Extracted text
Editorial transcription, lightly normalized from the scan. Line-break hyphenation, spacing, capitalization, and unmistakable OCR errors have been repaired; the claims remain those of The Flaming Sword.
Printed under the department heading Editorial Discussions, Chats, and Correspondence.
Now if you can give me the reason why this is wrong, and why your view of this phenomenon is correct, without employing any words of more than three or four syllables, you will be conferring a great favor on me. I don't want to read a long dissertation on Koreshanity, nor be tangled up in a lot of vague and impalpable statements which no one can refute because no one can understand. If you can explain the question simply, please do so, and if you can't, please say so, and don't try to do it, because I do not like to see the massive words of your vocabulary handled too familiarly, and it won't do any good, because I shan't take the trouble to wade through it. A simple question ought to have a simple answer, and not such replies as you seem inclined to give some of your correspondents.—H. W. B., Interlachen, Fla.
Our captious critic has not only designated the manner in which his questions must be answered, but has also neglected to consult us as to how his questions should be asked. We publish his rather forward letter, and will proceed to reply in our own way, regardless of the request to keep within the bounds of the limited vocabulary of one who is not willing to use a little mental dexterity to comprehend the truth. The Koreshan Universology is as complex in its details as is the universe. We do not expect a reader to understand the entire system from reading a few copies of THE FLAMING SWORD. No one would be so foolish as to expect to understand architecture, engineering, surveying, astronomy, physiology, optics, chemistry, botany, geology, anthropology, ethnology, geometry, and other numerous departments of a university, from simply perusing a few university publications! These subjects engage the mental labor of students for years before they can understand these branches, even as taught in modern educational institutions; and we do not expect our friend to understand the System from this reply. It requires years of study to comprehend thoroughly even some of the Koreshan fundamentals. The Koreshan System is taught to those who desire it, and who would obtain a knowledge of its science at the cost of great sacrifices—even to leaving all to follow its Founder! The Koreshan System will prosper under its present management, and under no other; it will take its place, not among the world's great religions, but its place as pre-eminently above all, and will be the System after all other systems are forgotten.
In the promulgation of the Koreshan System, we employ such words as will convey, in exact and unmistakable forms, the ideas desired to be communicated. Every word in the English language has a definite meaning, and we mean just what our words convey. Words are legitimate, and the terminology we employ reaches those who desire the truth in the form in which it is presented; for the present it is for none others. Koreshanity is the evolution of the primitive Christian system; the philosophy of Jesus has become Science, and the Founder of Koreshanity teaches the truth in his own way. It is quite noticeable in the history of the work of Jesus, that his followers were of a select class. Jesus taught only his disciples; to the people he spoke in parables, forms of language which were utterly beyond the comprehension of those not prepared to receive his truth; and if our friend had been at Jerusalem nineteen hundred years ago, his criticism of the work of Jesus would have as thoroughly displayed his ignorance as do the above criticisms of the Koreshans! If the religion of Jesus was simple, why is it not understood in modern times? Why is there such difference of opinion regarding the doctrines he proclaimed? Whom has it satisfied?
Jesus had no marked success with his system during the period of his natural existence. He chose here and there a man whom he knew would answer his purpose. The power of his system was not felt in the world until he went into his disciples, to work through them. He found some willing to die for the truth; others who left all to follow him, that they might understand the profound doctrines of life. Jesus carefully selected and prepared his workers for the spread of his gospel. The time came when it spread rapidly, and finally reached all who were prepared to receive it. The disciples of Jesus who were associated with him, did not understand all of the primitive system until they were illuminated by the pouring out of the life of Jesus after his translation. In many respects, the Koreshan work corresponds to the work of Jesus; it is just as difficult for some people to understand Koreshan Science today, as it was for minds to comprehend the philosophy of Jesus nineteen hundred years ago.
We are asked to explain why it is that an incoming vessel is visible topmast first, and finally the hull; but our correspondent wants the explanation in a few short, simple words, without any matter connected with our reply that he thinks is unnecessary. It is as if a youth went to his teacher with a problem in algebra, and desired a simple answer to his simple question as to the solution of the problem, without entering into details of algebraic principles! To thoroughly comprehend the phenomena of the horizon and disappearing vessels, a few principles in optics must be known. We discuss this subject in the CELLULAR COSMOGONY, and present facts of demonstration obtained through actual experiments and observation; the usual theory of the water's convexity is an absurdity. During the twelve months' experimentation on the water's surface, by the Koreshan Geodetic Staff, we performed over one hundred experiments on Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico, and know something of the facts of such phenomena. We will ask our friend how, if the water is convex, the hulls of vessels disappearing by reason of going over on the other side of the bulge of water, can be brought into view again by means of the telescope? Can the telescope enable the eye to see through the bulge? If the man in the old picture in geographies, which our friend remembers having seen at school, had applied a telescope to the vanished ship's hull, without changing the altitude of the eye, the hull would have become visible again, and the fallacious diagram would have never been made!
The space between the eye and the water's concave surface is vanished by perspective at the horizon point, in accordance with exactly the same optical reasons why two railway tracks appear to come together in the distance. Anything to be visible beyond the horizon must exceed in height, the altitude of the eye at time of observation; for that portion of an object situated in the vanished space at or beyond the vanishing point, is obviously invisible. The vanishing point for 10 feet is not the vanishing point for 100 feet; and if the 10-foot hull is within the space vanished it is invisible, while the portions of the vessel above the vanished space are yet in view. It is a simple problem of perspective in optics; and the question is made perfectly clear in the CELLULAR COSMOGONY, which we commend for further explanations.
The source scans remain the record. This page preserves the article's argument without presenting its conclusions as independently established results.
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The source scans remain the record. This page preserves the periodical's argument and reported observations without presenting its conclusions as independently established results. The claims remain attributed to The Flaming Sword.
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The Flaming Sword · Vol. 13, No. 39 · 18 Aug 1899 · PDF p. 11