In Reply.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 227, 22 August 1884, Page 2

In Reply.

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD.) Sir, — I was* very niucli amused last night m taking up your paper and reading "- The Qld Faith's " attack on Spiritualism. Of coarse lie bases his ideas on what he calls God's word. which I presume is the Bible. I should like " Old Faith " to produce the proof of it being the word of God except that contained m the Bible itself. The contradictions therein go to prove that it is n»t God's inspired .-.word. Perhaps " Old Faith " hag not read the Bible enough to see the contradictions, or most likely lie roads it with his mind closed. "Old Faith" says Spiritualism must he the word of the Duvil. I should like to ask who made the Devil ? "We arejtold that he was an holy angel m Heaven and was cast out for winning. >Jow I should like to know who tempted him to sin? And would it not have been better if God had killed him outright instead of turning- him out of Heaven to come and drag the best men down to Hell. I say tho best men, because vt*ry few of the scientific men believe the. Bible to be the word of God. If the Christian religion be true, the grange at, greatest, nqb, jest of the wqpld are now m Hell ! Charles Dickens, whose genins will be a perpetual shield, saving thousands and millions of children from blows ; who did more to make us tender with children than any other writer bhat ever touched a pen; he is m Hell, according to our Christian religion. And Shakespeare who has given more happiness upon the stage, and more instruction than has flowed from all the pulpits of this earth ; that man is m Hell too, BJape, who rea.d the hoavens like an open book ; who en« larged the horizon of human thought, is there too. Robert Burns, Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Humbolt, they are with the rest. And this doctorine is called " Glad tidings of great joy." According to the teachings of Spiritualism, as a man sow so shall he reap. If a man wishes to attain happiness on entering the Spirit; world, he must lead a good life while on earth. When a good man dies his spirit will inhabit a higher sphere than the wicked man's. Thero are good spirits m the spirit world who labour among the wicked spirits, tryinar to reform them and lead them higher ; and as the spirits are reformed they advance a stop higher. I consider Spiritualism superior to Christianity. What good will it do Lo torture a man for ever with fire and brimstone — without it is to satisfy a brutal revenge ; it will not reform the man. — I am, &c. New Faith. Feilding, 20th August.