Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-05
Different Views Of Hell.


OMAHA, Nov. 3.-To the Editor Of The
Bee: Now that Rev. William A. Sun
day has departed from our midst and
the temporary hysteria which has af-
fected IN the last seven weeks some
Of our leading prominent citizens and
business men has subsidized to large de-
gree. It may not be amiss to say a few
words here about the man that Omaha
has entertained for nearly two months.
Far be II from lie to attempt to dis
credit or belittle any real good that Mr..
Sunday might have done in this cam
paign. If he has helped some poor devil
to permanent turn TO a better life, he
is TO be commended for that. but do the
people and clergy of Omaha really ap-
prove and commend the language and
tactics used by this evangelist? Do the
clergy Of this city believe that their
cause can be helped by a man who
villifies and insults those who happen to
disagree with him, man who seeks to
implant in the innocent minds of chill
dren the infamous dogma of a livid.
burning, realistic hell? Do they APP
prove of his slanderous, vulgar attacks
upon our school board, consisting of
some OF our most distinguished and
prominent citizens, who are devoting
their time and energy, without COM
pensation, for the bctterment of our
schools and our community, and who
simply did their plain duty in regard to
his insolent and impudent attempt to
force his way into our public schools2
1 wonder what the people of Omaha
would do to me. or any other common
everyday citizen Of Omaha, II he got up
in public place and applied the same
coarse epithets to Robert Cowell. a man
of sterling character and integrity!
What is this country coming to, allowing
such a man. using language condemned
by all decent people as vulgar and un-
couth, to run rampant villifying and
trying to blacken the character Of honest,
courageous men whom he cannot bull
doze and banboozle into swallowing his
propaganda
His awful doctrine Of hell has caused
more unhappiness, more strife, made
more insane than all other causes COM
bined. Suppose that the wife and fam
lily of BILLY" Sunday honestly differed
with him on their Interpretation of the
Bible. Suppose they honestly doubted
the claim that its authors were inspired.
refused to believe it's miracles and child
ish stories. They all pass away and
Billy takes his reserved" seat in
heaven while God conslgns the woman
he loved, the kind sweet mother who
had borne him children. the dutiful and
loving wife and the children to the
eternal torments OF hell Gould Billy
rest content and happy in paradise,
knowing full we'll that his wife and
family were suffering indescribaole tor
lures in hell7
How much more humanity, love and
kindness there is In Ingersolrs view of
hell; Il honestly believe the doctrine
Of hell was born In the glittering eyes
of snakes that run in frightful coils
watching for their prey. believe 1t was
born in the yelping and bowling ana
growing and snarling Of wild beasts. I
believe 1t was born In the grim OF hye-
mas and in the malicious chatter of
depraved apes. That doctrine was born
Of revenge and brutality on the one side
and cowardlce on the other. 1 have
no respect for the man who believes
1t or who breaches it, have no respect
for the man who will pollute the mag
nation OF a child with that Infamous
lie. I despise It; defy Il: hate It, and
when the great ship freighted with the
world goes down in the night of death.
chaos and disaster. I will not be guilty.
or the ineffable meanness Of PUSHING
from my breast my wife and children
and padding off in some orthodox canoe.
l VIII go down with those I love and
with those who love me. I will go down
with the ship and with my race. will
go where there is sympathy. I viii go
with those l love. Nothing can make
me believe that there is any Being that
Is going TO burn and torment and damn
his children forever
ask readers. regardless OF beliefs.
which. in their honest opinion. is the
grander. the kinder. the sublimer. the
one seeking to propagate and impress
upon emotional and innocent minds this
terrible inhuman doctrine. or the other.
who succeeded. to such a marked degree
in freeing humanity from the bondage
OF this frightful doctrine?
WALTER RosICKY.
170 South Twelfth street.