The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-03-07

about the attributes of God. The in
tellect and the heart of man repudiate
these teachings. Robert Ingersoll
can fill the theaters at 81 head ill
his attacks on these views. This fact
should convince our pulpit orators
that they are on the wrong track. Let
them teach higher, grander, nobler
conception about the great Architect
of the Universe; then the teachings
of men of the Ingersoll stamp would
be as the passing wind.
Every thinking scholar knows that
our so-called authorized version of
the Bible is full of errors, miscon-
ceptions and mistranslations. Why
not teach this and render the attacks
of infidels of no effect? In no case is
this shown more clearly than in the
translation of the Hebrew word
"sheol" into the Saxon word she'll"
The Hebrew scriptures nowhere teach
of an endless hell of punishment
''Sheol" simply means the hidden,
the abode of the underground ones
whose condition is in darkness and
doubt. 1t never meant punishment
of any kind. The same is true of the
Greek word ''hades." 1t means a
grave or pit, but these old orthodox
translators substituted the word
''hell" which people have been taught
to believe is place of eternal pun
ishment.
The New York Sun, some time ago,
contained an article under the cap
ton, The Population of He'll" in
which it showed that, according to
the pulpit teaching, countless mil
lions went to hell, but only few
ever reached the kingdom of bliss.
The human heart stands appalled, be-
fore such teachings.
The age demands and the Script
ures demand something better than
the doctrines that are asserted or
implied in these pulpit teachings.
The common sense of mankind, and
the sense of justice in the human
heart, repudiate eternal damnation.
There is chance for all to struggle
upward and onward. In the main,
we are architects of our own misery
and our own happiness
The law of compensation is law
of nature and law of God, as much
as the law of gravity; and you can no
more dodge it than you can the grav-
itation of the globe. Guatama, the
Buddha, said: "As the thing is fol-
lowed by its shadow, the sound by
its echo, SO are all actions, good or
bad, followed by reactions" Jesus
said: "There is nothing covered that
shall not be revealed; neither hid
that shall not be known" But
preachers are teaching the direct op-
posite of these things. They de-
mand compliance with man made
creeds; compliance with forms and
ceremonies, and then assure their
hearers that with a little bit of re-
pentance they could be landed, aye,
swung from the gallows, into the
kingdom of heaven, and become as
one of the angels. This doctrine is
not only travesty on justice, but it
holds out premium to rascality and
infamy.
Theologians have made God out
to be like an earthly King, seated on
golden throne, in some corner of
the universe, with recording angel
in front of him, writing, in what they
call the Book of Life, the deeds of
poor mortals, which are to be used
for or against them on some far off
day of judgment. This is supersti-
tion and materialism combined.
Every mans soul is book of life
to him. Every man is self-register
of his own acts. Sins may be "com-
mitted while conscience slept" but
the awakening guilt comes and every
wrong deed will have to be repented
of, followed by the resolution to do
good deeds, and the soul will have
to be regenerated and purified be-
fore it can know the kingdom of
heaven.
1t is to every mans own peace and
comfort that he should act righteous
ly. Tennyson voiced this truth when
he wrote: "He who wrongs his friend
wrongs himself more, and forever
bears about silent court of justice
in his own breast himself the Judge
and jury, himself the prisoner at the
bar, forever condemned" The He
brew scripture makes the wisdom of
Jehovah to say; 'He who sinneth
against Me wrongeth his own soul"
1t is the teaching of this great truth
that is absent from our pulpits today;
: