The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-12-08
HEATEN IND HELL.


HEA YEN IND HELL.
4 Cornell Professors Opinion Of the Tort-
ous Jieics II, ReOard Thereto.
Prof. Felix Alder, Of Cornell, lectured
in New York Sunday. on ''Hell and Par
adise, before an audience which, not
withstanding the rain, nearly filed
Standard hall. He began by saying that
error i. much older than truth, and
started out with the object of establish
ing the point that the theories of heaven
and hell contain no single element of the
supernatural knowledge claimed for them.
In regard to the various views of the fu-
ture life, he said that they were almost
invariably the continuation eff mems fa-
VoTite occupation here, set up with the
object Of catering to the weakness Of the
people. There is more" said he, ''in
all the mighty revelations of the secrets
Of the grave than there is in the art of the
clairvoyantwh first discovers your wish
eS and then prophesies afirmatiyely what
has existed in your mind as a desire"
ANCIENT VIEWS OF HEAVEN.
In support of this view Of the origin of
the present beliefs in the accepted forms
of heaven and hell, the lecturer gave a
synopsis of the beliefs of savage tribes
Beginning with the North American say
ages who, being fond of the hunt, imagine
heaven TO be happy hunting ground,"
he showed that the Teutonic tribes Of
northern Europe, 8 warlike and gallant
people, believed heaven 70 be a continual
ton of their earthly life on a large and
grander scale, and eytn-gave the hall of
their god the name of Walhalla, by
which the banqueting hall of the king
was known. The Hindoos, Egyptians
and Persians have, said the lecturer,
forme their plans Of heaven Oh the same
principle.
Leaving this branch of the subject the
lecture considered the views of the
three leading religions Mahometanism,
Judaism and Christianity. AIahometan-
ism, he said, in its idea OF paradise re
fected simply the oasis life of the Orient
al in the hating places of the desert.
Judaism, q religion that has always been
more practical than degmatic, and in re
Sard TO the doctrines of which the utmost
diversity of opinion has always been al-
lowed, has never attached that import
ance to the doctrine of immortality
that it might have had but for the aboli-
ton of its organized priesthood after the
fall of Jerusalem. Neither the Penta-
touch nor the writings Of the prophets,
re continued, say anything in support OF
It; when they allude TO it, it il in vague
aud general terms.
I THE TALNfUDICAL IDEA or HEAVEN.
In later days, however" continued
the speaker, "the idea was affirmed, and
the Talmud is full of legends about the
future life. In the time of the Talmud
the favorite occupation of the jews was
the study OF the law, and hence we have
heaven As great academy, with the
Deity himself Is chief rabbi" Here DR..
Adler told how it is related in the 1almud
that on . certain occasion a matter OF
law came up for discussion in this heaven
ly academy, when God, the chief rabbi
took one view and all the other rabbis
took al: opposite view. Finally the
chief rabbi summoned from earth man
well yersed in the law and took his opin-
ion OF the christian view, the speaker
said that it had its birth among poor men,
who, longing for wealth, naturally depict
ed their heaven, or new. Jerusalem, IS
4 place Astounding in jewels and valuable
metals city which was to be paved with
gold, whose walls were to be of Jasper
aud whose gates were to be of perals ''AIl
these views, he added, ''are clearly drawn
from earthly conditions"
THE CHRISTIAN HEAVEN AND HE'LL.
The various theories of hell, said DIR.
Adler, show US just thereverse sideo the
picture. He then gave description OF
he'll from a christian point of view, said
that Dante's "Divina Commedia" in no
way exaggerated the belief in regard TO
it, and added that that belief was main
tanned in the interests of the priesthood.
''For, said he, ''then the priests kept
and now they keep the ignorant masses
in subsection by teaching such fallacies,
and they have even invented a third fb,
that of purgatory, from which their
prayers are potent TO save, and which
has proved a splendid source of revenue
to the church. Modern christianity sees
in church worship the highest obligation
man is called upon to fulfill, so the pro-
testant heaven is simply celestial pro-
testent church with music and psalm
singing" He deprecated the spread of
the lancies, which, . he said, care not
harmless, for they have robbed man OF
peace, they have killed his love- He
lamented the years wasted while these
beliefs dominated the world, years which
might have been devoted to the improve
ment and benefit of mankind. SIS there )"
he asked, ''no emancipation for the spir-
itual slave? Surely, there is power in
what is true that cannot be withstood. >"
The day will come when the censor shall
be buried with the sword, and the old
walls of superstition will crumble away
and man will stand on earth feeling tina
love and truth are the paradise forever
and forever.
THE IGE OF RACKS