The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1920-02-07
Shall The Dead Live Again?

Coo be over past, asked the ques-
tiCnS: "lf man die shall he live
againP" dob 14:14) Millions have
asked this question since that time
and had ii been fairly treated and
honestly answered by those who
claim 10 teach the word of God (thc
clergy claSS) much sorrow woul'I
have been avoided in the earth.
According to statistics furnished
approximately nine million men
were the victims of the great
world war just passed. Within that
same period of time twelve million
fell victims TO thc dread peStillence,
Spanish Influenza For some
years now in addition TO this the
average death rate in the world has
been approximately one hundred
thousand per day. When there is a
great calamity and many people lose
their lives, the people of the earth
stand amazed and shocked. but in
the daily routine of affairs death has
become so common that many think
it must always be this way. Most
naturally the people have looked TO
something to bring comfort to their
hearts concerning their dead friend )
and something upon which they
could base their hopes for the fu-
turc for themselves. Truly this is
an earth Of sorrow, the sorrow of Il
people bowed down under the great
burden of sin, groaning and travail
ing for something that would dcliv-
cr them from it. The poet has well
expressed ii when he says:
"The earth is old with centuries,
But not for this she hangs her
head;
Closer to her heart the sorrow lies.
She holds so many dead"
From the bloody battlefieldS brok-
Ell regiments have returned and
some fathers, mothers and sweet.
hearts have waited at the stations
and looked in vain for the coming
of the one they have dearly loved
and they have asked: "Shall we see
him again?" "If they have fallen
in battle is there any hope of orr
being again united in happiness and
lovc?" The scriptures alone ans
wer this question satisfactorily.
The hope of the world lies in the
resurrection of the dead. Wonder
fully beautiful is the doctrine of the
resurrection of the dead and thoS'
who see and appreciate it rejoice in
the fact that God, in the exercise of
His loving kindness, has provided a
means whereby those who have suf-
fered death might be awakened
again, and those waiting in sorrow
may have their hearts made glad.
"a voice was heard in Rama h,lam.
enIation and bitter weeping. Rach-
el weeping for her children. refus-
ed to be comfOrted for her children,
because they were not. CThey were
dead, not conscious somewhere
Thus. saith the Lord, refrain thy
voice from weeping and thine eyes
from tears, for thy work shall be
shall come again from the land of
the enemy. And there is hope in The
end. saith the Lord, that thy chill
drrn shall come again to their own
border" Jeremiah 13:15-y7.
Every where in the Bible death is
spoken of as an enemy The land
of the enemy, therefore is the con.
dition of death. The promise here
is that these dead shall be brought
back to their own border, namely,
the earth. their former condition.
We here submit that if the doc
trlne of inherent Immortality is cor
rect. then there could be no reSur-
rection of the dead, for the reason
that YOU can not reSSurrect a person
that is immortal-dea proof. Res
SurrcCtion means rcStanding to
life" and no one could be immortpl
without having life in its fullneSs
Hence the doctrine of the inherent
immortality of the soul denies the
resurrection of the dead We fur
their state that if the doctrine OF
eternal torture is true. the reSurreS-
tor of the dead could not be true
for the reason that no one could be
etcrnally tortured without having
eternal life. an indestructible exist
ence, and if one is already In state
of life indeSctructible and subject
to eternal torment, a reStanding 10
life. a resurrection would be utterly
impossible. Thus we see that The
doctrine of eternal torture is a plain
denial of the doctrine Of the reSur-
rcCtion of the dead,
We further state that if the dead
are conscious and can now commit
nicatc with their living friends thru
the influence of mediums. or other
wise, that the doctrine of the resur-
reCiion could not be true, for the
reason that one who is conscious
and able to communicate could not
be resurrected to life, for they al
ready would have life. Hence the
doctrine of SpiriualistS or communi-
cation with the dead is denial of
the resurrection of the dead.
All these doctrine completely de,
ny the great ransom sacrifice. The
ransom sacrifice is the keynote TO
every doctrine, as to whether or not
il IS true or false. In other words
il is the measuring rod by which ev.
cry teaching can be measured and il