Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1900)
9A M TH E TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, SEPTEM BER 6, E. M. 300 (1900.) — 7 h „ t according to its excellence¡m ortem survival; and in thus do-’word "God,« with .be dependent the Orthodox to a certain extent ’ ,) li - Id t.rla in n e n l While ing I go as far ae Spencer, Huxley, pronouns, him and bw. are still in a condition of hating "" B S trelts his audience at great Haeckel, Tyndall and other scien- ‘ My satisfaction was boundless fainted away through the paralyx- i O w dnouW.ions on the won- tif.c men who have the right to this morning on discovering Prof, ing hypnotic condition of having dmus performances of the genius of speak, have gone, for none of these Wakeman's article under the title fixed its gaze on “God. A hunted- drouspertor ..¡dee over “absolutely and conclusively” af- of the question: “Are We to Be away-world is of no use either to thVmoet important part of his sub- firm that man’s conscious existence Word-Tripped Aiwa,.?” One may itself or the sources <rom which.» believe the people who ject in eleven short lines, and makes ends with his body’s death, that pause a long tune on hchig an asserlinn whtch the'facts man’s question. The expression have “come to” and are walking not the slightest further attempt to —almost overwhelmingly strong “word-tripped” is suggestive and about in their full seuses are the solve the main question he has to as they are—yet do not w arrant, the idea might be carried out to the scientists in particular and Free- deal with—as to whether the world And they do not warrant, as I working of a general reform. thinkers generally, yet even they, is really “doubly incomprehensi hinted if for no other reason, be-1 Last summer, a progressive- as Prof. Wakeman intimates, are ble.” For my own part, on the cause our scientific knowledge of minded minister in the Methodist only too often “word-tripped” and contrary, I have already repeat Episcopal church told me that he are given to “tripping” their audi- edly sought to show that the two man and the universe is by no means co-extensive with the actu- found the names Deity and God ences with “God,” “Deity,” “Omni limits to our knowledge of nature working often as stumbling-blocks present Being.” are one and the same; the fact of alitieg or possibilities of either. During the three times in my life Passing now from Mr. Wake- in the Sunday school and the consciousness and the relation of man’s strictures on mj view of the church, but mostly in Sunday when I had the houor of listening consciousness to the brain are to us to the celebrated Prof. Fiske, I was no. less. out neither are they ----- not less, but more possibility of our immortality to school wbere it was only too easy struck by his almost ludicrous puzzling than the fact of seeing and those on the Power which the uni- to tnculcate idol-worship and fix a image in the mind that to fatherly condescension teward what hearing, than the fact of gravita verse manifests, I do not know that meotal all intents and purposes was as he evidently considered the rather tion, than the connection between I can add anything of value on the subject to what the chapters in the material as the ancient idols of imbecile intelligence of his hearers matter and energy.—[Monism. where he said something like this: serial that have appeared since he brass or stone Existence this side the grave is “Now as to these facts being as wrote contain. In “The Gospel of Im m ortality and Deity. Evolution,” as in other recently the great sacred certainty for us they are, I simply cannot explain published matter of mit% on the before death and our lives here are it to you in any better way than BY R Ë V . J. P. BLAND. Energy or Deity—call it what you not long enough to give this world simply to say, God desired it will—the all reveals. I have simply the study and sincere attention it should be that way.” I do not be- lieve for an instant that John 1 am grateful to our friend, Mr. taken the ground to popularize the deserves. Even if there be a conscious im- Fiske held to the old conception of Wakeman, for his sincere and views that Spencer, Huxley and candid criticism of some of the those who agree with them hold. mortality beyond the grave I be- the origia of creation, yet he seemed views I have tried to express in my In doing this it is, of course, pos lieve our most sacred duty is to re- to feel that he must talk down that “Gospel of Evolution,” and with sible that I have sometimes mis fuse to turn our attention that way. way. ......................o This “talking down” to an audi- which he doqs not entirely agree. conceived their teaching- It is It must he admitted that concern- of conscious exist- ence has come to be quite a fad, And yet, after a careful reading of possible, too, that both they and I ing a continuity • 1 I f _ 1 • A . A mi • ______ 4.— . I— his strictures, and a like consider have erred, but I really see nothing ence there is as much ground for has it not? This seems to be par ation of the points they traverse, I in these somewhat careless, super being “word-tripped” as there is ticularly the case among progress- do not see how I could conscien- ficial and seemingly self-confident concerning the underlying causes of ive ministers. There is evidence tiouslv move from any of the po assertions of our good friend on things. Please note I say causes today that audiences are beginning this particular matter that calls for not cause, for in spite of the asser- to resent it, as indeed they ought, sitions he attacks. The world is in need of men of Our friend demurs because I serious reply. The subject is one tion of science that all elements state the scientific proofs that seem of which the less one usually really of science may be' resolved back clear conscience and so much self- to clearly and certainly show that knows, the more “absolutely and into one, I believe that no conscious reipect that they will respect their man is simply and solely a physi conclusively” dogmatically does one existences that are capable of self- audiences by giving them credit cal organism, and that what we usually speak, and nothing would study, of self-realization and of for being on an equal mental foot- call his soul is merely one of the delight me more than to be able to analysis of environments, can logic- ing with themselves. When such men predominate, products of this organism’s vital say that to this rule our well-in ally refer back to one source only action; while I decline to “abso tentioned friend was a conspicuous aw to a being taking cognizance of then will cease the injurious iudul- them and to which they are under gence in the practice or “fad” desig- lutely and conclusively” affirm exception. obligations to such an extent that nated by Prof. T. B. Wakeman as that this soul must forever cease Prof. W akem an’s Question. feelings of thankfulness and acts of “word-tripping.” with the oeasing of the living or worship are a part of moral com ganism whose changes apparently Do th e Rev. J. P. B land’s “ Im BY MARIE HARROLD GARRISON. pulsion. caused it. But will our good friend m ortality and D eity” I believe it is simply stultifying kindly name any eminent scientific Really Exist? The article by T. B. Wakeman, to both heart and intellect and authority, living or dead, who “ab solutely and conclusively” does so in the Investigator of July 21st, is “soul” (if you desire the poetic sym BY T. B. W AK EM AN. affirm? I think I am familiar with something of the nature of an index- bol that designates a peculiar out every important line which has hand, and it certainly had the put that one’s individual ego seems When the Investigator of Aug- been published on this theme, from effect of sending the present writer to generate from co-working of the scientific side, since Spencer to the Investigator file to search brain and heart, as the rose puts ust 4th came I was out on the wrote hi 8 classic and immortal i out and re-read J. P. Bland’s arti- out an odor that is seemingly dis- ocean and rivers, mountains aud ___________ tinct from its sources—bush and valleys, of our wondrous Pacific June 23rd. chapter on “The Transformation cle . of Along in June, when first reading petals and color), I say I believe coast, and &o the pleasure of read- and Equivalence of Forces,” and I know of no such “absolute and the lines of Mr. Bland which state it is stultifying to human growth ing Marie Harrold Garrison’s ar- conclusive” affirmation on this that “ Evolution is that system of and right development to give way tide on my queotions to Mr. Bland point from any eminent scientific thought which regards all things as to the hypnotism of One-Cause and his reply to them in his “Im- man, as Mr. Wakeman calls upon proceeding from an immanent and idea — the Imperative-God-person mortality and Deity,” was delayed . But such subjects are not “perish- me to logically make. In the chap omnipresent Deity who eternally idea. ter under discussion I try to clearly, creates and decreates by the cease The Christians aud Jews of today able goods,” and an account of strongly and completely state the less and orderly movings of his in- think with tolerating pity of those stock is always in order, The lady’s article was simply de- •ientifie grounds for the denial of dwelling presence,” I wondered religious classes in India who fix .......... or ............. ..... known their minds’ eyes on the Deity of lightful. The way she paints out tie soul’s survival of the body’s w'hcther no some well eath. I illustrate from the im- scientific evolutionist would not their land till their intense feelings those “talk down” and “faint away’’ tzeBiuiiiijr of vi producing i'iwuvni£ sound ovmiv ix <»s8ibility in x » a * take Mr. Bland up on that point, reach the point of self-obliteration lecturers and the snob variety of acuum and from the improbability for if there is one idea inconsistent and they faint away (if they do not Liberals who try to gayi the favor f a mosquito’s surviving its body’s with scientific evolution (as I under- out and out die), but our church and pelf of Christian Pharisees by eath, the seeming impossibility stand it), it is the idea that is put people refuse to fit the shoe to their ignoring or sneering at their less i.d improbability of man’s post forth by the word “ Deity” and the own feet, whereas the truth 19 that fortunate Liberal brethren, is a