The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-03-18
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IS THERE A DEVIL?


you believe in the devil?" Ny inter
rogator looked at the sidewise and
aughed-just a quiet. tolerant laugh.
such as you would give when you ask.
ed child II he thought the earth was
fiat answered. Yes. never felt sur
er." why. thought the devil was dead
that that was an exploded theory. {
don't believe" said he. "in u person with
hoofs and horns. pitchfork aud tail. I
think II is just an abstract principle
Of evil at work-not u person. but a
personitication just rs there Is San
ia Claus. but there isn't Don't you
see. preacheri" Frank is clever
young lawyer. likable and convincing.
and he laughed again with the NOW
you surely see 1t" expression he uses
to jury. Well. he may be right or
he may be wrong confess I'm not
in position to give any authoritative
statement as matter OF personal ex.
perience. | was always taught to be-
iieve there was and have tried to keep
Us clear of his direction as possible.
The Bible mentions him as Satan"
or the devil" again and again. l74
times altogether in both Old and New
Testament Christ speaks OF him as
real being. He either was deceived
or deceiving Id hate to think either.
In no other case did Christ seem to
lack intelligence or be ignorant OF men,
tai, moral or spiritual things.
The DEVILS Photo.
If there Is no devil we are sure OF
this--tha there is some person or some
thing that acts among and upon and
Influences men much as the orthodox
devil was supposed to in the good days
when men apparently found 1t easier
to believe. Ii there isn't Il devil we
must admit that the devils work some.
how gets done. and thoroughly done. !
believe that my lawyer friend is right
rs to the description Our conception
is wrong about that Ii | were to ask
you. my readers, to draw picture OF
the devil on the margin OF this news,
paper | suppose practically all would
depict him in medieval fashion with
horns and tail think we have ma.
IiciousIy maIigued the devil. The Ri
BILE says something about his appear.
ing as ''an angel of light" Look out
for bis makeup He hasn't angular
eyebrows or pointed mustache. not
does he wear q red suit
A GentIemanIy Devil.
The devil as devil never tempted
soul, You couldn't tempt man tG
drink by showing him wretched
home. rags, bloated face. diseased body
but by gilled surroundings and exhil
aration OF Il pleasant stimHiant. He
comes in the guise of a friendly strang
er. He was never 50 affabie. so refined
daylight he Is seldom out of good com.
pany. Drive him out of the church at
one door. he puts on different coat
and comes in Mt another. He will laugh
at your jokes. weep ut your sorrows
and lie like the devil He tells young
fellow that he can drink or let it
alone" He tells girl that flirts with
stranger that she's quick and can
outwit any one. Hes good deal more
watchful at a dance than the chaperUn
He tells business man adopting tricky
methods that he needn't fear: he's still
safe, still Legal honest" He comes SC
insidiously that we can scarcely dis.
tinguisb him from our mental opera.
tons He is up to date. The twentt.
eth century devil may be mean. de.
moralizing. facilitating habit Of doubt.
ing; sneering, soothing mood; cyni.
cal spirit which derides the virtue II
cannot attain and the goodness it can.
not understand He comes when OUT
desire is strongest and our resistance
weakest He came to Eve when she
was curious. to Esau when he was hun.
cry. to David when his desire was
strongest, to Peter when he was fright
ened in strange surroundings, to our
Lord when he was weakened by forty
days fast
The Master Craftsman.
The devil is alert. He passes a hun.
dred gates and finds one unattached.
He claims all seasons as his own. He
doesn't lay Off In winter, like the brick
layer. nor take vacation In summer,
like the preacher. He hasn't found the
joy OF the eight hour day. like the
union man. nor the kill time skill of
the government employee but he
works all the time without extra pay
for overtime. He Is busy Saturday
nights. although he doesn't miss any
other nights. He Is principal Of the
street night school, where so many
boys and girls get their education No
devil? Just fight him for week and
see! He is a great general If he can't
use artillery he'll try cavalry: ii not
cavalry. infantry He'll attack your
lower nature with submarine. your
higher with aeroplane. He is strate
gist. Knows every trick in warfare
Will sometimes sham defeat 1t dis
organizes regiment to see the eneln,
tlee Victory brings reaction. You
think you have mastered Satan Fl.
leads you into an ambush In one
careless hour you lose. because you
won the first honr Ills great word Is
tomorrow The master stroke OF the
devil. he he real or imaginary Christ
slid he WAS reai--is his ability to con.
Vince that wrong Is right. self deceD-
ton. and that he does not exist flo