March 1926
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
118
old, devil-divulged idea which m o s t men have never really believed. How long would civilization last if it were true that death ended all? This propaganda is a blow at the very foundation of our government, true, then capital punishment would be a relief to many men and human life would be valueless. Note what Mr. Burbank says: “ All religions of the past and probably all of the foture will sooner or later become petrified forms Instead of living helps to mankind. As a scientist, I cannot help but feel that all religions are on a tottering foundation. None Is perfect or inspired. As for their prophets, there are as many m ever before, only now science refuses to let them overstep fVi a bniindc of oommoti sense.” “ As a scientist” ! Well, we never knew that he claimed the title of “ scientist,” but suppose he is fol lowing the fashion of the day. We did know that by strict adherence to God’s unchanging laws concern ing plant life, he had produced the Burbank potato, and were greatly pleased with it. It is a good potato. Observe another of his ‘ ‘ scientific ’ ’ statements: ‘ ‘The Idea that a good God will send people to a burning hell Is utterly damnable to me. I don’t want to have any thing to do with such a God.” Yet a good God has made -a law so affecting plant life that if it is not properly cared for, death results. If a child puts its hand into the fire, it will be burned. Who made that law? Our Lord said of Dives, “ And in hell, he lift up his eyes, being in torment.” Christ believed in hell, even if Mr. Burbank does not. Again Mr. Burbank says: “ The universe is not big enough to contain perpetually all the human souls and the other living beings that have been here for thteir short span. A theory of personal resur rection or reincarnation of the individual is untenable when we but pause to consider the magnitude of the idea. “ On the contrary, I must believe that, rather than the survival of all, we must look for survival only in the spirit of the good we have done in passing through. “ Once obsolete, an automobile is thrown to the scrap heap. Once here and gone the human life has likewise served its purpose. If it has been a good life it has been sufficient. There is no need for another.” . Well, if he is a scientist, then he knows that there are billions of spheres where Almighty God could tuck away resurrected people if He so desired. But, listen again: "I do recognize the existence of a £reat universal power— a power which we can’t even begin to comprehend and might as well not attempt to. It may be a conscious mind and it may not. I don’t know. As a scientist I should like to know, but as man I am not so vitally concerned.” This is a good confession! “ He would like to know, as a scientist, but not as a man!” Wonderful! Won derful ! But his closing statement is so blasphemous that some years ago it would not have been allowed to pass through the mails: “ As for Christ— well, He has been most outrageously belied. His followers, like those of many scientific and literary men who produce no real thoughts of their own, have so garbled His words and conduct that many of them no longer apply to present life. Christ was a wonderful psychologist. He waB an infidel of His day'because He rebelled against the prevailing religion and government. “ I am a lover of Christ as a man and His works and all things that help humanity but, nevertheless, just as He was an infidel then, I am an infidel today. I do not believe what has been served me to believe. I am a doubter, a ques tioner, a skeptic. When it can be proved to me that there
timental idea must be wrong for the Scripture says (Prov. 19:18): “ Spare the rod and spoil the child,” and we know that God Himself always follows this course with the world and with His own people. God never has violated one of His own laws and never will. The Cross of Christ is the outstanding proof of this, and when He bore our sin in His own body on the tree He suffered the agony of being for saken of God. He died the death of a sinner and cried, “ My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?H But, having fulfilled the law of sin and death, He estab lished a new law of resurrection unto eternal life for all who believe on Him.” “ For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath.made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Winking at wrong-doing; easing up in the matter of punishment for violation of law; is threatening our land, and is founded upon the basic error of repudia tion of God ’8 Word. Rebellion against God and the laws of God is followed by the ruin of individuals and nations. High ideals can never be attained by any one who treats lightly the laws of God. The rod does not change the nature of the child, but it does produce respect for authority. Men may hate God’s law, and they, do, but execution of that law increases fear of punishment, and “ the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” We are all glad to know that sowing will surely be followed by reaping when we plant our fields and gardens, but we are inclined to smile t£t the conse quences of *‘ wild oat sowing, ’ ’ the harvest of which is inevitable. The Word of God is definite: “ whatsoever a man soweth THAT shall he also reap.” / Spare the rod—spoil the child! Spare the law-breaker—spoil your civilization! The young people o f today are becoming more and more lawless. There is laxity of discipline in home and school. Many homes are without the exercise of any parental authority whatever, and school and civic laws are violated with impunity. We owe it to our youth; we owe it to the nation; we owe it to God,—to revere all of His laws, and every child should be taught this truth. I f this were done, fewer of them would be growing up as lawless lads and lassies, and more of them would become law-abid ing citizens. Remember—this silly sentiment does not'“ approve itself to God. He is a rigid law-enforcer. He demands respect for His law, and when it is broken, He. punishes, and often the punishment is very severe. Let us get back to God’s Word! Get back to His righteous demands! Cultivate a spirit of respect for Him in the minds of our youth, and thereby do much to clarify the crime conditions and create a character consistent with, the profession we make of being a God fearing and God-obeying nation. THE BLASPHEMOUS BREATH OF LUTHER, BURBANK The San Francisco Bulletin of January 22 says that Luther Burbank has announced that he “ is an infidel in the true sense of the word.” That he “ does not believe in a personal resurrection,” and that “ science dis proves the theory of reincarnation and life after death.” Now Mr. Burbank has the God-given right to such a belief. He is not stating any thing new, but just an
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