The Washington herald., 1921-09-06

| ment Of opinious
male, and the miracle of nature is
contaminated. a soul is created.
As to the origin of the two sexual
nuclei in the first instance it is
probably within the realm of the
unknowable and for the purposes Of
this letter, is of no moment.
BY heredity the newly created
soul is the product of the mental
and physical characteristics of both
the mother and father.
That soul thus created, during
the period of CESSATION, after its
birth. through life. and at least up
to the time of senile old age, con-
tinues its growth. II is simply a
process OF nature and is not to be
attributed to the intervention of
Divine favor.
1t may not perhaps be very good
form to allege things that are op-
posed TO beliefs that have been long
accepted. but to me the soul is
nothing more than the aggregate
sum of the thoughts of each indi-
Vidual.
The brain is the mechanism by
which we think and in that regard
is inseparably linked with the soul.
II. as is Contended by some, the
soul and not the brain. is the author
of our thoughts. actions. knowl-
edge. and consciousness. why are
large brains and fine gray matter
necessary to great thinkers?
In my opinion soul and spirit are
synonymous. To a biologist. whether
soul is mortal or immortal, is of
no concern.
Since the soul springs from NOR
tality I infer that it is not immortal
and that conviction causes me no
distress whatever
see in the universe or in nature
absolutely nothing evidential of a
purpose. direction. or a guiding in
teligence.
/ have not sufficient credulity to
believe the Biblical account of ere
alton, for there is no proof of il.
How can have faith that it is
true, il do not believe it?
As child was told that an elab-
orate system Of bookkeeping had
been established in heaven where
daily entries were set down of
things good and bad that had done
or failed to do.
These acts of commission or omis-
sion on my part quite naturally in
volved the idea of a free will" to
do or not to do good or evil acts.
When we have displayed a proper
wisdom in the choice of our an
cestors. selected the environment
best adapted for our upbringIng.
and are privileged to elect the So
cial and financial status we shall
occupy in our earthly sojourn. then,
and then only. can We be charged
with freedom of the will" In my
early youth ! was told to do right
so would attain to a state of eter-
nal bliss.
was bribed to do right, not be-
cause il was right to do right, but
because of the compensation prom
iscd in the hereafter. On a failure
to comply with these terrible ordi-
narces the miserable sinner Is
brought before the trial judge with
out a jury. and his final account in
heaven is.cNamined and the sentence
of eternal punishment is passed
upon him.
Under freedom OF the will nothing
in the culprit's record is extenuated
because Of inherited Tendencies
and weaknesses. both morally and
physically.
| Influence of heredity and envi-
ronment that inexorably shaped the
destiny of that soul in its earthly
body. is not admissible on a plea
for clemency.
Man is brought into this breath
ing world without his connivance or
consent, is made the unwilling slave
of circumstances and conditions,
over which he has no control, and is
finally condemned to eternal punish
ment by an angry and revengeful
God, for doing that which he could
not help doing!
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