LordSnooty

Hi all,

I've just read a short and rather biting bio of Ingersoll, written by the late Madalyn Murray O'Hair (which can be found here: <a href="http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/ingersoll/)." target="_blank">http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/ingersoll</a>/).

It seemed rather unpleasant, and made some accusations that I haven't seen levelled at Ingersoll at the past (particularly accusations of racism (!) and drunken brawling).

Has anyone read this, and can anyone shed any light on how reliable this biography is? I'm tending towards thinking it's biased drivel written by a resentful battleaxe, but I thought I'd see if her arguments have any basis in fact.

I've read 'Robert G. Ingersoll, A Life' by Frank Smith, but it read rather differently!

Any comments welcome!

Cheers,

Paul

[ December 04, 2002: Message edited by: LordSnooty ]</p>

Doubting Didymus

What's wrong with drunken brawling?

clark

There's a great bio of Ingersoll written by Orvin Larsen, re-printed by <a href="http://www.ffrf.org/books/rgi.html" target="_blank">FFRF</a>. Larsen paints a very favorable picture of Ingersoll, especially how he was viewed among his contemporaries. He certainly had faults - he loved to spend money and attend parties, but I had not heard of allegations of racism or brawling.

THOUGHTfully Yours,
Clark

Toto

<a href="http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/ingersoll" target="_blank">http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/ingersoll</a>

edited to add: I wouldn't characterize this as "unpleasant." It was admiring, while realizing that Ingersoll had his personal limitations.

The drunken brawls appear to have been youthful indiscretions. O'Hair's principle complaint against Ingersoll was that he didn't establish an organization to carry on his work.

[ December 05, 2002: Message edited by: Toto ]</p>

Marduk

"I'm tending towards thinking it's biased drivel written by a resentful battleaxe"

BINGO! we have a winner!

Hubble head

Yup. Not like she had didn't have any issues of her own we can't look back on and think "phew, what a...unique character".

Besides, what man with a solid backbone who always knows he's right doesn't enjoy a good whiskey and drunken brawl here and there?


"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools."
-- Ernest Hemmingway

Ut

The racism accusation is nothing surprising and nothing to get hung up about. Everybody was racist in this day and place. Hell, even Lincoln was racist (you should read his debate with Douglas).

The Admiral

O'Hair also wrote an introduction to"Behind the Bars" by Charles c. Moore though most of it was an exchange of letters between Moore and Ingersoll. O'Hair contributed only a few minor remarks. I have had my copy of the book for 8 years but I think it is still available. Moore was, I think, the last person in this country imprisoned for blasphemy. Moore was a contemporary of Ingersoll and a great admirer of him but he(Moore) felt that Ingersoll calously turned him down in his hour of need. Interesting reading

The Admiral

LordSnooty

This is true, but Ingersoll actually made impassioned speeches about the evils of racism and bigotry, and even had a black friend. He once spoke at a black gathering to commemerate the end of slavery. I find it rather odd that anyone might call him racist.

Paul