Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-11
OUR IDEALS AND IDOLS.
Rev. Louis Stern Lectures Forcibly Be-
fore Young Hebrews.
He Attacks Many 18th Century Ideals,
and Thinks We Are Not Progress
ing Rapidly-Happy Homes.

ing Rapidly-Happy Homes.
Rev. Louis Stern lectured last night at
the Eighth Street Synagogue. under the
auspices of the Young Mems Hebrew AS
ISOLATION, on Ideals and Idols" He said:
ours is eminently practical age. 1t has
been styled an age of reason. disclaiming
and discarding the visionary and chimeri-
cal and dealing with plain. sober facts only.
The problems which in our days the human
mind is bent on solving, appertain chiefly.
If not exclusively, to the realities Of life;
the practical conditions surrounding us.
The social question In its relation to capital
and labor, employers and employees; the per-
picking financial question; questions APP
pertaining to public health and comfort;
the advancement of science. commerce and
industry; all these and others kindred in
their nature occupy the human mind as its
chief concern. For the satisfactory solution
of most of these questions the age seems
peculiarly adapted. Numerous and varied
are the channels of education for the in
formation OF the masses and the molding
of public opinion. Schools and colleges a
vastly extensive literature, press. platform
and pulpit, all are the mediums for dis
semination of knowledge in city. village and
Restraints Removed.
MIR. Stern said that the limpid waters of
the stream of knowledge. once backed up
in converts and monasteries. have burst
their restraint; where but few drank form
erly, millions now slake their thirst.
The plain mechsnic and the humble DAY
laborer of today could grapple with ques-
tons considered in days gone by the pre-
rogative of favored few. Nor was liberal
education, said MIR. Stern. the only factor
in bringing about the better order of things
Steam and electricity have revolutionized
the world. The age has been prolific in
startling inventions. Night was turned into
day under the dazzling rays Of our electric
suns. Here he referred TO many inventions.
photograph, telephone, etc
An Age of Realism.
In an age where utility is the watchword,
and realism the keynote. there idealism,
the finer and subtler aspirations of the hu-
man soul, can hardly find due consideration.
He was not forgetful of the fact that the
ideals of the true, the good and the beauti-
full were still exerting their benign and en-
nobling influences Polite literature, poetry
and the fine arts counted their votaries and
disciples by the thousand. Shrines of wor-
ship increasing in number and improving in
architecture seemed to indicate that relig-
ion still exercised a powerful hold upon the
masses. Look upon our modern system of
practical charity. He was not opposed TO
organized charity. but wanted to illustrate
how the realism of our age encroached upon
every sphere of activity and life. To better
understand the word ideal, commonly de-
fined standard or model of perfection" he
said that the history of mankind in general,
and of Judaism in particular, showed
throughout a leaning toward both extremes.
some following ideals, some idols. The first
Jew was the first iconoclast The success
saf t-1l. lev AlFe
teachers, prophets and psalmists, followed
in his footsteps Their labors were not in
vain. The world had steadily progressed in
wisdom, experience and knowledge. Nor
would he deny the steady moral improve
ment of the human race. generally. But the
highest ideals voiced thousands of years
ago are even today not realized. Monothe-
istic believers though we be, we still stoop
to worship idols. Mr.. Stern said that we
are given to self-worship. To the old
maxim. Know myself" we paid too little
heed, collectively as well as individually.
Not Progressing.
We are prone to indulge. to extol and over
estimate the age in which We live. We are
often blind to its defects. Nineteenth CEN
fury civilization" enlightenment" were
words that We were constantly spelling with
capital letters.
The century was rapidly nearing its close,
with the social question unsolved and the
dividing lines between wealth and poverty
more sharply drawn than ever We had not
progressed one inch toward the ideal. We
were not ready to turn our swords into
ploughshares. Our finest steel was forged
into modern guns and armor plates and the
day was not far off when We could boast of
navy that could cope with any sailed by |
European power. |
The Russian Crime.
Nor is the blacklist Of all modern crimes /"
said Mr.. Stern, 1.-The relentless prosecutions
practiced by the Russian cara very en- |
couraging sign in the direction of progress |
1t is no longer the crime of Russia alone-it |
is the crime of the civilized world; for the |
civilized world has failed to stay its prog
ress. If religious prejudice on one side and |
considerations of expectancy and diplomacy
on the other have so muzzled the mouth of |
the great church organizations of this and |
other countries and stayed the hand and
crippled the power of all the great nations |
of the world SO as to cause them to remain
utterly passive and inactive while the voice |
Of outraged humanity loudly cries shamei |
shame! yea, IL even our late religious par |
lament at Chicago, whose great inf aei &c
for good In the many directions no one |
would dare to deny. in the face of that mo- |
mentous question wrapped itself in ominous /
silence, our most ardent nineteenth century |
enthusiasts had better pause and reflect |
Might is right says holy Russia. The world |
tacitly, practically agrees.
"A century is not one of the ideals that !
coldiy submits to the most cruel viola ton OF |
justice and liberty. Money may become an
idol if our affections are so strongly set |
upon acquiring and retaining Il as to alb |
sorh all our thought and feeling We can T,
only have pity for rich misers, whose whole |
life and activity seems bent on the solution l
of one arithmetical problem, calling for in
cessant addition and multiplication, while
the very thought or mention of the other
VI lam art tfroO sf0v, ~