1. It Doesn’t Pay to Be Religious
(G. W. Foote)
Harisa Mardiana
2. About the author…
• G. W. Foote (1850-1950) joined the British secular movement in London under the
leadership of Charles Bradlaugh.
• He attacked religious thought and founded The Freethinker,
• He published a series of cartoons attacking the church and was charged and
convicted of blasphemy in the 1882 by a Roman Catholic judge.
• Sentenced to one year of hard-labor, but, Foote replied to the judge, “Thank you,
my lord, the sentence is worthy of your creed.”
• His defense and subsequent refusal to be silenced a change in the crimes of
religious criticism in Victorian England changed from Biblical blasphemy to civil
offense.
• The movement in societal values from religious standards to more secular literary
standards was a major cultural shift in 19th England—a change presaging similar
cultural concerns in other countries.
3. About the work. . .
• Popular in Infidel Death-Beds which is popular
view a repentant conscience anybody who
strayed from religious morality.
• His response is designed to defuse the claim that
we ought do what’s right because, from a
religious point of view, “It pays.”
• Foote’s argument is to attack the ad baculum.
5. Religious Use of Dying RepentanceDeath-Beds
What is INFIDEL death-beds?
Faith is an excellent soft pillow and Reason a horrible hard
bolster, for the dying head.
Freethought all very well in the days of our health and strength
when buoyed up by the pride of carnal intellect.
What happens when health and strength is failed?
6. Psychological Aspect of Dying
• Throughout the world the religion of mankind is determined by the
geographical accident of their birth.
• In England men grow up Protestants; in Italy, Catholics; in Russia, Greek
Christians; in Turkey, Mohammedans; in India, Brahmans; in China,
Buddhists or Confucians.
• What they are taught in their childhood they believe in their manhood;
and they die in the faith in which they have lived (Foote, G.W in Archie,
Lee & Archie, J.G, Ethicsbook, 2003).
7. Everybody thinks of themselves.
• If they discard the faith in which they have been educated, they are
never free from its influence because it will constantly pull back to its
original place, the more rejected, the weaker and surrender to him.
• If he is isolated or finds but few sympathizers he may revert to the
ranks of faith;
• if he finds many of the same opinions with himself he will probably
display more fortitude.
"Pikiranku bertambah tanpa batas ketika dibagikan oleh orang lain."
8. Skeptism
Skeptics The power of the environment is absolute,
If infidels are few, their minds become weak, sick and
eventually approach death due to the insistence of those
around them. Will they make peace with their environment so
that their beliefs change?
Whatever it is, even if it is called an infidel, it remains in its
beliefs because it will still return its own beliefs.
Beginning of life and the end of life connected
9. The Excellence Words
If someone in life has strength and virtue and is right,
life has been built, will not be destroyed.
Be people who think freely and believe in themselves
and intact themselves to be meaningful later.
