Is there a display of intelligence and benevolent design in creating man with strength and wisdom to slaughter his prey at will? Then where is the benevolence of design in creating the animals to be thus slaughtered?
The universe, we shall find, does not exhibit evidence of a conscious intelligent design. Says Shelley: “We must prove design before we can infer a designer.”
Mr. Talmage insists that it takes no especial brain to reason out a “design” in nature, and in a moment afterward says: “When the world slew Jesus, it showed what it would do with the eternal God if once it could get its hands upon him.” Why should a God of infinite wisdom create people who would gladly murder their creator? Was there any particular “design” in that? Does the existence of such people conclusively prove the existence of a good designer? (“Ingersoll’s Interviews,” p. 46.)
Providence.
Religious people see Providence in everything. Strange it is, too, that the most marked displays of Providence are seen in shipwrecks, railroad collisions, or in all devastating fires, floods, and plagues. In such appalling calamities as lead most sensible men to say with Æneas, “If there be gods, they certainly take no interest in the affairs of men,” the Christian sees proof of a good guardian, a saving God, where nothing but destruction and ruin mark his pathway. There is a strange fatuity manifested by believers in this doctrine. Not long since a young man died very suddenly in Boston. There was a post-mortem examination by regular physicians, and a coroner’s jury, who mutually deliberated over the body as to the cause of its death. The doctors found the young man’s stomach somewhat irritated. On close inspection the contents of the stomach were found to be a mixture of bread and butter, mince pie and coffee, ham and eggs, buckwheat cakes, oyster stew, plum pudding, pound cake, corned beef, ice cream, more mince pie, and baked beans.
The jury gave the case most grave and deliberate consideration, and in accordance therewith returned the verdict: “Came to his death by a mysterious dispensation of the afflictive hand of Providence.” Just so! Anything, however evil, unjust or foolish may be attributed to Providence; yet he remains both wise and good.
Why, if this world is created and controlled by infinite wisdom and benevolence, are not all things beautiful? One of man’s noblest endeavors is to beautify. But we see many flowers and plants which are not beautiful.
Many parts of the earth are inhospitable and forbidding. What beauties on the other hand lie buried at the bottom of the ocean, its flora, shells, and corals! But no human eye ever sees them. Wherein is the evidence of design? Where is the evidence of design in the horrid monsters which once filled the oceans? Where is the design in creating such monstrosities as we see among animals?
Did the designer intend that parasites should infest the human body? The creator made the parasites (lice) and their proper dwelling-place seems to be the human body. The human body gives them their proper food. They are so constituted as to reproduce themselves rapidly and thus persist in feeding upon man.