The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-03
Immortality.

IL we live after death 1t IL or tremendous
importance. If we do motif ls OF no less VIVA lin-
portland the belief disbelief and evasion effects
every thought and act Of every days living.
Suppose now we dvest ourselves OF the creeps
and shuddeTs usually accompanying discus
sion of death and Immortality. and tearIeSsiy
test the common dogma with little analysis
In the light of scientific research and reason.
Let us suppose you are believer what IS IL
YOU believe? You desire; what is 1t you de
sire, aud how far is your desire feaslbleI You
ore convinced; but what Is the truth' Ii pos
sible, IN what way end TO what extent Is
future life possible? Do you believe IN or
feryentIy desire what, with splendid bravery
and abandon the old creed called the resur-
rectiOn OF the bOdy?" Terrible counter,
queries arise AT what age i'll your he woui.d
YOU choose as best representing the ldeal D0dy
Tor your resuTrcctOny Would yon pIeieryour
BODY as it was when you were child, when
youthful whom mature, when old! More
over il is changing every minute, this body.
IL IS estimated that something IKE O,UVo'UVO
blood cOrpuscles die every second OI your
life. Even the two or three pounds OF NM
ens in ones bones are only little more per
manently fixed All component parts are IN
dergoing change every instant; they soon be
come grass grain, or tree, EaSsing again
into others bodies and 30 on forever. Is IL
the form and feature you desire TO preserve
and not the constituent particles! but form
ond feature changes every day or year, and
selves. Indeed. Is not the whole matter put
beyond choice by the evident fact that unless
by the fat OF an extramuudane
diety the only moment possible to FIX the
bodily form in the mould OF eternity would be
Che deatb-mom entf And yet this were the
most undesirable of all seasons, since ct that
hour the body is in the weakest, most useless,
and most wretched condition of all the hours
it has served us. Surprising, therefore, that
you are so in love with your own body that
YOU would wish to call 1t into life again and
FOR forever we see at once that no moment or
phase of development could be chosen, except
perhaps the dying moment, the least desirable
of all and that the particles OF ones body
have served their turn IN myriad other bodies
each having an equally valid claim to his
property" Besides this, the absurdity of
TIE whole is emphasized by the crushing fact
that all the organic matter of the world has
been used over and over for bodies, and the
farth has not enough hydro carbOns to fit out
again with bodies small fraction Of the souls
that have lived upon II. Doubtless the com
bined weight OF all the organic bodies
that have lived on the earth
would be many times the total weight
of the globe including its minerals, elements
and gases II may be frankly admitted that
no bodily resurrection 10 possible. And 1t IS
a certainly undesirable The old dogma was
the crudest materialism, wholly unworthy of
the credence OF those who pretended TO be-
lieve that God was spirit, and that they were
his children. The belief in bodily resurrec-
ton was natural concUmitant of the age of
sensualism before the mind ana spirit bad
risen 10 their modern heritage. The desire
for such a resurrection stamps the person
with a self-confessed imperfection Of mental
and moral development. The impossibility
of such q resurrection Is one Of many proofs
that life is no sensualist at heart and that
ideality is the final outcome. the trend of &c
tuality Nature cOmpels us 10 take wings,
though the sluggish Psyche fingers lovingly
in the pretty little cocoon Of materality she
has built about herself. II is, perhaps,
your understanding, reason or intellect
that you desire 10 perpetuate forever Frank
~, now, are you 30 in love with
your mental outfit? In your more
modest and sane hours are you not sadly con-
scious how very imperfect it is? therefore
conclude, that at heart you do not wish 70
eternaliZe your crude imperfect intellect, and
III the sole method of getting an exalted
anu perfected intellect is 20 cultivate it here
and now. Have you in the past obeyed rea-
son end not passion of selt-interesti Have
You studied logic. history and science with a
sincere desire 20 do your political aud social
duty. aud % free yourself from prejudice,
error. superstition and conccItY IL not, why
should God suddenly endow you with per-
feet intellect ready-nadey Is it Gods way in
this world. 10 give excellencies unasked and
unearnedY Rest assured he will not do Il at
xonr dying hour. 1t is no nArticnlAr merit in