He looked at the sky for the first time and saw that it was blue! He searched the heavens and found no God. He no longer feared the manifestations of nature.
The stars, however, are not the alphabet upon which to read the destiny of man.
We not only do not believe that man is punished for his "sins," but emphatically state that there is no such thing as sin.
There are wrongs and injustices, but no sin.
Sin, like purgatory and hell, was invented by priests, first to frighten, and then to rob the living.
We do not fear these myths and curses, and that is why we devote our time and energies to help our fellow man.
That is why we build educational institutions and seek, by a slow and painful process, to teach man the true nature of the universe and a proper understanding of his place as a member in society. At the same time we try to fortify his mind with courage to withstand the rebuffs, the trials and tribulations of life. That it is a difficult and arduous task no one can deny because we cannot correct all of "God's mistakes" in one life time.
As Ingersoll so succinctly states: "Nature cannot pardon."
Remember this: You are not a depraved human being.
You have no sins to atone for.