, 1890-08-21
A GLIMPSE OF HELL.
The Change of Ideas and
Survival Of the Fittest.
HORRORS FABRICATED TO SCARE
Rivalry in Savagery-Christianity
In the Lead-Mvthology a Bad
Seoond-The Rest Not in 1t.

The idea of place for the punish
ment after death Of wicked men is
found In most, though not all, OF
the religions of the present time and
of antiquity. According to some
beliefs the punishment Is to last for.
ever; according to others the tor.
ments are to continue only for a
time, and are to result in purifying
the imprisoned souls and fitting
them for heaven. The Roman
Catholic religion has both purga-
tory, or place of temporary torment,
and hell, which is everlasting.
No idea of penalty was connected
with the classic hades-it was
simply an under world where
dwelt all those who had the mis-
fortune 20 be dead, irrespective of
their conduct In life. The word
comes from the Greek adjective
meaning unseen. The English
word hell has also originally the
same meaning. 1t is derived from
the Teutonic base hal, whence also
the Anglo-Saxon helan, to hide,
$50 that the original sense is the
hidden or unseen place. (Skeat).
EGYPTIAN.
The conception of future existence
which lays claim to the greatest an
tiquity is that of the ancient Egypt
ians. According to the Egyptian
belief, If tho great Judgment re.
suited adversely, "the condemned
soul Is either scourged back to the
earth straightway, to live again in
tho form of u vile animal, as some
uf the emblems appear to denote; or
plunged into the tortures Of hor-
rid hell of fire and devils below, as
numerous engravings set forth; or
driven into the atmosphere, to be
veXed and tossed by tempests, vio-
lently whirled in blasts and clouds,
till its sins are expiated, and another
probation granted through re-
newed existence in human form."
PARsEE.
From Persia, also, we get n relig-
lon of great NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ism-which, In modified form, is
held to-day by the small body of
Pnrsis still to be found in Persia and
India. According to the Parsi be-
lief the good after death pass safely
over the bridge Chinevat, which
stretches from Mount Albori up to
Garotman, the blissful realm of Or
mud; while the wicked fall from
the bridge into the Gulf of Duzahk,
which yawns beneath, where they
are tornented by devas.
BRAHMIN.
The Laws of Manu-, one of the
early sacred books of Brahmanism,
names twenty-one hells. Punish
mcnts for different sins are, to be re-
born into one of these hells, or to re-
turn to earth as a beggar, cripple,
leper, or In the form of raj, n
snake or louise, the penalty being
in each case appropriate to the
crime. Punishment need not be
endless for any one, as each success
i've life is u new probation, I'm which
righteousness wins admission to u
higher stage of existence.
BUDDHISM
In Buddhism, which Is one of tho
religions of China and the state re-
ligion of Thibet and other countries
of Eastern Asia, future punishment
In provided for in great he'll, COM
prising II system of 1876 lesser hells.
The torments of these hells are de-
picted in many Buddhist books and
paintings with much detail and
Vividness.
CHINESE,
As for the two other religions of
China, Confucianism tells nothing
whatever about punishment after
this life, while Taouism has a theory
of retribution much like that of
Brahmanism.
HEBREW.
The Jews In Old Testament times
had no idea of hell. There Is no
mention of punishment after death
In the teachings of Moses, nor is
this doctrine taught by the prophets.
The word sheol, which Is translate
by hell In the King James version
Of the Bible, meant simply the abode
of the dead and corresponded to the
Greek hades, used In the New Tes-
lament and other Greek writings.
Gloomy and repulslve ideas were as.
sociatcd with sheol, similar to those
we connect with death and the
grave, but 1t was the destination of
good and bad alike, and not place
punishment. The troubles which
the wicked and the enemies of the
Jews were threatened with by tho
prophets pertained to this world.
They were pain, disease, loss of DOS
sessions and kindred, hostility of
neighbors, death and indignities
to the dead body. The idea of sheol
first became modified after the Per4
sian captivity. Tho place was
divided into two parts, which were
separated only by the width of n
Thread. One of these divisions was
for the good, awaiting resurrection,
and was called Paradise; the other,
set apart for the wicked, was called
Gehenna. This latter designation
means "the valley of the son of Hin
nom, and was originally the name
OF gorge outside OF Jerusalem in
which the Jews had practiced he ,
merry worship of Moloch, and where
atterward oflal from the city and
the bodies of criminals were thrown
10 be consumed BY the fires always
Kept burning there. The idea of
Gehenna as II place offuture punish
ment had appeared in rabbinicul
theology and become quite detailed
" century or more before Christ