks it up "ictoriously. “Christian #i"ili$ation” % That is to say % all life trans"alued into terms of toil, of discipline and *ou must de"elop a rebellious heart towards of taxes. e"erything that oppresses you or keeps you down. What are men ut hungry wol"es, a prowling on the heath& Now is your chance if in a pack of wol"es you hunt, you(d 0o ear you well etter sharp your teeth. 1efeat is etter pay .nd life is li)le else than hell When man is old and grey. 2o to, de"elop your powers of resistance and aggression. -"ery man in our opinion should e a warrior. -ach morning he should go out as a fighting man into a ba)le field. Thus saith the -"il 0eacher % the !alse 4ne: “2i"e unto Caesar the things that are #aesars+ and unto 2od the things that are 2od(s.” But I say unto you % 6--7 *48R MO/-*. It has een wri)en5 % “Thou shall not kill.” But I say unto you5 “Be a warrior.” “0ruth is not mighty and it don(t pre"ail” The :ews by the grace of :eho"ah were Life is combat, remem er, and not a sunday commanded to steal5 but I say unto you % “Be school. not stolen from.” 1o not take your rules of conduct from your foe “4 some must watch and some must sleep, and % or from your con>ueror. some must perish slowly+ and some must weep and some must reap, till all things so to glory.” Man(s highest moral duty is to in crease his own powers and e"ol"e his own spirit. ;ea"y labor unfits a man for contention and strife. ;ence it unfits him for success in life. It The religion of “The -agle and the <erpent” is deadens his mind and his will and takes all the the religion of the 7lains of 0roy. We do not surplus energy out of him. found a new religion. We re"i"e the true one. “This is not said for Long -ars.” 7oison lurks in pastor preachments, <atan works through golden rules, The “will to li"e” ;ell is pa"ed with law and =ustice. Is 'ing of 'ings. #hrists were made to fetter fools. .nd “gold and iron” Is Lord of Things. The tendency of modern science, politics and religion is to reunite their forces % as in the days They load the whole world with national and of long ago % for the complete and perpetual international and municipal debts % and then mental, moral and physical subjugation of cry+ “2lory, glory, hallelu=ah % the human race man'ind. The scientist ecomes the priest % is free.” pope % moral in>uisitor. If you want to thin' things out in a direct and “Life is strife for e"ery man, natural way, keep your mind o@ the allot oxes !or e"ery son of Thunder; and legislatures and Bibles. Then e lion, not a lam .nd don?t e trampled under” In the alance weighed and wanting, The e"il reign of #hrist is o(er, “Christ is my redeemer,” % A,0BB years of hell condemn him I heard men ra"e and shout, ;e shall crush our souls no more. But where is their “redemption”& What is it all about& . painted idol on a tree % 1ripping tears and gore % . painted idol is to me % .nd it is nothing more. 1ogmas base % and wicked gospels, 0reacherous logic % shallow learning, 7rophets false % insane immortals .nd coward theories of discerning. #ar"e a wooden image, 1aub it o(er with paint, .nd straightway it is a sacred thing, . 2odess % <a"iour % <aint. The gates of hell % that is to say, the portals of the factory. The teachings of hell % that is to Hew down the False Idols say, the daily newspapers. That cumber the land 0o bleat and pray, .nd li"e like clods, !or strife and struggle Is not the way, Man is orn+ 4f men or gods. But sheep and lambs .re always shorn. <earch the <criptures % yea "erily search the <criptures of the :ews, for in them you shall find 6eep your eye steadfastly 3xed on the eternal damnation. substantial things. 7ursue positi"e aims. 0ake chances. Run ris's % and do not fear adventure. The o"erbearing domination of the <tate o"er the indi"idual is the menace and danger of our Things that seem sacred % sacred for centuries, times, and means the same Fin essentialsG as the and accepted by e"ery ody % these are the o"erbearing domination of the church o"er the things % the "ery things % you must learn to indi"idual in the dark ages. suspect and in>uire into. 0ake nothing for granted. There is no Blessed <a"iour !or two and two are four, There is no :ew :eho"ah .nd the gospel tale is fiction, Commanding things on high+ !iction, fiction, nothing more. There is no golden hea"en 0o go to when you die; 1o not preach wisdom. 0oo much is wisdom is an e"il. .nd what is wisdom& There is altogether Nothing could e more treacherous and too much of the snake and fox in modern man, untruthful than the -pistles of <t. 7aul. ;e is the too li)le of the eagle and the lion. em odiment of fallacy, the "ery pa)ern of super normal deceit and cunning. .ll is false about What men call "irtue is really their su H him, his logic, his legends, his learning, his missi"eness, their degeneracy, their damnation. arguments, his morality. -"en his personality is The world groans and staggers under the awful a pretense. load of its goodness, its morality, its justice, and so forth. 4, that the Mighty 4ne would rea' In your own heart loose from the 2reat Capti"ity and deli"er us Is all the law. from this frightful paradise. Beware of #hrist, That man of straw: Li"e and lo"e and take and gi"e. .nd laugh and fight and sigh+ The law of lo"e % the law of justice % the law of !or, it(s all there is of life to li"e, brotherhood % the law of e>uality % the law of .nd all of death to die. e>ual rates and taxes % the law of e>ual rights and pri"ileges % all these high sounding things If there is anything in you, make a stir while you are nothing more than dreams. They don(t really li"e. Now you ha"e a chance. It won(t e long. exist. They are only shadows of the mind. There *our days are num ered. *our end is nearer is nothing su stantial in them. They are idols % than you think. <oon the worms will eat you. 1o strings of words, words, words on words. They you understand? ne"er were truths and they ne"er can e. They are against the "ery nature of things. The high pontifs % thus they orate grandiH lo>uently5 “;a"e a care for religion, pay your !ield, factory, oCce and mine. These are the just taxes, and lo"e your blessed <a"iour.” But miserable ways of life. #onflict is the di"ine way say unto you5 “Beware of the -"il 4ne.” % the no le way % the way of the gods. Woe unto those who gi"e up their li"es to ser"itude. /ow is your appointed time, Eerily I say unto you they shall perish u)erly. This "ery hour and day, The curse of the gods is upon them and their 0o lo"e and laugh and feast and fight. seed for a thousand generations. .nd LIE- efore you?re grey. What dragons foul The “great god Bud” of India. Would hold the hoards We call a “wooden :oss” % -"er and e"er But a painted wooden :esus But for the swords& ls % “4ur <a"iour on the Cross” .h, “the Law and the 7rophetsJ” THE SECRET EMPIRE. By law the li erties of men are o"erthrown. By “THE EMPIRE OF DEBT.” law e"ery wickedness is legali$ed. By law e"ery ondage is made possi le. By law e"ery tax, e"ery tribute is enforced and e"ery ini>uity The whole world is in debt. /ational loans Flike upheld and emphasi$ed. great monster millstonesG are tied around the necks of all nations. The annual interest .nd all this is eminently wise. .nd eautiful, payments upon these "ast international and altogether lo"ely. Thus saith the 7rophets % o ligations is colosal. The tributes wrung by the 7rophets % the 7rophets.