Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
AS OLD AS THE RACE
Is the Doctrine of Karma and Rein
carnati0n of the Human Ego.
VERY DESIRABLE BELIEF.
Objections Of Heredity and No Recollec-
tion of Former Life.
EVOLUTION Is THE UNIVERSAL LAW.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

WRITTEN FOR THE DISPArCH.1
The doctrine of reincarnation is appa-
rently as old as the human race. Ancient
religions taught it; myth and fable illus
trate it; civilized peoples and uncivilized
believed in it; poets sung of it and philoso-
pliers speculated concerning it; Greek and
Roman lived in the faith of it; the wild
bsrbarians of the German forests scorned
death because of it; under various forms
Christianity found it the prevailing creed:
orthodox church fathers welcomed it as the
readiest explanation of life and sin; Chris
tian sects-not SO orthodox-acceptedi it out
right; Hebrew rabbis concede direct evil
dence for it in the Old Testament, in the
form of pre-existence, and Jesus Christ
Himself taught it, directly and by implica-
tion; and, finally, two-thirds of the earth's
population believe in it to this day.
To suppose the idea exclusively Oriental
in origin and acceptance, is q mistake.
Though held intact through long ages of
conservative religious belief in India and
the far East, traces of it can be found in all
parts of the world, the conception being
confined to no particular race or nation. 1t
would seem, indeed, to have been pre-
vailing tenet of the worlds primitive re-
ligious creed, hence its universal diffusion.
Christendom alone, after its first few GEN.
turies of growth, appears to have discarded
the belief as unscripturaL Prof. Francis
Brown, of Harvard University, in the
Princeton Reyiec for May, 1881, shows, how
ever, the error of so regarding 1t, urging
its acceptance by the Christian world at
large, as one necessary thereto and con-
sonant with Christian belief
Good Authorities for 1t.
The doctrine, itself, has an attractive as
pect to all who are intellectually and spirit
ually dissatisfied with the existing order Of
things Believing, as many devoutly do,
and as many more would gladly do-did
fact and theory agree-in the absolute
Justice and mercy of an over-ruling provid-
ence, reincarnation would seem to solve the
otherwise apparently hopeless and contra
dictory problem of life. 'If," says Isaac
Disreal, 1--WE accept the belief of future
recompense beyond this lite for suffering
virtue, and retribution for successful crime,
there is no system SO simple, and so little
repugnant to our understanding, as the doc
trine Of rebirth.
DR.. Edward Beecher, also some 80 years
ago, in ''The Conflict of Ages" demonstrated
that this doctrine alone could exonerate
God from the charge of maliciousness. In
later work, "The Concord of Ages" he
strengthens his position. answering all ob-
jections from the standpoint of logic and
reason. Many other instances as well,
might be cited as illustrating the general
reasonableness and strength of the theory
advanced. To the curious, in this and
other respects, we recommend E. d.
Walkers work on the subject, wherein it
is handled in mastery manner.
The most weighty argument advanced in
favor of reincernation is, however, un-
doubtedly that based on the fact that the
doctrine of continuity or immortality of the
soul demands it. ''That which was born in
time must end in time" The eternal only
exists eternally. Postivists and material
lists are therefore right when they assert
only it must also end with it. Spark from
God, or radiation from the divine central
fire, the primal origin of the individual
spirit matters not; as life it must be at once
uncreate and indestructlble.
The Doctrine of Evolution.
Science, however, demonstrates evolution
is unit the evolutionary process must
therefore extend to its spiritual or psychic
side. AS matter of fact, the statement re-
versed is the true one; evolution exists on
the material plane because active on the
spiritual and psychic. In other words, life,
per Sc, is spiritual, matter being an evolu-
tionarv effect of life, and not life of matter.
Now, as a rule, the higher the form to be
thus evolved the longer the process re-
uuired "And if" argues Mr.. Walker, "it
takes ages of time ana millions of lives to
form one kind of animal out of another, the
gradual perfection of that crown of the
animal world, man, must demand an even
vaster arena for experimental action and
growth"
Originally designed to be the finite image
of the living God, man, in order to fulfil his
destiny, must necessarily gather into his
experience, and, as the conscious sum
thereof. all that the universe at large has to
impart; and from being simply one of its
null .tudinous units of microcosm1c ENERGY,
become its perfected microcosm, epitame,
head and crown OF all. To gain this
microcosmic development and experience
during the span of one earthly exist
ence is, of course, unthinkable. To be
logical, therefore, the believer in immortal
ity must also accept its necessary compile
IneQU, pTt-cAlSltuCt, Wullc bH0 universal
law of evolution, would, furthermore, seem
to demonstrate the necessity of long series
of repeated incarnations in the orderly de-
velopment of a perfected human being.
Were all other arguments futile, these two
would in themselves appear sufficiently con-
elusive to attract the attention of the
thoughtful minded.
The Two Strongest Objections.
Among objections advanced against the
doctrine of reincarnation the most weighty
are, first, that we have no recollection of
ever having lived before; and, second, that
the fact Of heredity confutes it. But to
begin with, the fact that we do forget is no
argument. Neither continuity of life nor
identity depend on memory. A man may,
for time even during the course of one
life, lose all memory of past events, and vet
remain thu rame individual to all other in
tents and purposes. He simply enters upon
a fresh phase of soul experience, to
be in some instances, afterward dove
tailed, so to speak, with the suddenly
reacquired memory of preceding events.
Moreover, we are blessed in that we do for
get. Life, as whole, is too full OF sad
and bitter recollections for us to desire the
power Of constant recall. So, from life to
life, we pass along the chain of evolution
ary unfoldment individually ever the
same, but with the vail Of oblivion merci-
fully thrown over each preceding past, so
that unhampered by sorrowful memories or
vain regrets, we may again begin anew
another brief cycle of earthly existence.
Some, indeed, there are, who seem able to
recall events that could have happened only
during some other life span; but these are
the exception and not the rule; complete
recollection of past lives is said to be re-
served tor "a period of which, as yet, we can
but family conceive.