The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-06
nEsUnnrcr1ox AND 1MnoRrALrrr.
The Argument of n Correspondent Of a
Skeptical Turn.

To THE EDITOR or The SuS-Sir. In TIT
Sun OF Jan. / there appeared an article in re-
gard TO cannibalism aiong the region OF the
Congo River. in the narrative OF which one oil
the French officers describes several canoes oil
the natives coming down the river with a lot Of
captives bound hand and foot, ready to be
eaten. One would naturally have thought that
these officers would have exercised their powers
to libernte these poor %captiyes reserved for the
CHASTITY feast. However. 1t is. perhaps. poetical
justice to hope that among the dozen French
and Belgian officers, Gfterward captured and
eaten by these snme natives. some OF them may
have been ofthose who saw these poorcaptivcs,
and yet lifted not q finger TO save them from
their awful fate
Now. these facts bring up some thoughts in
me regarding. first. the doctrine OF a bodily
! resurrection. The Apostles Creed" as read
In our churches. says: Il believe in the res
direction OF the body" Yet how many of those
reciting II really believe in IL But let that go,
Now. these victims. whose flesh is eaten and
Incorporated into thirty or more participants oil
the feast, how can these portions OF flesh be
gathered together at the last day? To the
same purport is the well-known fact that after
the battle OF Waterloo the bones OF the many
thousands who fell on that field, were ground
up and as fertilizers were sold and scat
tered over the, wheat fields OF Eng
one dies and is buried. the gases and
moisture which arise from the body are taken
SO that one. in an ear Of corn. may, %perchance.
be eating q part Of a dearly loved friend! This
IS not ,cop%jectural. but a solemn fact. Il may
man it is impossible. but with God all things
are possible" But 1 dispute this. God. Tor
member v the. So Sstft Of these B buried
bodies and bring them into one. for. Il so, some
ofthese bodies, would appear at the last day in
n dt9mpm he rcd condition.
This leads me further TO the immortality OF
the soul Why. for instance, draw the line at
conclusiyely shown that the mind Of a, dog. for
Example, differs Z from pt that Of a man n 2. simply dns in I,
the best scientific men Of the time, wrote ms. q
few months since on this point as follows; Il
would. like Bishop Butler; willingly believe
that my dog. Is immortal: but If so where are
we to stop..in regard TO the lower, animals? p
There is. OF course, point to Prof. Fishers re-
mark. for one could go down W and lowerin
the scale OF creation, until we get to where
the most profound science can scarcely dis
t%,ingnish between an animal and a vegetable.
races have ever had q belief in a future state.
But this is not so. Very many nations tbar-
barous. l will admit have no such trusting
hope. as. for instance. witness the account Of
Hinde in the article to which / have drawn at
tention. He says:
Hanging fetiches over the grave with a view to pre-
had no eject p'' These people Ip%v SEEM t to have no # form Of
religion whatever. and no fear of death.
But. as / repeat, why draw the line at immor:
tality for man aloneP The writer's of the Old
Testament evidently did not believe in immor-
tality,; in fact, the Jews were divided in opin-
ion, the Sadducees holding to no resurrection.
though of. the two sects they were the more
learned, while the Pharisees were of the con-
trary opinion.
I wish to say most emphatically. however,
that | have no sympathy with the teachings OF
Col, InRersoll. II q belief in immortality has
armed the king OF Terrors," why. pray. dis
turb these cherished beliefs? /, for one. be-
lieve that Col. 1ngersolls teachings in this re-
gard-are most pernicious.
WILLIAM L. STONE.
MOUNT VERNON. Jan. f..