Evening star., 1929-01-04
Spiritualism Defense
Reply to DIR. SprOwls
To the Editor of The Star:

10 the Edltor OF Inc star.
The writer would like to submit 10
replies in answer to DR.. Jesse w.
Sprowls on the subject of Spiritual
ism," published in The Evening Star
on December 81, 1928.
!. Spiritualism has added Christian
ity to the welfare of the masses, for If
we remove spiritualism from the Cos
pels in particular, we have removed the
backbone of Christianity. (a) Chris
tianity is founded on vision, since
an angel or spirit appeared to Mary
and foretold the coming of the Mes
siah. (b) Messengers, or spirits, ap-
peared to Joseph on two occasions Vi
tai to Christianity. (c) Mary Magda-
lene saw two spirits at the tomb. (d)
Jesus appeared about dozen times aft
err his resurrection and on one occasion
to 500 persons.
2. Spiritualism has made the "po-
tentially unstable" very stable. Joan
of Arc saw visions and heard voices
which gave directions that led France
to victory. History is replete with
such instances.
3. Sir William Crookes, who gave to
the world the Crookes tube. also gave
it voluminous work relating his ex-
periments with other scientists under
test conditions. This contains evidence
that would give any honest investigator
pause
a. We had to add new words to our
vocabulary before we could converse in
telligently on aeronautics. So we must
familiarize ourselves with the language
of spirits before we man expect an in
telligent description of a sphere in the
fourth dimension of space.
5. SpiritiSm and fortune-t telling con-
Germ themselves with earthly and selfish
matters, but Spiritualism by the very
nature of the word must concern it.
self with spiritual matters John the
Revelator says he was "in the spirit on
the Lords day and heard a voice. be-
hind me saying: The voice" or spirit
spoke the Book of Revelations. Nor
did .SWedenborg concern himself with
earthly and selfish matters" There
are many similar instances in the pres
ent day on record.
6. Was Chauncey Depew's premoni-
ton relative to the nomination of
Roosevelt for goveronr dull. inSipid,
aslnine and stupid? DR.. Samuel john
son, founder of the English dictionary,
says: That the dead are seen no more.
will not undertake to maintain against
the concurrent and UNMARRIED testimony
OF all ages and all nations. There is no
people, rude or learned, among whom
apparitions of the dead are not related
and believed. This opinion, which pre-
walls as far as human nature is diffused,
could become universal only by its
truth; those that never heard of one
another would not have agreed in tale
which nothing but experience can make
credible. That it is doubted by single
cayillers can very little weaken the gen.
eral evidence
We may expect anything of $50
called" Spiritualists, just as we do of
So-called psychologists, so-called SCI
entists, or so-called Christians. But real
SpiritualiSts would hardly concern them
selves with Harry Houdini, who admit
ted his work was all trickery. Real
Spiritualists, like real Christians. Judge
not that they be not judged" but apply
themselves to satisfying the heart hun
ger OF the ages expressed in the Ques-
ton IF man die shall he live again?
8. OF course Sir Oliver Lodge admits
he has not the gift of mediumship.
Must one have the gift of music to ap-
preciate the truth and beauty of music?
Must one have the gift of higher mathe-
matics and the knowledge of astronomy
to believe the earth is revolving around
the sun? Or may one accept as q work.
ing hypothesis the possibility of claim
made throughout the ages by foremost
men and women?
8. The premise Is questionable, but.
for the sake of argument, granted it is
true, just keep in mind that Jesus
Christ recruited from the ranks" of
the untutored snd lowly of his day, and
dined with publicans and sinners.
10. The 'long history of spiritualism'
is similar to the history of any ism; it
has its counterfeitS, to be sure But
if there were not real there would be
nothing to counterfeit. Who ever heard
Of counterfeit So bill? Byron alludeS
to its long history thus:
Il merely mean to say what Johnson
said,
That in the course of some six thou
sand years,
All nations have believed that from the
dead,
A visitant at intervals appears.
And what is strangest upon this strange
head,
Is that, whatever bar the reason
rearS
'Gainst such belief. there's something
stronger still
In its behalf, let them deny who will .
FOREST HAGIN.
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