The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-06-23

buries his dead friends living widows in the
grave with his friends corpse: st. Paul was
acting true to the dictates of his conscience
when he prosecuted and killed the early
Christians. | might add much more to this
list had space, but the above is enough to
illustrate my meaning when | say that con
science, aside from reason and judgment, is
not safe counselor. We frequently hear
the following expressions: 1.-The voice OF
conscience, " 1.-THE inward monitor" a con-
scientiOus person." ''cOnSclentiOuS Scru
ples,' ''Smarting under the lash of con-
science. ETC., etc., and we understand. in
general way. what person means when
using these forms of expression. but if we
try to analize and define the true meaning of
these expressions we find ourselves sQuarely
face to face with reason. Judgment, practical
experience, and the cOnglOmerate result of
these added to the stock of accepted teach
ings which our mind has stored up; and,
turn the subject in whatever way we may.
plan it in whatever light we will, it is i'm
possible for us to define the workings of this
so called conscience without displaying a
perfect picture of combined reason and
judgment as derived from the cOnglOm
crate experience and accepted teachings of
our past experience: Therefore am forced
to the conclusion that conscience, aside
from reason and judgment, does not exist.
except as phantom in the minds of those
persons who believe in its existence.
When you come straight down to business
and begin at the beginning you will find
that the first twinge of conscience which
the average small boy feels is the result of
eating a trifle less than half bushel of
green apples. or of going in swimming in
the hottest day in August. or it may have
come to him through an application of his
mothers slipper emphasizing the idea that it
is right to do as you are told and wrong to
do as you have mind to do. How often
have you heard child say my pa" or
''my ma says So" giving this as reason
why certain thing must be right or wrong,
thereby using and acknowledging the use of
the parents judgment simply because the
child's experience has not been extensive
enough to form substantial reason of its
own. in plain words. the child's brain is not
equal to the task of reasoning to conclu.
sion owing to lack of experience.
When person tells you that your con-
science will guide you Alright. that person
either means that your past experience in
the shape of reason will guide you or is
giving you some advice without knowing
what he or she is talking about. The Bible
plainly says that our first parent Adam ate
of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil. and his eyes were. opened, and he
became as gods knowing good and evil;
therefore 1 conclude that the only way by
which we may know good from evil or right
from wrong in it's moral sense is through
the source of all knowledge, the mind,
which is the one element in our nature
which elevates us above other animals.
Disarrange or unbalance a mans mind so
that reason and judgment are no longer to
be relied on. and your so called conscience
dwindles down smaller than the little end
of nothing whitfield TO point. Keep the
mind healthy and pure that it may be able
to accurately weigh and measure causes and
effects and you will have no need of con-
science to guide you. R. M.