While attending a book fair at the age of 17, I bought a Catechism published in 1850 1850 catechism excerpts.pdf [1] Back then, I found it sycophantic, scientifically backward and full of veiled threats. Fast forward 33 years . . . I now find it sycophantic, scientifically backward and full of veiled threats (p. 47, 60).
I’m sharing scanned images of this Catechism here because it still makes an interesting read. It shows that the tricks used by today’s fundamentalists are not new. And even 150 years ago (well prior to the civil war) religious leaders knew (instinctively if not consciously) the value of terror. How do we know that God is such a great guy? Well (see p. 66), he could have executed Adam and Eve, but he didn’t. [Hey, wait! I could have killed dozens of people today, but I didn’t. Am I a great guy too?]
Notice that God didn’t kill Adam and Eve. He spared them (and us), but “put enmities between” all men and women. God, the anti-marriage counselor.
Reading this Catechism illustrates that anywhere the light of disciplined science shines, fundamentalist religion doesn’t have enough sense to scurry. Check out the Intelligent Design arguments on page 43. Michael Behe and his pals offer us nothing new except packaging.
Other tidbits: Blue is the most pleasing color (p. 47). God could crush us by playing with air pressure (p. 47). Air has the function of pumping water out of the ocean (p. 48). The sun and moon were not created until the “fourth day” (how did God know it was the fourth day without the sun?) to prevent idolatry (p. 51). If the stars were further from us, they would be “useless” (p. 52). Ants teach us “the tenderness that parents should have for their children and the care they should take of their education” (p. 57).
Enjoy.
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