Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-10
LOCAL NEWS.
rFcr -ther Local News see Second Pafe,l
IngersoII From a Jewish stand-
 point.

SvnOpsfs of a Sermon Preached by Rev.
 pr. KIeeberg, Saturday, at the Court
 Street Temple
 The Rev. Dr. Kleebsrg reviewed Ingersoll from Jewish standpoint, Saturday, at the Court street Temple. The Dr. took his text from the words of Daniel: s'Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever" He said: It may seem bold to my hearers to hear this text in connection with a review of the work of MT. Ingersoll man so much despised and abused by professors of Christianity, and even followers of our faith. If take position opposed to the enemies of Ingerson it may at first thought give rise to surprise, but when you recollect the kindly words of MT. Ingersol in regard to our race and compare these with the harsh words of MT. MoAlister, you will readily see that we owe MT. Ingersoll grateful recollection.
 The Talmud says that every one who denies even the slightest thing which approaches idolatry is called Jew and while cannot assent that Mir. Ingerson is Jew, still claim that he approaches Judaism, while far re- moved from it's tenets, nearer than those who believe in the mythology of the New Testa- ment. In order to explain our sympathy with the large number of eminent scholars bred in Christianity, who have revolted against it's or ganic tenets or beliefs, we must recall the sad history of persecuted Israel for the last 1,500 years, history writ ten in letters of blood and carnage And why have we suffered? Because this little band opposed the millions of the fol lowers of Christ in their belief, and the hatred of the Christians was the more intensified be- cause all Christendom agreed that Christ suf- fered vicarious atonement and that he is iden- tical with God. Is it not natural therefore, that the believers in the unity of God must have found consolation in the fact that men like Giordeno, Bruno, Rousseau, Voltaire, Vol nei, Thomas Paine in writings, and Ingersoll in speech, men bred in the Christian faith, justified the opposition of Israel :?
 We are invited and are expected to share in the Christians dislike of the teachings of these men because they attack our Bible as well as the New Testament. To my mind we would not be justified in dSspising them for that reason, because our Bible is regarded by us as the contemporary and sacred history of our race; our religion is not based upon the Bible our faith could exist without it, because the Bible is the outgrowth of our faith, and our 1alLl aQu our D0IlGl III 1Ou IS AO6S d6 may OO supposed, the outgrowth of the Bible, where as the Christian rests solely upon the teach ings of the New Testament-Without it there could be 10 Christianity.
 But now they say that Ingersoll is an athe- ist and as such is not entitled to our respect To this say, even if he were, I prafer such atheists as he, Spinoza and Paine to that class of Christians who say that all of those who do not believe in Christ are eternally condemned to punishment in the hereafter, and to those who have sought this punishment to be in- fiicted on our race on this earth by scenes of blood and carnage and the great sacrifice of human life.
 But deny that Ingergoll is an atheist, for I heard from his own lips that he did not be- lieve in this or in that God, but that there is God superior to all comprehension, full of sweetness and goodness, without malice"-in such God he said he believes Is not that a beautiful faith in itself? If all mankind were of that belief would history disclose it's many religious wars? Contrast his ennobling sentiments in regard to our people with those of the clergyman who reviewed bim recently in his pulpit. MT. Ingersoli was full of words of cheer and comfort, Mir. McAlister of hatred and scorn; the one breathed love, the other discord. Our God is one of imagination, and is just what we picture him since he Is noth- ing palpable. A man of great mind will have great ideal of bis Coda narrow minded man will have 8 proportionately small con- ception of his Creator, so we as Jews cannot accuse a man of atheism because his views of a God do not correspond exactly with our own.
 Do we, the Jews and by tine by am proud to be called Jew, notwithstanding the as- sertion of MT. McAEster that we dsspise the name and prefer to be called Hebrsws; say, do we, the Jews, not pray for the time to come when all will with one mind believe in the God Of Israel, who is the God of the whole world All the galaxy of scholars of this enlightened age are aspiring after the grand idea of unity, unity ina nature and in religion. Even the distinguished scholar, Ernest Renan, who wrote the 'Life of Christ" and who recently delivered course of lectures in London, speaks in glowing a time when the Jewish faith will be the uni foif