Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-17
IS DEATH The END?
Subject of Lecture by George R.,
Vending at Augustana
College.
PRESENTS THE COLD FACTS
Must Be Sequel to Life, He Contends,
Otherwise We Would Not Be
Placed Here on Earth.

rs Death the End?" was the subject
of an intensely interesting lecture
given last night in the Augustana col
lege chapel by George R. Vending,
the noted author and platform lecturer.
The speaker did not use eloquence in
the presentation of his subject, but
limited himself to cold facts, presented
in a very convincing manner.
Every generation in every age"
said Mr.. Vending, has asked the
question if there is a life beyond this
one. 1t is the nature of human mind
to doubt Now belief, my friends, is
more a question of like or dislike, rath-
er than the result of process of
reasoning. If a person sets himself
against anything, it is ney to impos-
sible to make him believe, no matter
how convincing the evidence is.
"One of the great questions which
human beings have tried to answer is,
What is death? Skeptics say it is the
end of everything. To all appearances
they are right, for it would seem that
with death everything ceases. But ap-
pearances are deceiving. All nature
proves to us that we have no right to
base reason on the appearance Of
things. because external phenomena
has ever led to the truth. and the out
ward manifestations of death are no
exception 10 this rule
Faith il Essential.
81 will not believe what / do not
know is the cry of modern skeptics.
To these we must reply that if men do
not believe what they do not know
nothing will ever be accomplished in
this world Faith has been the guild
ing angel of every angel in every age.
Every philosopher. every inventor and
every discoyerer in every age has be-
lieved more than he knew. If they
had not, the world would not know to
day what it knows We canot base be-
lief on reason alone; we must have
faith in that which we do not know.
NO one has yet been able to say
what the mind is. Scientists and phys
iologists tell us that it is the result OF
brain activity. But what is it that
controls the brain? Well, they tell us
that it is the nerves, but that gives US
no further information. Do you not
have that within you that tells you
that you are not merely flesh and
blood-not merely brain and nerves
What is it that wills your actions, that
controls your every impulse, that moves
the brain and every organ in your
body to act? Can you not realize that
your identity is something that is not
material? My body is merely my
slave, an instrument by means OF
which I carry out my various desires
and purposes.
Not to Be Feared.
tDeath should not be feared. 1t i:
not horrible active force, but ra,hel
a negative element, the cessation o
physical activity Death is a neces
SIs W GSitdSc llt llOll lily DOuti.
frame But because physical activi
ties have ceased, is that proof that
do not longer exist? Because you Sc
the ship wrecked on the rocks, is tina
proof that the pilot is not safe on tn
shore beyond?
s.Science has contributed the great
est proof of immortality in the grea
theory of the indestructibility of mai
ter. Scientists tell us that there is n
annihilation in nature nothing can b
destroyed. Changes of forms and con
binations take place, but there is II
destruction. Now if this be true o
the lesser works of Gods creation
why should it not be true of the sou
the greatest of Gods handiwork?
Must BE a Sequel.
"And so we must come to the ult
mate conclusion that if man does nc
live again, then is his life here o.