The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-24
Eternal Life or Eternal Death:
Which Do You Believe In?


Yet there scarcely belief which has not at sometime
other been questioned and the opposite of what we now
conceive to be the truth has been accepted as fact
Very wise believed that the revolved around
the earth The child in the first grade knows that this
is not
Very learned teachers in ancient Greece and Rome told
their pupils that the world fat We know now that they
taught wrongly
Many of the old beliefs and teachings have been
reced But every of these reformed and corrected
beliefs have had evidence which to build up new
ideas; have had demonstrated facts for foundation
What we to do when question arises about which
there beliefs possible and not single demonstrated
fact on which to fix the dependabilty Of either?
Such case arises when we consider the question of
what happens after die
One will say, II believe in fe eternal life after
death"
Another equally honest declares, "Life is thought
Thought is function of the BRAIN When the brain stops
thinking thought stops and so life stops Since the brain
decays and to dust never thinks again and SO death
is eternal"
But this belief in eternal death is peculiarly obnox
ious to most human beings They have intense desire
for future fe and belief in the immortality of the soul
is willingly accepted and tenaciously chung to-
There is, however the always recurring question of
"Wha is the ruh? and in the absence of visible proofs
demonstrate testimony the whole world has not yet
arrived at final answer-an answer which every is
willing to accept.
Among the men who have given great thought to this
puzng question and evolved from their studies definite
answer is Maeerinc the Belgian philosopher He recently
came to America to tell to the people of this country the
conclusions at which he had arrived
Unfortunately great scholar he u.s. he cannot speak
English with sufficient fuency to make his meanings plain
to American audience, and his lectures delivered in
French have reached only fraction of the many thousands
Of people interested in the message he brought
The editors of Hearsts Magazine prevailed upon Mae
tenck to have authentic translation made of his lee
lures and the publication of that translation begins in the
April issue of that magazine.
What hundreds of thousands wanted hear but could
not they may read and think to much greater
advantage than had they been able to understand the native
language of the author.
Maeternck always attacks his subject from the bottom
He clears away the debris and lays his foundation with just
great he afterward builds and decorates his
structure.
He does characteristic thing therefore, in his opening
article when he discusses with clearness and logic the basis
upon which he POUNDS his belief in the hereafter.
THINKING has furnished the solution of every problem
to which the human race has yet attained answer.
Thinking may yet furnish the truth regarding the un
known of that future which extends to the limits of
time and launches into eternity Maeerlinck has given
much thought to the subject and the results of his study
they do not convince you may do better thing
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