THE PROBLEM OF LIFE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17103, 26 March 1921, Page 10

THE PROBLEM OF LIFE.

TO THE EDITOR OP "THE PItKSS." Sir, —In Professor Shelley's interesting and instructive lecture last night on psychology at the Trades hall, he led us to understand that life, or soul, is absolutely inexplicable, tiiat though science can fully explain material phenomena, it absolutely fails to elucidate spirit. .Nov. - , I am neither a spiritualist, a theosophist, a scientist, nor a member of any roligious sect. I am merely a plain brown earthenware—though I nope honefst and humble—searcher after truth. And it is exceedingly unsatisfactory to find, that in the solution of life, which is really the mcst important problem wo have to face, we" can obtain no assistance whatever- from our teachers. I have; been led to understand—though I have no intention of trying the experiment—that were I to bo woighed while standing upon an crtremeJy sensitive weigh-briuge, and then while still remaining upon it, wore to put into my mouth a tabloid capable of extinguishing my life instantaneously, thero would be. no diiferenco whatever between my before and after death weight, and yet the difference in other respects would be enormous. What was a moment or two ago a man, would havo suddenly become a mere, thing. ; And whether the -e&ueri? menter- wcSro "njy insignificant self, or the ex-Kaiser of Germany, our residual value would bo' precisely " the • same; which in some respects, perhapß, is a comforting thought. Now, so far as I know, the only text book we possess dealing- with the genesis of life is the Bible, where four facts ara summarised First, that God la

Spirit; second, that Ho js the onlyCreator; third, that Ho created man in His own imago; and fourth, that man bec'amo a living soul. _ Hence, unless the God-contrived man possesses the parental choractenstics, ho is surely an abnormality. If therefore, the material and perishable' man as first introduced m the Adam dream, and as perpetuated by physical science reasonings, is not :v boing utterly unworthy of an omnipotent artificer, hovr Hid he. orgmato? Is he on irroconcilablo conipound i or matter, ending in death, and of life, . its maker—ending at all, or what is heP I am patiently awaiting the solution. And if I can obtain no help from either scientists or parsons, where am I to search for it? Do not my difficulties, in some measure, explain why people don't go to churchF They do sometimes go "hungry, but aa a rule'they retire unf^--Y g^£s % -, March 25th.