Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-04-25
THE MAN ABOUT
TOWN
An Easter Meditation.

Some reasons that remain and give
life to the old resurrection tale.
The Man About Town wishes to
begin this article with confession
and a statement. He hereby confesses
that the church habit for him mas
been pretty dead for years. lie states
that the following lines are not writ
ten In the interest of any sect. or by
obedience to any outward authority
| but are Just some reasons that nave
weight in his judgment today, why
| he does not dare or care to give up
| the miracle which gave origin TO the
Easter festival everywhere celebrated
| by the Christian church this Sabpath
| day.
A New Testament was borrowed for
the purpose of refreshing the mem
ory with the course Of ancient events
which bear upon the problem. During
the reading, many of the objections
which critics have urged against the
credibility of the story were recalled,
and their cogency admitted. In ad-
dition. the refuting proofs, which the
preachers were accustomed to use, be-
stirred themselves in the sleeping
memory and seemed more inadequate
than in years agone. when 1T was
pious duty to believe all that the min
listers said because they were spokes-
men of the divine authority which did
all our thinking for us.
Nevertheless we still believe. We
found the satisfaction of our faith
this time through no theological ut
terance. or combating of opponents,
or conflicting testimony of eye-wit-
nesses. but in the triumph of single
character. at the same time the most
lowly and lovely of all the followers
Of the NaZarene prophet-the woman
with the flowing hair, rescued from
the life of harlot and her steps
turned back from the wicked streets
Of Magdala where she had pursued her
vicious calling, to the home of her
childhood, where very frequently she
could meet her rescuer and pour out
her souls alteration.
Why We Believe Anything.
Did you ever stop to realize that we
do not believe because we argue, but
argue because we believe? Intellec-
tual proof seldom did much for any
man. We have deep seated convic-
tons. and then try to establish them
by the best reasons we can muster
We believe because the belief feeds
some hunger within us and satisfies
some deep need. Any other kind of
faith dies like the seed fallen on
stony ground. Correlated with this
statement is a second equally true
that what we can believe of truth, de-
pends upon our attitude toward it.
No man yet ever grasped deep truth
while his attitude was antagonistic,
or while he was superficial in its
pursuit. The humble heart, beating
beneath coat of coarseest home
spun. frequently thrills with visions
that those who dwell in kings pal
aces know nothing about. Attitude is
everything.
And now in this old resurrection
tale, the Man About Town, accus-
toned to write about boxing matches
and mixing up quite generally in
things worldly. discovers three atti-
tudes, which illuminate for him once
more the way of faith, and start the
old fires burning. Notice them.
Hate.
There were three sets Of witnesses.
The first were the soldiers. They
were animated by hate. They were
set there by those that hated, to see
that there should be no resurrection.
The story relates that they were
dazzled by the light which burst
upon them, but If they were II made
little impression. And nobody is much
impressed by anything spiritual while
his mind is full of bombs, or rotten
eggs to throw. Anybody wN wishes
to discrcdlt the gospels can Iihu satis-
flying reasons, to himself of course,
for doing so. And those that believe
have a rather serious time reconciling
all the statements that conflict. The
hate attitude has made disbelievers of
truth in whatever form she presents
herself, and it Is not surprising that
the most momentous event of history
should have representatives. among
those who didn't believe because their
minds were set against 1t.
Haste.
Reading on. another set Of disbe-
levers were discovered. They were
q couple Of anxious disciples. who had