SPIRITUALISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 57, 16 June 1910, Page 3

SPIRITUALISM.

REV. LAIRD IN REPLY. After reading the two columns that appeared in Monday's issue, I ask permission to reply. Mr. Mofflin is in a sorry plight. He is not able to deny the 'fact "that God denounces Spiritualism, and so he retires a sadder and, 1 hope, a wiser man. I hope he will read up the Bible on. this question. The local medium —who is ashamed of the name his mother gave him—writes stating that Spiritualism is only ''ism" added" spiritual—how ingenious!—and thai it is un-Christ-like for me to point out that God ordered Israel to destroy watches anl those who try to consult the dead. Neither of these two local friends has attempted to deal with God's condemnation of this thing they 'practice. This is serious, for God only denounces the things that work for the ruin of men. A new man has written on this subject, Mr. McLean, of Wellington. I presume this is the Mr. McLean who was concerned in the Bailey fiasco in Wellington last year. He also finds it necessary to introduce side issues about "Hell," "the progress of Christianity, etc.," which I pass by just now. He states that the appearance of Christ to Mary after His resurrection is a case of a good man 'practising Spiritualism for good ends; that the risen Lord appearing to Mary is the same thing as the witchcraft 'denounced by God. The stating of such an absurd thing is itself a .proof of the hopelessness of Mr. McLean's case. Mr. McLean also states that the appearance of Moses and Elias at the transfiguration of Christ and Go<l'= sending a messenger to give part of the book of Revelations to John is also Spiritualism, and is the same thing as consulting or supposing to consult wibii the dead. Let readers judge. Mr. McLean has asked me to read I. King, 22, (verses 20-30), and see the things uttered bv God. I will ask all readers and Mr. McLean to read verses 18 to 40, andj notice that it was not God who said these things, but the wicked King Ahab, who represented God as saying them. To twist the Bible in this fashion and then say, ''therefore God did not say in Lev.,'2o-27, a man. or a woman that hath a familiar .spirit or that is a wizard shall surely be put to death," is very significant about the position of the defender of Spiritualism. It is also an index of Mr. McLean's power of looking at Spiritualism. I am asked 'by him to prove that God liates Spiritualism. Well, God says all who consult with the dead are an abomination to Him (Deut. 18, verr-s 12; and that it defiles men and that Tsracl is to put the consulter of the di v "l to death. Therefore I think He iiatii- it. Let- I. Samuel, XXIII. and I. Chron. X., 13-14, be read together and judge vim Saul was punished for. 3lv M" T .ean quotes Hudson. I am glad he calls him " distinguished," for Hudson says he had a communication •from his dead sister and he never had a sister. Mr. McLean also states that in twentv-eight year?' time "he n 'ver met a spirit but which gave the purest and best and -truest advice that could come from angel lips." He is more fortunate than the "distinguished" Hudson and John Marriott. ! No one denies the "phenomena" of Spiritualism, but phenomena like Hudson's, having a communication from the spirit of his dead sister, and lo and behold he never had a sister and the confessions of the Foxes of Anierica that their Spiritualism was all due to trickery is very strange phenomena and ought to make every wise and selfrespecting man and woman have nothing to do with the thing, apart from what God has said about it. —1 am, etc., JOHN LAIRD.