¶ … Ralph Waldo Emerson and presents a theoretical letter to Emerson himself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Two of His Essays
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay on self-reliance, very blatantly states his belief that people should be nonconformists. Of course, he qualifies this with the statement that non-conformists are often beaten down by the world, since the world loves conformity. However, Emerson is a big proponent of being reliant on only one's self. This means working hard, but making sure that this work is for one's own benefit. To Emerson, it is folly to rely on someone else for your upkeep. When a man is relying on himself, working for himself, and not conforming to the world at large, things are the best for him then, and he has the most freedom. Emerson also believes that a man should take care to provide for his own, but does not believe in miscellaneous charities, as the people who are benefiting from those charities have nothing to do with him. Again, this goes back to Emerson's belief...
I know that the case you cite, of Dr. Drake, has been a common one. The religion-builders have so distorted and deformed the doctrines of Jesus, so muffled them in mysticisms, fancies and falsehoods, have caricatured them into forms so monstrous and inconceivable, as to shock reasonable thinkers, to revolt them against the whole, and drive them rashly to pronounce its Founder an impostor. Had there never been a
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