Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-01
HEAVEN AND HE'LL.

A CORNELL PrOfesssF'A Opinion Of
the Various Views In Regard
Thereto.
Professor Felix Adler, Of Cornell, |
lectured in New York Sunday, on
" He'll and Paradise" before an
audience which, Notwithstanding
the rain, nearly, filled Standard
Hall. lie began by saying that
error is much older than truth, and
started out with the object Of
establishing the point that the
theories of heaven and hell contain
no single element Of the supenat-
ural knowledge claimed for them.
lii regard to the various views Of
the future life, he said that they
were almost invariably the contin-
uation OF mems favorite occupation
here, set up with the object of Ca
tering to the weakness Of the pco-
pie. There is no more" said he,
" in all the mighty revelations of
the secrets of thAgraye than there
| is in the art Of the clairvoyant who
first discovers your wishes and then
prophesies afiirmatively what has
existed in your mind as desire
In support Of this view of the
origin Of the present b liefs in
the accepted forms Of heaven and
hell, the lecturer gave a synopsis Of
the beliefs of savage tribes. Be
ginning with the North American
savages who, being fond of the
hunt, imagine heaven to be a
happy hunting ground" he next
showed that the Teutonic tribes o
Northern Europe, a warlike ant
gallant people, believed heaven tC
:. be a continuation of their earthly
life on a large and grander scale
and even gave the hall of their GOO
the name of Walhalla, by whicl
the banqueting hall of the king
was known. The Hindoos, Egyp
tians and Persians have, said tn,
lecturer, formed their plans o
lhGayen on the same principle.
Leaving this branch Of the sub
iecA tie lecturer considered tn
views of the three leading religions
Mahometanism, Judaism and Chris
tianity. Mahomctanism, he said
in its idea Of Paradise reflected
simply the oasis lie of the Orienta
in the halting places Of the desert
Judaism. a religion that has alway
been more practical than dogmatic
and in regard to the doctrines 0
which the utmost diversity OF opin
lion has always been allowed, ha
ueyer attached that importance +
the doctrine of immortality that !
might have had but for the aboli
ton of its organized priesthoo'
after the fall Of Jerusalem, Aeithe
the Pentateuch nor the writings 0
the prophets, he continued, sa
J anything in support of it; whe
they alIude to it, II is in yagu
and general terms.
an later days, however" con
tinued the speaker, "the idea wa
/. affirmed, and the Talmud is full Q
legends about the future life. i
the time of the Talmud the favor
a ite occupation of the Jews was tn
. study of the law, and hence W
a have heaven as q great academy
with the Deity himself as Chic
a Rabbi" Here Dr.. adler told ho
n it is related in the Talmud that o
n certain occasion matter of Ia
! came up for discussion in N
. heavenly academy, when Col, tn
: Chief Rabbi, took one view and .
the other rabbis took an opposii
d view. Finally the Chief Rabl
. summoned from earth a man we
9 yeYsed in the law and took his opil
(; ion. OF the Christian view, d
!. speaker said that it had its birt
among poor men, who, longing f'
wealth, naturally depicted the
heaven, or new Jerusalem, as apiq(
abounding in jewels and yalUab
metals-a city which was to be pave
with gold, whose walls were to
!. Of jasper, and whose gates we're
n be of pearls. "All these views, !
= added, care clearly drawn fro
! earthly conditions"
,e The various theories Of hell, sa
lDr Adler. show us lust the reyer