The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-02-16

THERE HAs bean considerable dis
cussion of late over the subject OF
Christianity, brought about by the
lectures in this city Of Charles
Bright, and the reply Of Rev. R. G.
McNiece, pastor of the Presbyterian
Church here. Some little feeling
has been displayed in the discus
/ sion, and the columns Of the HER
AID have contained the views OF
/ some Of the interested parties. 1t Ia
not the policy Of this paper to take
sides in any controversy which, like
this, results in ill-temper and ILL
feeling when argued in the ordinary
manner; but it is apparent that
Christianity, in the present conro-
Yersy, suffers no less from the sup
port of those who In this case
defend it, than from the attacks
of those by whom it is assailed.
Those who assail it lay all the mis-
deeds done under its guise at the
door of Christianity; those who de-
fend it, claim all the virtues OF the
human race as the direct result OF
| Christianity; and both are mis-
taken. No one will dare assert
there was no good in the human
heart prior to the advent Of the
Savior; none can be so blind as to
declare that until the coming of
Christ the world was free from sin.
The principles of Christianity are
like a mans intellect, given to all
for the benefit of the human race,
and whether heaven-EOrn or the
result of purely natural operations
as some claim-the result is the
same. Christianity may be COM
pared to wealth; if a man have
wealth he may use it to help the
poor, build up the industries, in-
prove himself, and make his sur
roundings pleasant aud happy; or
he may employ it in crushing and
robbing the humble, paralyzing bus
mess, prostituting his own talents
and the souls Of others. and
in marking his presence with
woe and misery. Is any person
30 wholly insane as to assert that
money is at fault? 1t is true the
old adage was, money is the root
of all evil" but the. old saw was
wrong; had it read, Man is the
root of all evil" it would have been
an undenia5le truism. Christian
ity, like wealth, like health, like
intellect, like all that is productive
in the universe, was given for the
good of man; it is means to an
end, and it is the end which shows
whether the use has been properly
made or not. The fact that under
the guise of Christianity the
crusades were carried on, that
rivers of blood have been caused to
flow, and that the direst evils have
been committed in its name is moth
ing against Christianity; but it is a
vast deal against the blinded,
bloody and persistent prejudice
and passion of man. These evils
but show the wonderful and vital
power that is in the Christian prin-
oiple, and demonstrate that, had
the same zeal they created been
turned lin a direction different
from that pursued, the rivers of
human love would have glided along
where those of hatred and passion
rushed and fosmed as they went.
Who dare say that the golden rule
the essence of the Christian prin-
ciple-is anything but the soul Of
justice, and of all that is heavenly
in the human hearth Our minis
tiers and those who claim to be
atheists or infdeIs should remem-
Der one very important fact while
they indulge in animated discus
sions on religious subjects-that
there is q world of difference be-
tween the Chr istian principle and
what is claimed tO.be Christianity;
the Christian principle is the means
to the greatest good of which hui
mainly is capable; Christianity is
merely the dogmas which so.called
Christian ministers choose to set
up or bear down according to their
individual inclinations and the
temperament of their congrega-
tions.