< T U E TORCH OF REASON, S IL V E R T O N , OREGON, TH U R SD A Y , F E B R U A R Y 11, 1897. If A M an D ieS h all He L ive A gain? ence, strange as it m ay seem, baa first round of the ladder of etern ity th e n m ’ contained in an am pu- , _ taught me m at Christian peoj le a te w iiln »t yet have been climbed. lated , a rt of a living lw»d> ? Is the o/i m u e . as a rule the most afra d to die. I Im m o rtality im plies th a t after soul an organization independent M ay er The s<»ul is lo cated in have found that the best c ris ians we l ave “ hovered a ro u n d th e of the bod\? D »es the soul develop the m eduU ao'd m gatn.” are the most w iki ng to s lo p .m t of th ro m ,” or around our spirited as the body develops? Is the soul McCulloch says in his able work heavtn ” f iends for countie.-s generation--, o f an infant ibe same size as th at on the “C redibility of the Script- M an h is observed th a t all ani- p ayed h a rp ” daily for ten thou- of an ad u lt? Is tne soul of a Caii- n . - J mil Vj . a-i ;; fu5T'*»<....... !- '' ’i*’1 ¡1* 'hr.--: /• .............. . . r. » * • . ' -- Hebrew language th at s-gnifms active tu n c’ious of life, h a t Un* intellectually un til all the m ystcr- Negro? is the s<»ul of an idiot th e either soul or sp irit in the te tb n c - same tu rn undergoing the tia n - ies of the universe are as plain as -am e as th a t ol an intelligent per- al sense in which we use the term , »ition of decay and death. Th ir A B C, an d conscious th a t n thing “on? W hen does the soul h a v e as im plying som ething distinct children as well as an im als will more of interest is in store for us the body a t death, « r at the resur- from the body.” In Gen. 2: , we sicken and die, nut is t «at the d uring a d etern ity — m d vainly r c ion day? If the soul leaves the reipl, “ Ami tin* Lotd God formed end? In the r dream s t *ey have 1 nging for re-incarnation and a - b 'dy a' death where does it sojourn m an of the du>-t of the ground, and seen th eir loved ones ag »in. H ope other earth life, with its change-, while w aiting for the resurrection breathe«!in’<)his u o strik the breath has sp iu n g up th a t the dead would charm s, hopes an d possibilities, all m orn? If a living person wa< of l i f ', and m an b a um* a living live again. however vanished forever. Im m or- |*Dic d in an a ’r tig h t ja r and th e soul.” We would infer from this, I t m ay he a consoling th o u g h t o ta lity im plies th at when th is inev- ja r sealed herm et cab y , a t (h ath th at the soul is located in the some to th in k they will coasp itable and terrible s ate of im mor- bow would tlm soul m ake its exit? no-e If m an became a living soul hands with their loved on s beyond ta iity overtakes us—when we have After leaving th * body, w hat di- alter t h “ b ieatb went into Ids nos- tne river. B ui uufor«una.eiy there nothing more to live and hope for rection does the soul pursue to trils, he m ust have been a dead are sad defects in im s eneeriui — when nothing but uneasit.e-s, reach its final des*illation? If an soul previous to the breathing. view; uo scientist in Ins iah«at«<ry and «leprivatio s stare us in the obi man died at noon, and an old Hie religions of nearly all civil- or chem ist With his crucible, has face, th a t then the only consolation woman a t m idnight would th e souls iz’*d or unci vilized people m ay he ever caged a soui sep arate an d in store for u s,d creed by cruel fate go in opposite directions? If s«» said more or l -ss to recognize the a p a it iroiu the bud}. o u tsid e of is, “ live, live, live! Thou a it bow long will it take for the old im m o rtality of the soul. It is un- tne brain there is no m entality, no (h omed to live forever and n o a j - woman to catch up with the old doubtedly owing to ch ristian ity volition, no love. Ih e re are m any peal.” And though yearning lo r m an? W here and what distance th a t thè doctrine of im m o rta li'y strange m em ai phenom ena ex relief and death this j recious boon from tin* earth is th«* soul land has Incoine so com m only accepted. hibited under the n.»mcs of mes- is etern ally denied us. located? Is the soul sensible or Every firm of religion has its m ersism , spiritualism and kindred Shakespeare «-ays «n death, insensible to pain? Of what shape heaven, an d pictures it with th e themes, hut as for a satisfactory “ Hero lurks no treas >n; is tin* soul? Does the soul retain Here no envy dw ells; beauties and riches which they en- knowledge of a future life, there is its S«*X? Here grow no grudges; joy in this world. Take the chris- none. W e have fize infallible witnesses H ere are no st< rm s; tiaiif for instance—they are a very I nave been told th at it is a c m- to prove the exist« nee «f m atter, No no se but sibmee dissatisfied class, although they sav soling thought to one to stand by nam ely— h«aring, seeing, tasting, And eternal sleep.” they are the only ones who experi- the open giave, while the clous are W hen rest can b« come a condi- sm e'ling and feeling. By these d ice tru e happiness. Y et I have tailing over tne coffin co n tain in g a ,ion of grief, peJ)CB „ condition o, five witnesses can we prove the ex- heard them c ill them selves worms deceased f r i e d or relative, to have h((ll.or, n ill f)w |, an a l P ,n ing istei.ee and the com ponent parts of an d sing—“ 0 land of rest for tliee m e h.essed assurance tn .1 tney | , rag ,dV( lhen> | )Ut till then, m atter. But by tile aid of these I sigh.” The ch ris ian advocates wilt meet beyond tile m e r . i t m a , lllor a „ fear th a t whi(,h ¡g j„ fiv e u i t n e - s e s of a soul? th e doctrine th a t the clim ax of joy m ight be to Same, h at wt.o u a , th a t fact th(. glKltl 8t |,„oll vouchsafed E L. D avidson . is t'» he an angel, have feathers, and Lnesaed as-mranc ? 1 b eam a pet- t> m an— D eath. Tragedy, horror, O-wego. Or.. Ja n . 20. E. M. 297. sit on a great w hite( w ashed) throne. son not long ago quoting St. P am to pain, cun only ove«takc the living Th«*y picture th eir heaven with the establish tne docirm o oi im m ortai- never the «lead. Death is sim ply George W. F«zote, as r. p rted in riches and good th ings of this ity. If im m ortality is a sc.entitle nonexistence, negation, naught, ^he I ru th Seeker, just before leav- world. We are told th a t heaven fact, why c a n ’t it be logically d« m- aml cannot pos-ibly be a condition ¡ng for home, gave the following has gates of pearl, wal s of jasper, o usirated by scientific m ethods? of g r i e f or joy, s »rrow or gladness, adm irable advice to American streets of gold, w ith crowns of'prc- W ith all the aid-» of so-called Rev- t«ag dy or comedy. I f nonexist- F reeth in k er-: cious gems, great white robes, and elaiion, and all the vagaries oi their ence after death is an appalling “ Keep your Free T hought organ- harps w ith a thousand strings each expounders, the m ystery of life and tragedv, n inexistence before death izati m, free from all o-her ques- etc* death have never been solved. m ust be the same. In my opinion turns. To add. in th is respect, is One of the m ost piercing shrieks Is im m ortal hie worth living? the etern ity succeeding mans life t<> take away. T he more planks of C hristianity ag ain st unbelief is After due consideration, I have iB precisely the sam e as the eter- }’<”» have in your platform , the th a t w hen the unbeliever lies upon I cotne t> the conclusion t h i t a l l n ,ty proceeding his b irth . Asc«»ndi- fewer peopb can stan d on it, for h is death-bed, he is alw ays afraid those clam oring for eternal life do tiOns of horror cannot exist for w hat a m an objects to is as im - of death and calls up >n the chris- not realize all the dread possibili- those wh » «Io not exist, th«* folly of p o rta rt (to him ) as w hat he agrees t i a n ’s Savior to com e to his rescue, ties it im p ies, and th a t if a fact, it postulating tragedy f »r the dead with. Politicians know th is well. In the face of facts which are in- m ight indeed even in th e absence m ust he ap p aren t. They g.» in for a sim ple is-ue. L< t num erable th is cry has been kept of a literal hell, become an ap p all- « p hfc p n > en t condition of the us im itate them where they kiv up for scores an d scores of years, ing tragedy, and un actu al condi- unborn and the dead are identical, wise. This d-.es not interfere with I t has been told of n ea rly all prom - tion of “eternal to rm en t.” Im m or- We may as welt lam ent over an individual lreedom. Those wh«» in en t unbelievers an d believed by tality note well im plies not apal ing tragedy bef »re existence have special view*« of th eir own, in nearly a ll church people. voluntary eternal exi-teuce which as to lam ent over nonexistence politics or sociology, should advo- Only w ithin the past few years can be en«led, a t option, in a few after d ea th .” —(W ettstien) I f a cate them on th eir own responsibil- has it been ad m itted by an y pietist thousand years, by sickness, age, m an lias a soul, and it is of vital ity» ° r through organizations th a t any unbelievers die as serenely poison, shot, shell, or d y n am ite; impoi tance to him, it ought to be so formed to promote such objects, as the believer and th a t Christian- but on the contrary it im plies, ab- logically dem onstrated th a t “a m an One thing at a tim e is the policy of ity is of no effect in sm oothing th e solute com pulsory eternal existence, though he he a fool should not err wisdom and success.” dying pillow. P hysicians are be- regardless of our desires. It im- t h e r e in .” If th a t advice had been prac- ginning to let th e tru th be know n, plies th a t the sentence is decreed Let come soul-wi-e individual ticed by Liberals in this couutrv an d the religious papers and th e ir over us, “ Thou a rt doomed to live, answ er the following questions: ' for the last ten y« are there would followers do not like th e ir testi- live, live, ete rn a lly .” W here do« s the soul come from ? have been a powerful Secular m ony. The latest professional Though existence after thousands Is the soul au en tity or a nonentity? N ational Society in this country m an to bear testim ony in this of m illions of years m ay become W h at is the chemical an aly sis of th a t would have com m anded the m atter is Dr. S h rad y , editor of the m onotonous and a burden, not even th e soul? When does the soul respect of every intelligent person. Medical Record, and the physician the bles-ed consolation of eventual en ter the l»ody before or after b irtb ? The dragging of every irrelevant who atten d ed Gen. G ra n t in his relief by death will be ours— we W here is the soul located? I f the question has been th e barrier to our illness. must still live, live, live for count- soul is located in all parts of the success. L et us learn by experi- Dr. S h rad y s ty s,“ My own experi- less m illions of years, and then th e body, what becomes of th at p art of «*nce. — Free T hought Magazine.