Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-27
WHAT ARE WE HERE FORT
Views from the Agnostic on the Christian
Stand-Points.

What is life? What does it mean?
How does it begin? Does death end
all? What is life worth? Has it any
aim, and if so, what is that aim? How
should life be lived? These and SINH
lar questions are the ''burning' ones
of our time. They are thought upon
and discussed as never before, and as if
they were absolutely new questions.
We have an Agnostic acquaintance who
makes = point of proposing to his in
telligent friends of various schools of
thought something like this inquiry:
"What is your conception of a mans
proper business in this world?"
All this IS very curious. 1t would
seem that these simple, primary mat
tiers, belonging to the very alphabet of
knowledge, ought to have been settled
long ago. Indeed, those plain folk
called Christians do regard these vital
subjects as settled, and are not troubled
by serious doubts concerning them.
But the Wunainah Of our time, the
proud %aristocracy OF science and letters,
insist on pulling up all our trees of
knowledge to examine their roots. They
are eagerly discussing in book, pam
phlet, review and newspaper, topics
which were decided upon, if not ex-
hausted, by our great forefather Adam.
The reason, alas, is not far to seek. The
new avatar of Atheism has brought all
this disturbance and debate. The ma
terialistic philosophy, born OF modern
science, Is respectable for thus ~perplex-
ing the very postulates and axioms of the
human intelligence. Men who, resolve
all being into simple matter and law
r obliged, of course, to recast the
ancient and accepted opinions about
man and life, and to give some new &C
count Of our presence, purpose and
duty in this world. 1t is a hard task
for them, and one which they will
never satisfactorily accomplish. To
Agnosticism our place and business in
the universe will ever remain a hope
less riddle, if not something worse. To
the question: "What is mans aim in
life? Agnostieism, so far as we see,
can give but one answer-to do as he
Pleases. Assuming that man is a nee
essary evolution, with no, hereafter
and responsible to no one but himself.
he is clearly left free to follow his own
inclinations wherever they may lead.
There is but DIG practical outcome for
any system of Atheistic philosophy.
and that is the old one: ~Eat. drink
and be merry" Different expositors of
this system will, nc doubt, have m
what different views to present. One,
section Will tell us that Culture. the
making the most of ones self in the.
way of development and refinement. is
our supreme end. Another will declare
that general Progress, the enlargement
and improvement of the race, should
be our chief ambition. Another will
untlinchingly wow that the best thing
to keep in view is personal Enjoymewt'
OF whatever sort individual tastes NAV
prefer. And to this last complexion all
their differing views must finally come
"a greedy, INSCRIPTIONS and remorse
less selfshness.
With the least as well as the most en-
1ightened Christians, as already init.
mated, the vital questions which have
been proposed are happily settled.
oAo uuOCA NuJuUlcdUlOh AND
subject to debate. To believers the
philosophy of life is entirely clear.
When the apostle Paul says: "lNhether
we live, we live unto the Lord. and
whether we die, we die unto the Lord"
ne utters a sentence that makes all the
speculations of Agnostlcism little better
thar the merest rubbish. The West
Minister atechism, that old document
which u very minor prophet, Hebcr
Newton, joins in %decrying, agrees with
Paul when it utters the immortal
words: THE chief end OF man is tn
glorify God and enjoy him forever"
VI This definition even Thomas Carvla
testlfled that it embodies .'the highest
wisdom OF man yet attained" Granite
Cod especially the God of the Bible
n it follows beyond a peradyent,,rs
that His glory and will become tho On.
prene aim and the supreme law If
mans life. God is-that bare nost,,ht ~
flashes light into all the mystery Of the
world, introduces . principal Of or%ar
int its widest confusion, and onens an
assured prospect of Regeneration As the %a
final goal and stage of man. ~ Vic
1t is demonstrable that s.to o,or;fr
y as the aim and business 9ef ny
man Life, comprises all that is real and
GOOD IN cnitura and progress. What IN
pet phrase of the day ia stvlad