Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-19
OUR sUPERsTITIoUs AGE,


The fanatic Doukhobors that went
out on a mission" to find Jesus, as they
said, have been returned home by the
Canadian authorities. and 1t is stated
that there was much rejoicing among
the people that had remained az home.
when the half-demented wanderers
came back 1t Is believed that this ends
the craze, for the time being at least
II is strange that such occurrences
can take place In our enlightened age,
even among Russian peasants. No
doubt some win find a satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION Of the superstition, in the ig-
norance Of the lower classes of the Rus
sian empire. And at first sight this
appears to be all there Is to IT, They
came to the Northwest and appeared to
he industrious, frugal and in every way
desirable settlers. Then suddenly they
became crazy. Their communistic IDEAS
developed into a belief in the sinful
ness Of caring for creature needs ana an
acceptance Of brotherhood with beasts
as well as men, The use OF domestic
animals vas abandoned. the crops left
TO rot In the fields, and then came their
pilgrimage to convert the world. The
Canadian government had to see to 1t
that It's accepted citizens did not go
naked and unied to starve and freeze
among the northern SHOWS Ignorance.
1t seems accounts satisfactorily for the
outbreak.
But on second thought, II Is clear that
thu ignorant masses In Russia, or In
other countries. are not the only fields
in which grow the most curious forms
of superstition,
What about spiritualism? One of the
pioneers in this movement has Just
pissed away. and this reminds one that
the spirit rapping business, though re-
peatedly exposed as fraud, gained adj
herents among scientists and in the
most cultured circles in both hemi-
spheres. Ignorance does not always ac-
count for superstition.
What about Dowieism? The master
of that delusion has a number OF fol.
lowers, many Of whom are sincere who
believe in his peculiar methods, and |
pretentions,
Some Of his methods are described In |
the October Century lie possesses a
clock stamping machine. When he re- |
ceives request for prayer for the sick, |
he puts It In this machine, and stamps |
IT. for example, Prayed May 10, y. m. |
John A. Dowie." II the patient gets bet.
ter about that time he has a record to |
show what did IT, When he receives a |
request from a man, say. In Boston. to |
pray for a sick wife he calls up the
husband, or better yet the wife, on the |
long distance telephone and prays be-
fore the receiver, In order that the ef- |
feet OF his words may be felt, In his
spare moments he breaches and prays |
into phonoglaph, reproduces the rec
ords by a new invention he has recently |
secured, and advcrises that his follow.
ers in far-oh Australia may now hear |
his voice conducting services. at so |
much a service to defrIy the cost OF |
making the record and forwarding IT, |
and 50 on. And thousands OF enhght- |
ened Americans believe In him, for he |
does not operate in darkest Russia, or
Asia. but In Chicago.
And what about Christian Science?
And Theosophy? Both these peculiar
features Of belief are attracting a great
deal OF attention AZ present. The fol-
lowers OF such systems are counted by |
thousands, il not by millions, in this |
country, that should be foremost In |
light and knowledge Is the Doukhobor |
madness worse than that craze |
which permits children to perish with
out efficient medical aid. and which |
endangers the lives Of others. through |
the neglect Of necessary precautions?
Ihe fact Is mat human beings, no |
matter where they live, are liable to
fall into error, unless they are guarded
by the spirit Of truth. And the more
clearly the truth shines. the thicker win
the darkness be around those who re-
jet the truth. That Is the case in this
country, as in all the world. But We
must not wonder at the supersttions Of
the Doukhobors. as long as we furnish
all kinds of charlatans with thousands
Of enthusiastic followers. We have not
outgrown the age Of superstition. Be-
liefs may have changed, but IN the flu
ture light some of them will appear as
crude, as do the superstitions OF the