FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>   >|  
same kind of thing as the conception of right and wrong that grows up in man and finds its true explanation in a soul feeling. This vague, but fundamental, feeling of faith in a divine purpose of some sort for the life of each individual is not dependent upon any particular religion, or creed, or doctrine. It appears to have found expression at all stages of civilization in all countries of which we have any record. It was found to exist among the savage American Indians and the Aztec Mexicans, as it existed in the earliest mummy age of ancient Egypt, and among the earlier warriors of Europe, as depicted by Homer. Among the yellow races of China and Japan, the recognition of this same faith extends back to the farther-most records of time. Whether it evolved from a protoplasm, or was implanted in man by the Creator, it may be regarded as an essential part of the all-wise scheme--which is, which was, and which presumably always will be. By some such process of observation and reasoning as we have been going through, it is possible to arrive at a relatively safe and satisfactory conclusion to the first soul question: "Has my life any purpose in the great, everlasting scheme of things?" The answer is: "Undoubtedly. A feeling to that effect is to be found universally among mankind. The intention of the Creator, which surpasses understanding, in this one respect, at least, appears to be unmistakable." Attached to this conclusion is the second part of the question, to which an answer may be found by a similar process of observation and reasoning: "Granted that I am assured by an inner feeling that my life has some purpose--what is that purpose?" It is not difficult to discern a general and practically uniform purpose in normal human beings. First, of course, is the primal instinct of self-preservation, a feeling that life itself is precious and must be held on to as long as possible. Along with this, goes another primal instinct--to create new life and protect that--and thus continue your race and kind on earth indefinitely. It is easy enough to see that if these two instincts were lacking, or if any other considerations were allowed to impair their force, the scheme of the world would come to an end. Whatever the purpose of a human life might be, that purpose would be futile, if there were no human lives to accomplish it. So that these two instincts are necessary conditions of any other plan or design.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

purpose

 

feeling

 

scheme

 

instincts

 

conclusion

 
Creator
 

answer

 

question

 

instinct

 
observation

reasoning

 
process
 

primal

 

appears

 

uniform

 

understanding

 

difficult

 

beings

 

practically

 

normal


general

 

discern

 

Granted

 

intention

 

unmistakable

 

surpasses

 

similar

 

universally

 

mankind

 

Attached


respect

 
assured
 

effect

 

Whatever

 

considerations

 
allowed
 

impair

 

futile

 

conditions

 

design


accomplish

 

lacking

 

preservation

 

precious

 

create

 

indefinitely

 
protect
 

continue

 

stages

 

civilization