Ross Winn

“ The Anarchists to-day are proclaiming that ideal state, that Golden Empire of Man, many unconscious of the fact that they are but repeating the old, old prophesy of the sages and seers of past and forgotten ages. But tho humanity has waited thru the long centuries, waited and watched for that which is to come, we of to-day should gather hope that, for those who have waited long, is the reward of realization. ”

“ But the world could not comprehend this sublime truth, and has stupidly given to Jesus a super-human character, which none of his teachings warrent. Jesus declared himself to be one with God. So was he, and so is every great and noble soul that has reached the plane of SELF CONSCIOUSNESS. God, by which I mean that Supreme Intelligence of which every atom of matter is a form of expression, is universal. The orthodox church declares God to be omnipresent: If he is omnipresent, he is all there is, because if aught existed that was not God, God could not be omnipresent. ”

“ And so I say, Jesus was not understood in his day, and that very few of his professed followers to-day care to understand his teachings now. As the ruling class of that day had no use for Jesus, they put him to death. That was not strange, if we reflect that, in our own times, about nineteen centuries later, five men were put to death in Chicago for holding and teaching views very similar to those held and taught by Jesus. You see the ruling class of all countries in all ages have very little sympathy with reformers and revolutionists. ”

“ The Anarchists, some consciously, most of them unconsciously, are to-day the exponents of the gospel which Jesus really proclaimed. I mean that which is reported in the New Testiment as his teachings. I do not know wheter he said those things or not, because I do not know whether any of the New Testiment writings are authentic—nobody knows. But assuming that Jesue said the things accredited to him, it is only the Anarchists who now believe and practice them. He repudiated the principle of authority, opposed punishment, and denied the right of judgement between man and man. He condemned wealth. ”

“ The church maintains that man has a free will, and that God is omnipotent: This is illogical absurdity, because if one being besides God possessed a free will, that will would be the limit of God's power. Jesus taught none of these absurdities preached in his name by the orthodox theologians. ”

“ Instead of adapting himself to circumstances and going in to make his pile, he began to tramp around from place to place, making speeches against the rich and well-to-do, and stirring up discontent among the poor. ”