The Washington herald., 1908-01-27
No Evidenoes of ImmortalitY.

ElitcT The Washington Herald.
The strongest arguments that can be
used to support the Immortality Of the
soul were adduced by your correspond
eut. Mr. Thomas Q. Lewis: First. the
authority of the Bible; second, evolution
airy processes; third, the general accept
ance of the doctrine.
A brief examine ton OF his mastery
presentation of the affirmative view will,
however, quickly reveal the fundamental
weakness of any attempt TO establish the
claim of Immortality Of the soul.
The Scriptural citation q Cor. xv;53).
This mortal must put on Immortality. "
is the only one Mr.. Lewis uses; and since
he never refers to it again. we may
assume he did not put much dependence
In Il for proof This seems wise, since we
reason that if we must put on immor-
tality we haven't it "on" yet. and there
might be some slip twixt cup and lip.
So we dare not claim on such authority
that our souls are immortal now.
Furthermore. if the Bible taught that
our souls are immortal it seems strange
that word is never used in connection
with soul by any of its inspired writer's.
while it frequently declares the soul
that sinneth, IL shall die" (Eze., xviii:20),
and finally announces that God only
hath Immortality Il Tim. vi:16).
To establish his theory on an evolu-
tionary basis. Mr. Lewis then suggests
some ideas advocated by psychological
reasons and builds his premise upon the
FfH7sFep -sfT ~ rrT7a md
his argument by stating in the following
paragraph that with this ancestral doe
trlne founded in fact il is easy" to reach
his conclusion.
But a little reasoning Of the common
sense variety leads us to conclude that if
evolution be a fact, and not a fancy, then
those lower forms or manifestations
which We have long since discarded or
evolved from must be either quite out of
-Nistence or in such a state OF innocuous
desuetude that immortality would blush
to recognize them.
Reason first demands proof Of any
previous existence ana then fdentifcation
of the individual before any such areu-
mcnt of Immortality could be entertained
Mr.. Lewis last argument is his
strongest, So strong he claims that men
VIII accept IL without proof Indeed. he
declares dogmatiC argument Will not
change their opinion-or his either. per
haps. All that is left 10 us then To dis
prove his theory is TO hold his argument
up to the light and examine its flaws
He SAYS. Mans chief desire is to live.
10 matter what the life, rather than 20
die OF course. we must except the
Patrick HenTys and the suicides. He
continues, unconsciously misquoting
Scripture. "As a man thinketh. so he
becomes, and as most thoughts and
energies are for continuous life. the de-
sire constantly grows stronger for im-
mortality until a belief is founded
which no argument can eradicate from
the mind
II this reasoning is sound, why not en-
ergetically cultivate a desire for an au-
tomcbile until a belief is founded i'm your
mind that YOU have one.
By every Indication death is found TO
be an enemy and not a friend, in any
guise or Disguise Any hope OF future
life based in our own beings is ground
less, and yet q hope Is set forth OF a
resurrection in the future of those who
nave died, bat not because of inherent
life or merit, bat as a gift Of God through
and because of His Son Jesus Christ
lsee Rom. vi:23)
IT should be borne in mind. however,
lnat Immortality and eternal life are not
synonymous terms, To be immortal is
10 be ineorruptlble by nature, death
proof. not able to die. Eternal life is
and will be enjoyed by both mortal and
immortal beings. mortal life being sup
ported by adequate means throughout