Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-14
FOR SUNDAY READING.
AliSsorts of Opinions.

d aFVNs 0UNDAI NEAUlNU. 4
+ All sorts of Opinions.
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NEW AND TERRIBLE DOCTRINE.
[Rev. Willard b. Thorp.l
It is commonly supposed that the new
theology issa very merciful theology,
with a pretty strong tinge OF universal
ism In II. And while freely admit that
a good deal OF that 10 prevalent today, I.
maintain that when the new theology
has developed its doctrine Of retributions
it will be q more terrible doctrine than
any In the past, because more tremen-
dously real, because based not upon
speculatione a bout the future, but upon
facts observable in the present.
I base this assertion upon two
grounds-fret becauee the new theolo-
gy Ia bound to be true to the teachings
LOT Jesus: and second, because 1t 10
bound to be true to the conclusions Of
science. And these two are in perfect
agreement on this point.
Running all thru the teaching Of Jesus
is the note OF warning. And when We
turn to science we find that its message
eAtSu etsiIle5Sd6Ss JAN6HlSHl,s- ltSs OUCsi
trine Of evolution. declares that all life
has been developed from primitive be-
ginnings by the continual elimination
Of the unfit. 1t leads inevitably to the
thought that In the future world only
those will be able to survive who have
developed the ability to correspond with.
q heavenly environment. The rest will
be shut out, not by any arbitrary de-
cree, but by the same self operating law
which prevents the fish from living in
the air or the animal in the water.
And what is true in the development
OF the race is also true In the develop,
ment of the individual. AZ man grows
older. one by one doors of opportunity
that he once might have entered become
sealed to him. and no power on earth
can open them again.
I soms times wish 1t were possible for
a youth to have vision Of himself in
old age, a picture Of the kind OF ar end
to which the beginnings he is making
will inevitably lead. No picture or hell
would be more effective deterrent
from evil My Incidence. my selfish
ness, my temper. my profanity my i'm
|purity-the thought OF any one OF these
things becoming confirmed and fixed
and being writ larger and larger as a
hateful blight upon the natur&-that is
enough to make any man turn away in
horror from such future self and re-
solve that while the door is open he will
stop building those elements to his char
acter.
1t is along such lines as these that the
new theology will construct its doctrine
of retribution.
WHAT HAS BECOME OF HE'LL?
The Rev. George Wolfe Shinn, D. d.,
| In an article on this subject In the cur
rent North American Review. explains
that the title was not selected because
OF any leaning towards sensationalism.
but becauseit states precisely the pur-
pose OF his inquiry. After establishing
the fact that there Is an unbroken chain
Of testimony to the belief in the exist
ence of hell down to q comparatively
recent time. he attempts to discover
what has become OF the idea OF hell in
the theology of the present day.
We still use the word hell, in the
Apostles Greed. but we are always
careful to explain that there 1t does not
|kmean the place of punishment but sim
Iply the place Of departed spirits: that 1t
lhaa no reference to their condition as
HAPPY or UNHAPPY, bit simply refers to
THE separati ton of soul and body, and to
the residence OF the soul in an inter-
mediate state or place until the resur-
ERECTION day. Weare not concerned 18th
that use of the word this inquiry. We
have started out to find what has be-
come Of he'll as a place OF punishment.
We hear Very little about it except in
the profanity OF the day. We do not
hear OF 1t in the pulpit, nor see any ref
ference to it In the religious press. nor in
the modern theological book. nor is ii
often brought up In religious converse
Ition. 1t ia tabooed by the pulpit gem
orally. When, under stress, the preach
er has to refer to it. he may adopt the
|euphemistic method of one who spoke
K fs"the place which could not be named
in the presence OF cultured people"
The usual plan for obliterating hell
has been to explain away the language
in which the doctrine of eternal suffer-
ing is supposed to set forth Another
effort has been made to relieve some of
the awfulness associated with the idea
of hell by making explanations Of the
words eternal. .everlasting. and
whatever seelnsSto imply the cha ngeless
condition of the sufferings of the lost.
One of the most Ingenious and earnest
efforts in the way OF explanation of
what is involved in the doctrine Of hell
is called Conditional immortality." The
leading idea is tina all men are capable
of surviva! in their spiritual nature, but
that not all Will survive eternally. Some
may cease to be, after the death OF the
\ body; others may live after death and
be punished FOR while. but they are
finally resolved into nothingness. Men
who do not possess the sanctifying. re-
newing. Immortal spirit must perish,
either at death or some time after
death. According to this view, immor-
tality. 10 special gift to those who are
United to Christ by faith. All those
souls not brought into union With Him
Hose their power, and eventually lose all
conscious Individuality. That is, they
cease to be.
i The appeals to fear have well nigh
ceased, and yet there 10 no fact which
1--we are compelled to see as the fact Of
lretribution. The law OF retribution
works in our present life. We become
aware OF it in our earliest infancy, and
I've never become developed in character
until We have learned tofearthat which
] is evil and to shun the consequences Of
sin. The pulpit is losing some of Its