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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.