Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-11-10
THE PULPIT AND LABOR.
THE MODERN CHURCH DOES NOT
STAND FOR CHRISTIANITY.

STAND FOR CHRISTIANITY.
Judgment of the Common People Voiced
by an Eminent Divine-Edward Bella
my's Programme for Bringing About
Economic Changes.
The interest which of late has been
shown by some Of New York's clergy
men in the subject of independent poll
tics and the reform of public institu-
tons through the ballot box has again
brought forward the question of the
church's attitude to labor, and vice
versa, because it is impossible to think
of such reform without considering the
common people, who are always looked
to as the saving power when country's
institutions become shaky or are in any
manner threatened But while it has
become popular in certain quarters for
ministers of the gospel to take up the
cudgels of independent politics against
the party in power and call
upon the workingmen to rally at the
polls. there is no perceptible change in
the ministerial utterances or conduct Of
many divines There are preachers who
express great regard for the laborer as a
voter. but have forgotten him as fell
low man and brother Six days in the
week they will devote to making up
ticket of ''pure citizens" for the work
inganen to support. but on Sunday they
stand in their pulpits and preach SER
mons which will be- acceptable to the
b;.rons who pay the $4,000 to $4,000
yearly salaries. And it goes without say
ing that their sermons are not such as
Christ preached
1t is pleasant to record that Bishop F.
d. Huntington is not of that class Of
rlprgy1nen He sees, az all intelligent
people must see. that the breach between
the church and the common people is
rapidly broadening. and that the cause
is that Christ and his teachings are no
longer the guidesOf the leaders in church
work He sees the significance OF the
action of u meeting in New York which
cneered the name of Jesus Christ and
missed the name of the church. And
Christian. az well us churchman. he
must find consolation for the disrespect
shown the church. in the evidence given
that intelligent people still revere and
love Christ, though through ignorance
many ,inke tht. mistake of confounding
the two and hold Christianity response
hi for the hypocrisy and injustice of
chiifchlnen Bishop Huntington not
only secs. bnt speaks ont. In The Octo-
i,er Forum he has IN article ON Social
Problems and the Church" from which
iropy literally. SO that those of you who
will. not ,see that publication may have
this testimony that the people have just !.
grounds for their complaints against the
church:
More than half the religious organi.
cations. large or small, are at present
practical contradictions Of the sermon
on the mount 1t does. not need an os-
tentatious hierarchy to open the door for
the prince of this world letting him in
where he does tenfold the mischief he
could do by prosecutions. seductions or
infdel arguments outside. He buys up
the property. holds the keys of pew DOORS
puts rich families in the foremost seats.
hires and pays the choir, raises funds by
lotteries and theatricals. tells the lower
classes to stay out in the streets, or pa
tronizes them with mission chapel in
the outskirts, makes a fashion plate of
the female worshipers. sees to it that
parish offices and all other marks of dis
tinction are assigned to prosperous mer-
chants. politicians and leaders of society