Conan Doyle on the Others - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 14:16, 11 November 2025

2025-11-11T14:16:43Z

TCDE-Team at 20:00, 28 June 2024

2024-06-28T20:00:18Z

New page

''Conan Doyle on the Others'' is an article published in the [[Daily Express]] on 5 october 1925.

The article quotes [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] many times.

== Conan Doyle on the Others ==
[[File:daily-express-1925-10-05-p2-conan-doyle-on-the-others.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Daily Express]] (5 october 1925, p. 2)]]

'''FELLOW-AUTHORS CRITICISED.'''

'''SUNDAY ADDRESS.'''

'''WHAT HE THINKS OF THEIR ARTICLES.'''

Spiritualists of the Vale Owen Spiritualistic Church packed the Grotrian (late Steinway) Hall yesterday to hear [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] discuss the "[[Daily Express]]" "[[My Religious Evolution|My Religion]]" articles, to which he was a contributor.

The [[Rev. G. Vale Owen]], in a long purple cassock, presided. Mrs. St. Claire Stobart read an extract from one of her own spiritualistic works — a selection which dealt with the life of Apollonius of Tyana, a contemporary of Christ, a miracle worker, clairvoyant, and teacher.

[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] opened with an expression of relief that one daily paper at least could, for a moment, desist front the usual routine of reports and give space for a topic like "My Religion." Then he started to spike the guns of most of the contributors to the series. He began with Mr. Arnold Bennett's article.

"One cannot but admire," he said, "the unflinching mental honesty of his declaration, and also the absence of any bitterness towards those whose views may differ from his own, but he is all negative, and I would put it to him that man cannot live on negatives alone.

"I have a great sympathy with Mr. Bennett's position. It was my own, until I learned that agnosticism is not a terminus, but only a junction where you change into another line, leaving your packet of faith behind, late picking up a packet of faith in exchange.

"The same evolution may well occur to the quick brain and inquiring mind of Arnold Bennett... I trust the day may come when he will look into these psychic matters, not superficially, but with that thoroughness which they deserve and need. Then a strong new prophet may arise in Israel."

'''PHILOSOPHIC MIND.'''

Mr. Hugh Walpole, said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]] was "not so positive in his negatives as Mr. Arnold Bennett... Beyond the impression of a kindly philosophic mind, I do not see that Mr. Walpole is in a position to bring help to any one else."

Miss Rebecca West had sympathy for all — "which is right and beautiful" — but [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]] found Miss West's admirable charity to be useless as a guide to the race. The whole horizon may be beautiful, "but we are travellers, not spectators," and want sure guidance.

So he passed to Mr. Openheim and Mr. de Vere Stacpoole — nothing positive in their views. They saw that in life there was nobility as well as baseness — all creeds had sinners as well as saints. Both shrank from Church dogmatism.

Then Mr. Compton Mackenzie. An orthodox Catholic firm in the religion of his childhood.

"If," said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]], "it makes him happy and is for his spiritual good, hope Mr. Mackenzie will long remain those peaceful waters, and reconcile his reason to doctrines which have repelled so many other earnest minds."

'''ECTOPLASM.'''

Mr. Compton Mackenzie had said his reason revolted less from a belief in the resurrection of the body than from a belief in ectoplasm, and that he should prefer a faith in his ultimate obliteration than in a postman's eternity — endless rat-taps on tables.

[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]] waxed indignant at these tilts at spiritualism.

"Mr. Mackenzie does not seem to realise," he said, "that what he may prefer or what he may not prefer has really no bearing upon the matter. The great laws of nature, and their evidence as recorded by careful observers, take no heed of individual preferences."

[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]] referred Mr. Mackenzie to the works of Crawford, Richet, Schrenck Notzing, and others as to the evidence for ectoplasm. As for table raps, they were "a very small portion of our psychic experience."

He came out with a challenge on the part of spiritualism:—

"If Mr. Mackenzie can muster an equal amount of evidence for the resurrection of the physical body — of course, we are all agreed as to the spiritual one — then he should let the world know those facts upon which he founds his faith.

"These sneers at spiritualism are simply the measure of his own ignorance of the subject."

That dismissed Mr. Compton Mackenzie.

'''"CLOAK OF LEVITY."'''

"My friend, Mr. Zangwill," was equally ignorant — "a big-brained and big-hearted man, whose real philanthropic work is often covered by a needless cloak of levity." Mr. Zangwill was crying for civilised men to find "the next religion." "The idea," said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]], "that we, the ridiculed spiritualists, may have found it has never entered his head."

As for Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, he had "angled" for him.

"The reason why I have tried to help him — and succeeded perhaps in worrying him — is," he said, "that I have an affection for him, and can conceive no greater gift for one man to another than that which I wished to bestow upon him."

The prevailing characteristic of the articles on "My Religion," [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur]] continued, might almost be expressed by the aphorism, "The less dogma the more Christ." Two things were needed for the religion of the future, the Christ spirit and direct Spirit Communion.

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:16, 11 November 2025
Line 19:		Line 19:
	[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] opened with an expression of relief that one daily paper at least could, for a moment, desist front the usual routine of reports and give space for a topic like "My Religion." Then he started to spike the guns of most of the contributors to the series. He began with Mr. Arnold Bennett's article.		[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] opened with an expression of relief that one daily paper at least could, for a moment, desist front the usual routine of reports and give space for a topic like "My Religion." Then he started to spike the guns of most of the contributors to the series. He began with Mr. Arnold Bennett's article.

	<~~span class="~~q">"One cannot but admire,"</~~span~~> he said, <~~span class="~~q">"the unflinching mental honesty of his declaration, and also the absence of any bitterness towards those whose views may differ from his own, but he is all negative, and I would put it to him that man cannot live on negatives alone.</~~span~~>		<q>"One cannot but admire,"</q> he said, <q>"the unflinching mental honesty of his declaration, and also the absence of any bitterness towards those whose views may differ from his own, but he is all negative, and I would put it to him that man cannot live on negatives alone.</q>

	<~~span class="~~q">"I have a great sympathy with Mr. Bennett's position. It was my own, until I learned that agnosticism is not a terminus, but only a junction where you change into another line, leaving your packet of faith behind, late picking up a packet of faith in exchange.</~~span~~>		<q>"I have a great sympathy with Mr. Bennett's position. It was my own, until I learned that agnosticism is not a terminus, but only a junction where you change into another line, leaving your packet of faith behind, late picking up a packet of faith in exchange.</q>

	<~~span class="~~q">"The same evolution may well occur to the quick brain and inquiring mind of Arnold Bennett... I trust the day may come when he will look into these psychic matters, not superficially, but with that thoroughness which they deserve and need. Then a strong new prophet may arise in Israel."</~~span~~>		<q>"The same evolution may well occur to the quick brain and inquiring mind of Arnold Bennett... I trust the day may come when he will look into these psychic matters, not superficially, but with that thoroughness which they deserve and need. Then a strong new prophet may arise in Israel."</q>

	'''PHILOSOPHIC MIND.'''		'''PHILOSOPHIC MIND.'''
Line 35:		Line 35:
	Then Mr. Compton Mackenzie. An orthodox Catholic firm in the religion of his childhood.		Then Mr. Compton Mackenzie. An orthodox Catholic firm in the religion of his childhood.

	<~~span class="~~q">"If,"</~~span~~> said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]], <~~span class="~~q">"it makes him happy and is for his spiritual good, hope Mr. Mackenzie will long remain those peaceful waters, and reconcile his reason to doctrines which have repelled so many other earnest minds."</~~span~~>		<q>"If,"</q> said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]], <q>"it makes him happy and is for his spiritual good, hope Mr. Mackenzie will long remain those peaceful waters, and reconcile his reason to doctrines which have repelled so many other earnest minds."</q>

	'''ECTOPLASM.'''		'''ECTOPLASM.'''
Line 43:		Line 43:
	[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] waxed indignant at these tilts at spiritualism.		[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] waxed indignant at these tilts at spiritualism.

	<~~span class="~~q">"Mr. Mackenzie does not seem to realise,"</~~span~~> he said, <~~span class="~~q">"that what he may prefer or what he may not prefer has really no bearing upon the matter. The great laws of nature, and their evidence as recorded by careful observers, take no heed of individual preferences."</~~span~~>		<q>"Mr. Mackenzie does not seem to realise,"</q> he said, <q>"that what he may prefer or what he may not prefer has really no bearing upon the matter. The great laws of nature, and their evidence as recorded by careful observers, take no heed of individual preferences."</q>

	[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] referred Mr. Mackenzie to the works of Crawford, Richet, Schrenck Notzing, and others as to the evidence for ectoplasm. As for table raps, they were <~~span class="~~q">"a very small portion of our psychic experience."</~~span~~>		[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] referred Mr. Mackenzie to the works of Crawford, Richet, Schrenck Notzing, and others as to the evidence for ectoplasm. As for table raps, they were <q>"a very small portion of our psychic experience."</q>

	He came out with a challenge on the part of spiritualism:—		He came out with a challenge on the part of spiritualism:—

	<~~span class="~~q">"If Mr. Mackenzie can muster an equal amount of evidence for the resurrection of the physical body — of course, we are all agreed as to the spiritual one — then he should let the world know those facts upon which he founds his faith.</~~span~~>		<q>"If Mr. Mackenzie can muster an equal amount of evidence for the resurrection of the physical body — of course, we are all agreed as to the spiritual one — then he should let the world know those facts upon which he founds his faith.</q>

	<~~span class="~~q">"These sneers at spiritualism are simply the measure of his own ignorance of the subject."</~~span~~>		<q>"These sneers at spiritualism are simply the measure of his own ignorance of the subject."</q>

	That dismissed Mr. Compton Mackenzie.		That dismissed Mr. Compton Mackenzie.
Line 57:		Line 57:
	'''"CLOAK OF LEVITY."'''		'''"CLOAK OF LEVITY."'''

	<~~span class="~~q">"My friend, Mr. Zangwill,"</~~span~~> was equally ignorant — <~~span class="~~q">"a big-brained and big-hearted man, whose real philanthropic work is often covered by a needless cloak of levity."</~~span~~> Mr. Zangwill was crying for civilised men to find "the next religion." <~~span class="~~q">"The idea,"</~~span~~> said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]], <~~span class="~~q">"that we, the ridiculed spiritualists, may have found it has never entered his head."		<q>"My friend, Mr. Zangwill,"</q> was equally ignorant — <q>"a big-brained and big-hearted man, whose real philanthropic work is often covered by a needless cloak of levity."</q> Mr. Zangwill was crying for civilised men to find "the next religion." <q>"The idea,"</q> said [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]], <q>"that we, the ridiculed spiritualists, may have found it has never entered his head."

	As for Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, he had "angled" for him.		As for Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, he had "angled" for him.

	<~~span class="~~q">"The reason why I have tried to help him — and succeeded perhaps in worrying him — is,"</~~span~~> he said, <~~span class="~~q">"that I have an affection for him, and can conceive no greater gift for one man to another than that which I wished to bestow upon him."</~~span~~>		<q>"The reason why I have tried to help him — and succeeded perhaps in worrying him — is,"</q> he said, <q>"that I have an affection for him, and can conceive no greater gift for one man to another than that which I wished to bestow upon him."</q>

	The prevailing characteristic of the articles on "My Religion," [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] continued, might almost be expressed by the aphorism, "The less dogma the more Christ." Two things were needed for the religion of the future, the Christ spirit and direct Spirit Communion.		The prevailing characteristic of the articles on "My Religion," [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\|Sir Arthur]] continued, might almost be expressed by the aphorism, "The less dogma the more Christ." Two things were needed for the religion of the future, the Christ spirit and direct Spirit Communion.