The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-05-20
~. G. T. u. NJ.
ooSDUcrED BY MRS. NJ. l. HOBBS.
Mr. Cumback Tries To Maintain His Po.
sifiOE.

The question, does God Answe
Prayer?-is one which, like am
other Of a religious nature, would in
Eolve both sides OF the controversy
in such n prolonged argument tha
| will simply answer the three arti
1les published, and then, in the Ian
guage Of the lawyer, rest the case.
il is noteworthy that none have
submitted any evidence TO sustain
their claim Except one in regard tc
McKinley's death, the fallacy Of
which | viii show later. but sim
ply make the bare assertion that II
lis 90. Without any kind IF a de
mOnstrstiOD, expect people TO be
ieve il and ask no questions.
"During the campaign OF 1900,
these good people offered a multi
.ude Of prayers to God, asking to be
relieved from the dreadful conse-
.luences anticipated by them from a
second tern by Mr.. Mckinley.
Were those prayers answered. |
say, yes
II you want 10 know how little part
God played in the murder of Nc
Kinley, Just ask his hundreds Of
thousands OF admirers who voted for
MIN, and they viii resent the charge,
and show that God could have de-
feated him in the convention, or at
the polls, and that to simply to re-
move the man and allow the same
ini1uiiOus system to parade under
another head i not answering the
the prayers offered.
Hence the illustration, like all
others Of its kind, rests upon a
mans assumption aud no. fact.
Another Correspondent says:
Whenever and wherever tia.
teaching is believed, returning
thanks to God may continue, but
praying will come to an end. Ny
boy wants q pen-knife. He comes
and asks me to get him one. | re-
ply; All right, my boy. Keep on
asking me for the knife. Ii will
tame down your desire for a knife.
Or il will spur you on to 60 to work
and earn the money to buy one
yourself. But be assured, | will
never answer your request. After
that, how many times would my
BOY ask me for a knIfe2 Does the
author OF the article above referred
ever pray2 Not If he believes what
be teaches. This theory OF prayer
i not new but it is suicidal"
II be were a sensible boy he
after being refused, respect
iully submit; 20 and earn money;
buy him a knife and no. worry the
iather, or think any less OF him on
hat account.
Ii l. because we who have been
observing these things (and SEER &
be Millions VINO have prayed for
or something else and
ind have invariably been refused
heir request,) have arrived at the
conclusion Of any sensible boy, tnat
I'D doe not want us to proceed on
'uch 4 basis, and accordingly have
AIKEN hold OF natural laws, created
,y God for the express purpose Of
obtaining pen-knives or other ma
erial wants, and our respect fnr Him
: not lessened on that account.
Asa demonstration OF this, let
,oOd brother pray continually for
en- years that God place pen-knives
q his pocket. When be awakens
rom his religious stupor, to find
hat those who have been complying
nth natural laws have their pockets
ull Of knives, while his are still
mpty, MS prayers will at least haveI
Iad the physiological effect Of dem
nstrating 10 him that the way toI
ei anything on this earth Is to com
ily with Latural laws, and not pray
Or them.
Yes, the author has offered many ,
rayers, but has ceased long ago to
ut them in in the form ofobiainingl :
graft" out OF the Lord, and now
ses it simply as a means Of show ,
~ high degree OF respect Tor the /
Irvine Being. Il
The fine characters possessed BY I
hen acting along this line shows {
here is nothing suicidal about II r
Christianity il more and mole bs c
oming recognized as a growth and 4
OF aspasmOdic transformation. i
A third correspondent, after max
" several assertions that prayers
re answered. makes this contra
ictory statement: "God will not