The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-26

THE churches generally teach that heaven
is real locality, and that II Is situated In the
skies above US. In doing this they havo only
followed the most primitive and natural hu.
man beliefs.
III the soul Is real thing, even though It
be intangible. 1t must have a dwelling place
after Its separation from the body. 1t Is not
reasonable to suppose that the disembodled
souls will continue to linger on earth among
scenes OF sin, suffering and misery, and sur.
roundings that must inevitably cause them
much unhappiness. The soul will need sep.
arate place where It can exist in purity and
serenity in the company OF the blessed only
Reasons Why These Dark
Objects May Be Heaven.
Where else can this place be but In the
heavens above? II would be absurd to suppose
that 1t Is In the dark and hot interior OF the
earth The idea has been advanced that one
of the planets or stars may be the elite Of
heaven.
Neither suggestion is acceptable The plan.
cts are a great deal too much like the earth
for this purpose. On the other hand, IL Is not
reasonable to believe that heaven should be
on ore Of the stars. We know that there are
literally countless millions of stars, and not
one OF them has any special relation to the
earth. Why. then. should one Of them be
chosen as n dwelling place for departed spirits
from the earth:
THE dark bodies observed by Professor Bar
nard lying Just beyond the confines OF the solar
system fulfil all the requirements that q meta.
physician could suggest as an ideal location
Tor heaven. The fact that there are many of
these dark bodies Is entirely In harmony with
rational conception OF the problem. Heaven
would, we should expect be divided into sepa.
~ VII
and happiness. We could not suppose that a
soul OF perfect beauty and ideal DEVELOPMENT
would find an appropriate dwelling, place IN
the same sphere with one who had led blame.
less life. but had attained less spiritual dayel.
opment There must, then, be graded spheres
IN heaven.
These celestial bodies are dark in order
that prying eyes may not see what "a hammer.
ing there. 1t would not be right that living
men should actually SEQ heaven What the
astronomer sees perhaps is 4 dark veil that
hides the actual dwelling place OF the blessed.
1t Is very interesting to recall that Dante the
most inspired or poets. imagined heaven as n
place where the souls OF the blessed few
around in the sunlight in a mahner that
strongly suggests the spira, nebulae that ms.
tronomers are now able to watch in the skies -
IN connection with Professor HenslnEmul.
lers statement 1t is interesting to recall that
the highest church authorities assert that
heaven IS real physical locality. In the Cath.
ohc Encyciopaedia, Father Joseph Hontheim,
professor or dogmatic theology in st. lgnatius 8
College. Valkenburg, Holland, writes:
Where is heaven, the dwelling OF God and
the blessed? Some are OF opinion that heaven
Is everywhere. as God is everywhere Accord.
ing to this view. the blessed can move about
freely In every part OF the universe, and still
remain with God and see Him everywhere
everywhere, too, they remain with Christ Tin
Ills sacred humanity and with the saints and
with the angels. For. according TO the advo-
Gates of this opinion, the spatial distances must
no longer impede the mutual intercourse Of
the blessed. In general. however. theologians