Prayers that are Lived will be Answered.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18798, 29 June 1929, Page 19 (Supplement)

Prayers that are Lived will be Answered.

Edison Gives Opinions on Religion and Immortality $

(Written for the “ Star ” by

FRANK H. WILLIAMS.)

JT would be a wonderfully interesting thing to be alive a hundred years from now and see just which one of all the famous Americans of to-day is most famous then, or best remembered. Among all well-known Americans of the present time, who would you pick out as having the best chance for enduring fame? Would it be Coolidge? Would it be Henry Ford, or John D. Rockefeller ?

Our personal choice for enduring fame is none of these, but is an inoffensive, mild old man who never went to college, who has never held a political office, who is practically never seen on Broadway, and who isn’t wealthy in the way in which great wealth is considered in these billiondollar days. This man is Thomas A. Edison, inventor of the gramophone, inventor of motion pictures, inventor of the incandescent electric light and inventor of so many other epochal things that the simple enumeration of them would require a week’s holiday and unswerving determination. Thomas Alva Edison, it seems, has the best chance for enduring fame for several reasons.

First of these is the fact that his name has now become synonymous with certain phases of electricity and bids fair to continue that way. In practically every country are now vast electrical power companies bearing his name. The name “Edison Company” has become so trade-marked that nowadays everyone knows what it means. Edison has by his inventions chang-

ed the whole character of life as, perhaps, no other human being ever has. Other humans have, of course, affected the course of nations, but what other individual ever brought so many changes to such tremendous numbers of people? All over the world millions lof people are to-day looking at one of Edison’s inventions—motion pictures. In far remote sections and in the big nations of the world people will tonight find life easier and better because of the outgrowth of another of his inventions—electric light. And everywhere people are listening to “canned music” from gramophones which are Edison’s invention.

All this means a tremendous change in life. All this, too, means an inconceivably vast business. And because all this does mean a livelihood and a profit for so many people and because it will continue to mean the same thing for ages to come, in all probability, Edison’s name will not be forgotten.

And, finally, it seems as though Edison’s chances for enduring fame are better than those of any other American living at the present time—he has no enemies. Later on when he has passed to his reward, there will be few biographers to arise and utter disparaging remarks about him. There will be no reason for doing so, because the sort of a man that Edison is—moral, upright and excellent in every particular though he is—means little beside his achievements. His achievements are the big thing with him. It is his achievements which dwarf his person ality and which will always bulk the largest in public interest.

But while Edison’s personality has had no effect on life while his inventions have absolutely changed the world’s mode of living and outlook,

there is, naturally, much interest in Edison himself. What sort of a man is this eighty- |

(two-year-old inventor who attends to his own affairs, who has been deaf since boyhood, who never went to even

high school, but who holds degrees from many leading colleges and universities and who has given you so much that makes life better?

Perhaps the one phase of Edison’s personality .and character which is of the most interest to the average individual is his attitude toward life beyond the grave and toward Christianity. . . _

Here are some of the things Edison has said about eternal life and Christianity : “Al the data we have favours the idea of what religionists call the hereafter.” . Which is surely a comforting thought to those people who want to live for ever and who feel that Edison is peculiarly well qualified to know what he is talking about. Another important thing he said is this:

“ The chief reason we know so little about soul and immortality is the fact that we do not at present know how even to begin investigating them.”

And here are some others: “ If, as from the dawn of history has been the belief, the mind of man (or call it soul if you prefer) is wholly separated from the body of man and does not die with it, may it not continue to exist in an environment with which it balances indefinitely? That would be immortality. But as to how it lives, or in what form and as to what the more favourable environment may be, whether of this world or some other, I cannot say.

“ I believe Christianity will continue to produce the world’s best leadership. The Christian nations are the wisest nations, and one proof of their wisdom is the acceptance of Christianity. Therefore it seems to be the fact that I am a full subscriber to the moral code of Christianity, as to all true moral codes. “ Somehow I cannot be impressed by the idea that merely spoken prayers are likely to be answered, but I am absolutely sure that lived prayers are certain to be answered. “ Services in churches do not appeal

to me so very much, although I do not decry them. “ I would not deny a Supreme Intelligence.

“ To-day the preponderance of probability very greatly favours belief in the immortality of the intelligence or soul of man.”

In recent years Edison has relaxed considerably and is taking life much more easily than was formerly the case. Certainly he is entitled to it. No doubt it will be interesting to many people to know that Edison wishes to be remembered principally as the inventor of the gramophone. It will also be interesting to consider those of his inventions which Edison con siders to be his greatest. Here they are, as listed in his biography: Telegraphic automatic separator quadruplex telegraph, printing telegraph, sextuple telegraphic transmission, electric pen and mimeograph, carbon telephone transmitter, microtasimeter for detection of small changes in temperature, megaphone, gramophone, incandescent lamp and light sj’stem Edison, effect valve for wireless, system of wireless telegraphing from railroad trains, motion pictures, telescribe, and alkaline storage battery. Of course, the manufacturing and selling and servicing of all the things which are the outgrowth of Edison’s inventions involve a tremendous amount of money. A recent estimate is that the amount of capital employed in manufacturing and selling the things which he has invented is nearly five billion pounds—not millions, but billions! Think of all that in terms of a single man’s achievement. Think of all that with relation to its bearing on the progress and prosperity of America and the entire world. Has any other man ever done anything approaching it? (Anglo-American N.S. Copyright.)