Article November 9, 1912 Issue

FROM OUR EXCHANGES

with contributions from McCormick

[Bishop McCormick in Churchman.]

It is said that the church is always on the side of capital; that she is monarchial and aristocratic in her organization; that she is chiefly interested in maintaining the status quo; that she interferes with discontent and progress by teaching patience and submission; that she is other-worldly and remote, aloof from modern affairs, out of step with science and civilization, and but lukewarmly concerned with the betterment of social and industrial conditions. Laboring men do not hesitate to declare that the church cares more for the one sheep safe in her fold than for the ninety and nine in the wilderness; that she emphasizes individual salvation and the individual conscience, and cares little for social salvation and the social conscience; that she lives only to preserve herself; to narcotize her members and to maintain her paid ministers in positions of ease and influence; that she stands not for the golden rule, but for the rule of gold; that though she calls herself the church of Christ, she has lost the simplicity of Christ, the democracy of Christ, the loving-kindness of Christ, and, above all, the justice and the righteous indignation of Christ.

If any of the counts in this terrible indictment are true, and just in so far as any of them are true, every Christian must bow his head in shame. It is a frightful calamity not only to labor, but to the world, if the sad face of the Saviour of mankind upon the cross sees only this after the passion of two thousand years. And, certainly, if these charges are even partly true, self-respecting labor may be pardoned if it considers its interests to be dissimilar and divergent from those of the church.

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