The San Francisco call., 1899-09-10

~ = animals have souls? That is the
I question that has troubled The
] theological world for many years
! and In spite of the fact that The
most learned men have given their
most serious thought to the problem IL '9
,--scticallv no nearer solution to-day
+har, il was a generation or two ago
Oflata however. there has been very
decided revival Of interest IN TINS SUI
4acr and the columns of the rellglodS P!ta'
have been used freely tor the pr 49,
F theories that would never naVe pceh
5-ao,,ed of a few years ago. La ACT, II
-. long been the accepted opinion tnai
+ba chief difference between man ana lhe
lower animals was to be louhu III tiIe a.
that the latter possessed nolhlhE Aloi
than a material body, the end OF VIM"
80 the grave whereas the more 'otlu-
- human being had been given a soul
~ sDirirual body that would continue To
exist after life should cease.
r-ti. has been the belief Cf the mass OF
,.I;-io,Is neople and there are few cnl'-
dran who have not been brought 10 lane
mis- view of the matter. mat li''S -
the opinion of the entire reHsloUs go, ,,.o
l,oyperor has now been shown 20 nave
isr, FAR from the truth. for not fe"
i.,-e,,-7,,au have recently come iurN"lu 10
.s,.Sc,ta their belief in the immortality
cf the lower animals, ana "ilie II'e Fu1'
tio7, Itself is naturally one that man can can
l.ever decide there is reason 10 oeilsNe
49, +ta World may yet change It's opinion
ia - e,,biect and that the time may
~ f,e far distant when those who CelleNe
IVA. r-a,, alone has soul will be IL the
hopeless minority .-..,,s, g.. ,bi..
s,il,iect is due TO the position thal mas
been laken by several cleIg5 men -. P,i, Pi,'ii'
inerc, in the religious word NJ lea"Ss
g. tbis new school of thought ma De
aid no be Rev. Forbes PniiIps. d 'ieIs|
man whose writings unatt .e..Stl. ne iII't- ne
"Afhol Forbes" are known WnerehF. tls ,
E;1qiisL tongue is read. rev months
I'D tbis gentleman astOnished ms cohSts-
cation by openly insisting that ne was ~
p onirion that animals had souls ana
ne nersIstent manner in which he las eH-
bounded his belief has led 10 the Wide
sDread discussion that has resulted IN
winning many converts to his theory -,
Mr. Phillips does not base his opinion
upon sentimental grounds, but uses afgu-
uents and illustrations IN support ~ ny
opinion that must appeal to mlnd useo
10 logical methods Of reasoning lie quotes
Scripture TO prove that the writer's OF tht
Bible LeVer for a moment oeHeNeu tndI
their animals would not enjoy linnnoital
ity with them. Job spoke Of the spirit OF
the man and the spirit OF the Deastt anu
other of the prophets made use OF SN-
pressions that showed plainly that thlS
was one subject upon which all men he!d
the same opinion. But MI Philips mos
one Of his strongest arguments ~ ITO
origin and definition of the WORD para
disc" a word always used 10 denote tne
future life. It is found IN all the anclehI
languages from the SanSkr1t 10 tne creek,
and in every instance 1t implies the same
thing-a beautiful park or pleasure gar
den, inhabited by every kind of harmless
beast and bird. Here man may spend
eternity surrounded by those whom he
has known and loved during his life on
earth
The opinion is by no means new one,
although II has not been accepted by
modern Christians. In nearly every in,
stance the Eastern philosophers agreed
ho+ { iypTnnrtal there
any life beyond the threshold Of the shad-
ows animals must be destined to enjoy
similar fate
Mr.. Phillips does not stop with the re-
llgious side Of the question, however. He
calls science to his aid and from 1t draws
have vet been able to overcome. On one
occasion he said:
Science tells US that the structure