Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-01-10
" HO ARE ENEMIES
A LIBERAL DISCUSSION WITH
THE CLERGY
BY n Writer in the Denver Labor
Enquirer"-N Need Of Conflict
Between Christians and
Socialists Rent, In.
terest, Profit.

Socialism is attracting the atten-
ton Of the worlds thinkers, preach
crs of the gospel included. The
tcrror,of the word, resembling that
felt at the mention Of small pox or
cholera, is somehow passing away,
and the real meaning Of Socialism is
coming to the front the result of
constant pounding kept up by So
clalists against the prcjudices which
pcrsistcntly distorted the science.
If Socialists have felt cnmity towards
Christians, it is not because they see
amy important difference between
Socialism and Christianity, but be-
cause Christians have ignored their
own doctrine, and become the
worlds opprcssors instead of. its
sayiors.
We should be glad to see this
changed. We welcome the ministers
to our fold and frankly concede the
importance of their position as lead
ers Of large bodies Of people Who
can tell the result Of great move
mcnt against social and industrial
wrongs, by the churches in the lead
Of their ministers? While we can
not, in intellectual honesty, indorse
dogmas which appear to us untrue,
yet they are Of such nature th&t
they may not interfere with the
work of social reform. We who in
sist upon mental liberty can ignore
the crecds of others, taught them
from infancy. Certain systems of
philosophy find use for everything.
That Of Auguste Comte makes the
ology necessary step in the worlds
growth. 1t names three stages, the
Theological, the critical and the posi-
tive or scientific. No one can be
blamed for being in any of these
stages. If Christians are still in
the theological stage, we may not
vet be ont Of the critical The only
thing that the Christian will be
asked to excuse is, that we regard
him Us still remaining in the first,
or Theological stage.
will quote the words of Van
Buren, Denslow, III his review Of
Nomte: "'Ihc chief object Of the
metaphysical stage was, that it en-
ablcd man to retain the "drapcry Of
Worship" which it had put on dur
ing the theological stage, until it
could be worn in its true and final
use, the Worship Of IIumanity.'
Let us be candid with our Chris
tlan co-workers we have, many of
us in the critical or metaphysical
stage, come to regard "tho drapery
Of worship with considerable con
tempt, yet we may be as willing to
don it again when we reach the pos
tive or scientific stage, as the Chris
tan is to lay aside his theological
garments.
Here let me again quote Denslow
Instead of hating d religionist of
any class, the posltiyist looks upon
his state as merely marking Il GER
tam type Of advancement toward
the scientific. As he would not
quarrel with the tadpole because it
had accomplished so few Of the steps
in the chain Of ascent toward man,
80 he would not quarrel with the
fetch worshlper because he was not
a positlyist.
The Christian may embrace the
whole Of Socialism and still find sup
port in prccepts from holy writ +
if he refuses, he violates the words
Of his Master. The thoughtful
Christian will be Socialist. because ,
he has before him the fact that his
religion has failed to raise the world
out Of misery. Its most faithful
advocates are starving, and under
their trials are growing skeptical.
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