Show IS SUICIDE A A curious controversy has been carried on recently in a new york paper on the at of committing suicide it was started barted far ted it seems by the famous colona colour 1 ingersoll Ing enol who resurrected the old heathen view that under certain circumstances the best beat thing a human being could do was to end his or her own life numerous Nume rouB letters then appeared endorsing this barbarous doctrine while others denounced it in strong terms judging from the voluminous correspondence published the grim subject must have hav le excited considerable interest among the public and this fact may perhaps be taken as an evidence that the philosophy of the ancient stoics had unconsciously obtained a firmer hold on this age than might reasonably be expected considering si the loud professions of admiration for the incomparably better teachings of the founder of christian ity that agnostics and other schools of infidels should teach the world to commit suicide denying its sinful character to is nok strange for what act can a human being commit that in ment of such moral teachers is a sin if 14 as they contend there be no supreme judge of the he living jiving and the dead whose are founded on eternal justice and if mans life be ended with his last breath on earth vanishing as the vapor that floats in the air there can clearly be no sin sin SID means a moral condition of man opposed to the laws of his bis eternal father and acts committed violat lve ol of those laws sin iasin Is not imputed where there is no law Y is in correct new testament doctrine and the denial of the divine law logically leads to the she conclusion that the word sin to is but an empty phrases phrase and that self destruction therefore may sometimes be a virtue such doctrines are natural to infidelity those who eulogize suicide argue chiefly that man had no choice in coming here and should not be denied the right to leave the earth when lie he tools feels so BO inclined they hold that when sickness and helplessness on account of age and infirmities occur it IL Is better to end the earthly existence than to continue it a burden to follow fellow men all of which reasoning to Is wrong both in promises premises and conclusions the subject assumes a widely different aspect when viewed in the light of reason and the teachings of the gospel in the first place man is in not on earth by chance or accident his hie presence here is part of a divine plan necessary for the development of the universe the earth was not peopled until after solemn councils in the assemblies of the almighty to cut this existence short abort is an achot act of rebellion against this divine plan further it is in not true that life was given us without our choice what took place in the eternal regions before this world was waa born of chaos may no longer form a part of things we distinctly recollect yet the truth troth remains remain that when the of torta taft earthly habitation were laid all the children of god rejoiced over the be opportunity port unity to receive tabernacles and an existence here bore life then to ii a sacred trust voluntarily accepted to cut it off by suicide to is to betray this able trust to violate covenants sacred above all others there can be no doubt that every individual needs the whole of bis bin life on earth as an a preparation for eternity only by faithfully alter attending ding to their duties here whatever they way may be can human beings attain per of character necessary for ft a continuation of a life in happiness happonen happ inen in eternity one who takes his bis own life is very much in the position of a student who should run away premature ly from the institute where he has ha been placed by loving parents to perfect his education and render hina him capable of discharging his duties as an a citi citizen zoo and the consequences will be similar only unspeakably more serious the wrong the sinfulness and the evil consequences of such conduct are easily comprehended when applied to temporal matters but who can measure the be depths thereof when eternity lacon corned who can say that poverty sickness sio knes infirmity and various painful expert ances are not also necessary for the probation of those who suffer from them it is perfectly per factly conceivable that the schooling of these things to is applied by a loving providence in oriler order to bring out qualities of humility sympathy trust rust la god etc without which it is impossible to dwell in the abodes of the per salute saintil gold is purified in fire the precious stones are out that their lustre may come out and the human soul has often to pass through tribulation before it can be arrayed in that white robe in which the multitude before the throne was dressed in the apocalyptic hisdon how utterly inconsistent then to try to escape from tera temporal afflictions by means of self murder instead of accepting them as aa a means to a glorious end and turn to god for strength and patience to bear them it seems also to be in accordance with the divine plan that the sufferings of some shall be the very means whereby the noblest qualities shall ahall be awakened and developed in others not afflicted in the same way the thought is in brought out by our lord when he teaches that bat a wise use of earthly riches is in to invest them in such a way that on en leaving the earthly scene friends may be found to receive you in everlasting habitations 20 the rich man in the parable had a chance to do so BO but he be failed lazarus was at his bis door seemingly for a great purpose probably those who advocate suicide would have advised the poor sufferer to end bis bin misery they would remove all such cases from the thresholds of the rich but at the same amne time there would be no opportunity port unity to the latter to devote their heir means stud and their hearts heart to the noblest purpose imaginable when this is considered si the plea for suicide to Is better seen it its true light it will also be noticed that if it be right to resort to self destruction in order to shorten ones anble own ozy and to rails relieve vo others t ers om the buedel of oh charity arity bon adcur der for these Is justifiable pru a suffering being really ought to take hi hie own eife ak tor for abs benefit himself of and others and if be has bag not courage to do so go or orja Is borant to resort to that expedient it would clearly be the abe duty of those around him to assist him and to shorten his hie sufferings Buffe rings by bym means eaps of a poisonous dru drug a bullet or a well directed stab ibis conclusion la is inevitable and it needs DO argument that premises on which a dod doctrine trine of murder can be baltare built are wroot humanlike human life is sacred from the very beginning when the almighty taught his children to cuje over the world and all things found therein he plainly wd told them even the boasts beasto of the field would be hold held tic accountable countable for the slaying ot of a human being 9 85 5 the reason given Is ie that man WAR waa made in the image of god A murderer and a suicide then lays sacrilegious hands bands upon the image of his bis maker that to is why suicide to ie and remains a great sin sid whatever heathen philosophers ere wiy may argue to the contrary |