The Russellville Democrat., 1886-07-14
Written for the DEMOCRAT.
 Materialism.

Materiaiism.
 REPLY TO PROF. L. D. LODGE BY c. BEL
 KNAp, M. D.
 The able and scholastic Prof. l.. D.. Lodge has written ar article in the "Repository' on the subject of Religion and Science ln which he has left our minds in the arena of mysti- cism. He has given us very pro found conclusions from tbc results of his ratiocination which lead us to correct apprehensions as far as he has gone. He says. No single fact Tn science has ever discredited fact in religion" He has brought the spllrophecies of old before our eyes being fulfilled by the workings of Physical Science to demonstrate these truths; world, with all it's ma terial developments and physical changes, robbed in scicntifical beauty ;, the three kingdoms linked together in harmony like the odd fellows chain, giving to each other addition al strength and usefulness. The Professor teaches us that it is our duty to investigate the laws of mat ter that we may be able to take sci ence and christian religion hand in hand to verify the logical conclusions that there is an immortal something called the soul. Here the Professor becomes filled with sensory feelings and his efferent impulses shed a vol ume of tears while he turns in an aspostrophe to the weary pilgrim. MT. Lodge now leaves his logic. He takes 1t for granted that he, feeling soul within his body, is sufficient evidence to the reasoning mind that man has an immaterial element. He does not want us to go any farther in science-he implies the fact that 1t is not our duty to investigate fur ther. Like Zeus who broke his sccptre because his creatures stud died the lightning's flash, he throws stigma at the French school of Materiaists, and says that they must be watched because mems minds have been captivated by their briIliancy. He farther says: Eve have thinkers who would reduce Psychology to Physiology, and Eth ics to Physics" This is just what we want to do, if the laws of nature bring us to that conclusion. Mir. Lodge is so much like all prejudiced and extreme men in his views that 1 he must have the soul immaterial to make it immortal What is the difference whether 1t is immaterial or material, just so it IS 2 soul and is immortal? The Professor has for gotten that science has banished for ever the absurd hypothesis in uni- yersal philosophy the propositions "Mind and Natter "Material and Immaterial.' Although Plato was a Realist, he taught in the unity of the Godhead and the immortality of the soul. Aristotle was q student of Plato and his Peripatetic school taught doctrines concerning the physical nature of man and things, and it is to hum that we owe the in fallible maxim of reasoning. We will not revive the mythology of golden Athens. Comte has given us hls s'Caurs de Ia Philosophil Posi- tive' in which mythology and spec lulations are swept away and laws of creation arc substituted. Comte has six positive sciences which include 1 everything that can be known, ,- Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, I Chemistry, Biology and Sociology. 4 By the above six sciences can be es l tablished the realized fact that every i thing is material and that there ls no death The little babe that looks
 with tho eyes of an angel into lts 'l mothers face when 1t is breathing
 it's last Is not dying but simply
 changing it's compound substancel into simple elements. When mattel Is resolved into gases you have | N then indcstructibic. 1t may cliaDg, from state to state thousand timel , without the smallest loss. It's form -..< .I<A< .. IA. 1 ... < Al 4 z. ........