The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-11
"ADvANCED T%H0UGHTS.'
Comment OF DIR. swallow on pressden
Wise's Recent Utternnce.

Comment OF DIR. swallow on pressden
Wise's Recent Utterancc.
To THE INDEPENDENT: The papers tell u
that President Wisa made the following re-
markable statement at a conference o.
| American rabbis at Baltimore, while dis
cussing a revision of the Jewish prayer book
1--WE want a prayer book that will contain
the best elements of advanced thought. W.
| do not want in it the doctrine of the per
sonal coming of tho Messiah and the estab'
lishment Of his kingdom in Jerusalem. No
do we rant in it the doctrine of the resur-
rection of the body. Nobody believes il
that now. and we don't want to put in oul
prayer book that which We have no cleal
authority for and what the world disbe.
~lieves."
It is very certain that much the largest
and most intelligent portion OF the Chris
tian church do not think that what is called
in this age the advanced thought on
Christianity, is the best thought. For the
later discoveries of historical records, the
deductions of science and legitimate criti-
cism sustain the older rather than the So
called advance thought" of the Bible. No
one will deny that the above declarations
so-oalled advanced thought" of this age,
for who will deny what is said
Among the grave't rabbis, ~disputant.
On points and questions fitting Moses law?
That the Jews do not believe i'll the per
sonai coming of the Messiah is very likely
an advanced thought" of this age; for few
historical facts are better established than
that many writer's Of the Hebrew scriptures,
many rabbinical writer's and other Jewish
teachers, prior to the Christian era, did be-
lieve and teach 1.-THE doctrine OF the per-
sonal coming of tho Messiah"
All Christians think thissolder thought
of the Jewish rabbis much better than the
advanced thought" of President Wise.
Christians also believe that the Shiloh of
Jacob (Gen. 4. 9:10) is the same as the
Messiah of Daniel, and that he made his
personal coming on the earth in the person
of Jesus Of Nazareth, just before the de-
struction of the temple. when the scepter
passed from the hands OF Judah, as pre-
dicted by Jacob. We believe this older
thought of Saul of Tarsus. of John. of Nico-
demus and of Joseph of Arimathsa, better
than this advanced thought of President
Wise.
President Wise has another advanced
thought which, however, is not a produc-
ton of the rabbits of the present century.
ton OF the body" If by nobody he
means no Jew, he may be correct. All Jews
may now be Saddusees. But this lad
yanced thought is as old as the Saddu-
sees, who have existed for more than 2,00O
wears. And besides this doctrine and the
kindred doctrine denying the existence of
angels and spirits were not deemed the
most advanced thoughts" when Judah
held the scepter of the Jews, as shown by
Isaiah, Daniel, the rabinical writers and the
Ialmud.
But if nobody" has the unlimited sense
in which it is w%sitten, this advanced
thought is untrue, as we'll as antique
For whatever may be true of the legitimate
descendants of Abraham. the Jews now
living, it is certain that a very large por-
ton of the living Ishmaelites, including
the Arabs of Syria, Arabia and Africa, the
Moors and other Scientific peoples of the
Barbary states and Egypt. the
Turks. many Mongolians OF northern
Asia and China and not Q few Aryans of
Persia and India, all the Mohamedans and
all the Christians of the world do now be-
lieve in the resurrection of the body" as a
vital principle of their religions. In short,
there are not less than 200, 900. 900 of people
who now believe in the resurrection OF the
body"
If we are to continue our identity in a
future state and live there as perfected
human beings, it will take a thought very
much advanced to show how these can be
accomplished unless our spirits are clothed
bodies rendered in~corruptible and immor-
tai. And besides, with our present advanced
thoughts of object teaching, it is difficult
for us to conceive how we can be taught the
way of the life everlasting SO we'll as by the
in the image of q perfect man,
showing US by n perfect life, how we may
become perfect men. This is the thought
long since advanced" in the law and
prophets, and made perfect in the teachings
of Jesus Of Nazareth. GO. SWALLOW.