Can the Dead Perceive Earthly Events?
By Editor
The Inquiry columns of the religious papers furnish some rather queer matter occasionally. Here is a question and answer that appeared in the Christian Advocate of August 4—J. M. Buckley, D. D., editor:— Q. 2435.—Can the dead perceive what is going on upon the earth?
A.—If we knew, we should hasten to publish the information, for we should be the only possessor of it on earth.
P. S. The Bible says that there is joy in the presence of the angels in Heaven over the conversion of sinners, but no details are given as to how the information reaches them. "If we knew." But why is it that he does not know? The Bible says as plainly as language can be expressed, "The dead know not anything . . . neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." And again, "His sons come to honor and he knoweth it not; they are brought low and he perceiveth it not of them." Here then is this correspondent's question directly and plainly answered, but the Advocate can only answer, "If we knew." Again we say, Why is it that the editor does not know? Is it because he does not know that these verses are in the Bible? or is it because he does not believe these words even though they be the word of God? We are inclined to think it is the latter, because the doctrine of the immortality of the soul does not allow a consistent belief of the words of the Bible. So much for the Advocate's "answer;" but what is meant by the "P. S."? A correspondent asks, "Can the dead perceive what is going on upon the earth?" and he is informed that "There is joy in the presence of the angels in Heaven over the conversion of sinners." Does the Advocate mean to convey the idea that dead people are angels? or that the company of the angels is made up of dead people? What a queer idea that questioner must have had, in the first place, to ask, "Can the dead perceive?" If a person can perceive at all, it seems to us that that would be pretty good evidence that he is not dead.