The Washington times., 1918-05-10
81 Have No SOUL" Says
This Man
Very Well But Let Others HAVE Souls, if They Prefer
1t That Way
(Reprintsd by Rsqusst.)

An old man who signs his letter lone who does his
thinking writes In somewhat angry tones ABOUT tne
immortality Of the soul
Before we print part of his letter. beg to say that
NO ONE "does his thinking" We THINK that we
think for ourselves but do nothing of the kind.
We take the thought of Others twist around make
kaleidoscope combination OF It, and think that Is
OUR own thought. It is not.
We all believe we think that the earth is round and
whrs around the each year. But WE do not think So
Others evolved the thought and we accepted and call 1t
ours.
Some of us do what we pleased to call thinking
about the soul immortality political economy etc. But Of
REAL thinking there is little The who reads widely
soon finds out that when he has thought himself original
thinker has really been about original kitten chas
ing its tail Other kittens have done it before We put
little thoughts together the thoughts Of dead men to
make thoughts grow Just forest trees make their
fresh leaves from the mold of leaves long dead.
There little actual creative thought Probably sin
gle human mind has evolved by itself any ONE COM
pete thought truth to the race We say that one
man. an Enghshman invented the steam engine french
viii tell you that Frenchman invented It, And Buckle
tells you that Greek tried it small scale more than
two thousand years before either Of the socaed lin
ventors" was born L
Let US return to our friend who does his thinking
and who says he has soul Hear him:
your editorials very much. THANK you'll
you intelligence
thinks do statement that man has
I seventy-six old, time
have Inquired n every way What Is
You say every KNOWS he has a SOUL DON'T
I Of hundreds that do not
Why you ma aSsertOnH Please give your
proof you prove my satisfaction that have
what Is where it Is will accept
more quickly l When who believe
they they say
they don't KNOW give your obIss
who has been looking for light soul and Immortality
for fifty
OWN THINKING.
Years ago. when began to discuss the SOUL etc. they
got to burning another alive or stretching one an
other the rack in pous effort to glorfy true religion
Now those inclined to discuss simply write to yellow editor
"a great improvement surely.
0rrf rianda Sxqf at he hqaa iSI
hard to give We positive that the gentleman has, or
had vermorm appendix yet that cannot be Proved
unless by cutting him open It is certain that the gentleman
possesses the mysterious power of thoughideas shape
themselves and out in wordsyet that could be
PROVED We have to believe it.
Some people take comfort in believing that they have
souls that immortal That the belief of the great
ority and the majority is usually right Others take al
curious pride In believing they have SOUL that there no
immortality for poor, little, wigging creatures.
It to reasonable leaving out the COM
mands of faith-to believe in a soul and Immortality Ger
tainy KNOW that great power and kindness govern
Our earth swms around safely in its orbit The
heat lasts and constant The and CO. Moth
love their children and live for them. Humanity pro-
crosses slowly but steadily There growth and improve
ment everywhere Only cynic fool could call this world
left to chance We find that cravings destined to
be satisfied Our strongest most widespread craving for
immortality and future life Why should that desire have
been put in us, merely to cheat US?
We know positively and can PROVE that matter and
force absolutely indestructible What we call the
soul is the force of consciousness of intelligence that
regulates matter and force on the earth Is conceivable
that the cosmc wisdom should give ndestrucbe immortal
y to matter and force and that the ruling power of con-
9"9nes the SOUL should alone be doomed destruc
ton? 'z:--~r- - ' sci --s>@s..
We do not believe that mans cOnsciousness-his soul
is a.candle lighted merely to be blown out again But
those that find their comfort in the candle theory are en-
titled to that comfort That of the blessings of the
day and of national freedom from officially accepted
enforced religious belief We all think please
all topics from the soul to the squarng of the circle
interfere.
We that friend who does his own think
ing will find out that he has soul in this life another
WHAT is the soul? No can say, except that it is
force gifted with consciousness and most marvellous with
sense of Justice
WHERE is the SOIL? Not in the pineaI gland as some
believed the heart others believed Perhaps it is
mart of eYcrz one Of the billions of breathing eating feel