The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-30

tiona! purpose. Did God, the Creator,
make this world for no other pur-
pose tlmH to house bugs and beetles
and animals, of which man is one? OF
course if you grant that man is immor-
tai and that this earth is preparatory
place where man is to be fitted for di-
vine companionship with God forever
| then | can see rational purpose for
| the creation. Otherwise there is no
rational exploration why this beautiful
world was formed
Then alongside of this idea | want
| you to place the fact that there Is an
| innate universal idea in every mans
| life that he is immortal. Man looks
upon the dog and says. THAT dog may
die but not man" He looks upon the
bird flying through the heavens and
says THAT bird may die, but not
J man. He looks upon the turtle, the
| longest lived creature upon the face OF
the earth, and says, THAT hard shelled
| creature may die but not man. And
I wherever you go, no matter where II
may be, the white or the yellow or
the black or brown skinned men all
cry. Il shall live; l shall live If you
are willing to believe the innate bellies
Of man, if you believe that man is I'M
mortal, then it Is not absurd for us to
suppose that God would create this
beautiful world to fit man for his
celestial residence. Will you today
argue against the immortality of the
soul?
Another Objector.
"Well," says another man. Il am not
an atheist l believe in God. l also
believe In the immortality of the soul.
But cannot believe in the incarnation
of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
cannot believe in the conception of
Jesus or that Christ could be born of
the Virgin Mary and of the Holy
Spirit. Neither do l believe that Jesus
Christ was resurrected after his cruel
fiXion. l am willing to say with Kenan
that he was the best man that ever
lived. But | am not willing to say
Christ was divine and the Son of God
unless at the same time you grant that
we are divine Is that your position
Well, my brother, it seems to me to be
the most illogical position, and for two
reasons.
Reason the first: You say Christ is
the best man that ever lived. You say
that the words which he spake offer
the best system of morals. But. tell
me. why do you accept certain state
| ,}.v,
the rest? How can Jesus be a good
man and yet be a liar and a falsitier:
How can he be good man and yet BIZ
hypocrite? Jesus Christ is either di
vine and a miracle worker and the Son
!. of God or else he is the mos r'atanl
pretender that ever lived.
Surprising some young American
should leave the mountains of SoutE
Carolina and cross the seas and go tc
Paris and there lay claim to an estate
which Michel Ney possessed when he
died; supposing that this young mar
should claim, as some do claim. tina
Michel Ney was not shot after the de
feat of Napoleon at Waterloo by the
order of the legislature of Fra pee. .bu
| luuL lit W nv u
here: then if, further, this Young mar
claimed that NJ. Ney married while il
America and that he, the young man
, was the direct descendant of Niche
| Ney's oldest son and. continuing hi
plea. he says, Because | am that de
| scendant claim that am the right
. full heir to the title of Prince of Mosk
;1I, l,aI1 70 1,o
Ney;" then supposing you go to thu
: mountains of South Carolina and prove
that this Young man was the descend
ant of Irish peasants. what woult
5 you think? What would France think
, No matter what that young man nigh
claim to he, the people would stigma
tie this false pretender for the estat
? of Michel Ney as Il liar and a fraud
: Now, my friend. by the same law o
| | reasoning it is absolutely Illogical t
| claim that Christ is Il good man an.
/, | yet not divine. Either Christ is nj
that he claims or else lie is Il pretende
and fraud. 1t is logical to rejec
a Christ as deceiver, or it is logical t
: accept him as the Son of God, but it i
5 | uOI lOSNdi W ICS,diu 40 a Sop'
$ man and yet not divine.
Not Logical.
! There Is another reason why l tax
exception to your position that 20
will not accept Christ us divine. Yo
say you are d deist. You claim tina
4 there are immortality and eternal con
partnership with God. Now, If Go
is going to fit you for eternal compar
ionship with him, what is more I;
tional than to suppose that the HEAVIER
~ Father would give you n divine e,
ample by which you can understan
u his love and follow after his teaching
in other words, that God would giy
' you divine love in human form an
call that divine love Jesus Christ; q
the Bible says, Leaving you an e,
J ample by which you can understan
: AS a human parent you can readil
understand this law
Here, for instance, one of my litt
! children comes to me and says, Pap
IS wharf do the words United States go
a ernment' mean?' Now. l do not G