New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05
A DOCTRINE OF THE STONE AGE.


himself others 10 think such conduct right.
A DOCTRINE OF THE STONE AGE.
What 1t does show Is that notwithstanding a
coating Of education and of Christianity the habits
OF the Stone Age yet so strong in man that he
still commits actions long since condemned by his
reasonable conscience.
see a robber killing a child and can save me
child by killing the robber; therefore, IN certain
cases violence must be used to resist evl, man
me IL ihsrt{oT r IN a certain cases one mus, lie
a man Is starving and can only save MN by steair
lately read story by coppee in which an orderly
kills his officer. whose ife was Insured ana tnereDy
saves the honor and the family OF the ohcer Ihere
fore in certain cases one must XII ~ -. ,A
Such inventions and the deductions from them
only prove that there are men VINO Know that !, -
well to steal 10 lie or 20 Kill but who are SKI so
unwilling that people should cease to do th're ns'
cuses for such conduct There is no moral law
IN which 1t IS difficult 70 decide what is more moral
TO dsobey the law or to obey H. nu' 81 su' ha ain
NOT lie steal al or XII" are invalid
1t is the same with reference to the law Of non
but they are so anxious to continue to live life
founded the strong arm OF th- law mat ns',s "a
evils which have flowed and are san lowing from
admitting that man has right TO use violence %
p p5S ,S''i IN l deftn,e s q hat error
'Fas CO que je dois, advienne que pourraa no D,
whats right come what may'D IL an exp. ssioh OF
niHaoumn ~, :, 40 hi yhst results viii follow
can koow Therefore IL follows that besides feeling
the et a OF Us au X M h have
other guidance and that We are totally ignorant OF
what nil result from ouI actions - ,o,,,, IN
Christian teaching indicates What man should 20
to perform the Will Of Him who sent him into HE.
but discussion TO what refuiis We ant.Sp..e IRON,
such or such human actions have nothing 70 40
with Christianity. but are Just an example OF tne
error which Christianity eliminates None OF W.
has ever yet met the imaginary robber Win INC
imaginary child but all the horror. which III ,n1
annals OF history and OF our own times came ne, ana
come from this thing that people VIII believe
that they foresee the results OF Hypothetical iu-
The case is this: People once lived an animal ne
ana violated or kea whom 'nsy t tacSs obe Ts and
public opinion approved Of It, THOUSANDS OF var var
ago lar back as NE tine, Of Moses dy e rae
other is bad. But there were people for whom the
reign Of force advantageous. ana thes" dii hoi
approve Of the change put assured thensSN.s I'M I'M
others that 10 do deeds OF Vioisnc" ana 10 XIII
stances when IL is necessary and even moral And
violence and slaughter. though not 80 frequent or
so cruei before. contnu's only with TINS diHer-
cree that those who committed or commended such
acts excused themselves by pleading that they dif
sonhisiical iIstncation Of violence that Christ de-
nounced When enemies fight each may think
cLscs can be made for every use OF violence; and no
intallble standard has ever been discovered by
Therefore Christ taught not to believe IN any ex-
cuse for vioer &C. nor.contrsry 10 what hsd been
one would have thought that those who protested
Christianity would have been indei atiEabe In ex-
posnc this deception. for In such exposure lay one
Of the chief manifestations OF Christianity. What
really happened was Just the reverse. People who
pronted By violence and who did not wish to give
up their advantages took on themselves monopoly
Of Christian preaching and declared that as cases
can he found in which non-rcsstance causes more
harm than the use OF vioence-the imaginary
robbcr killing the ned nor
be followed. and that one may deViate from iiIs
teaching to defend ones life or the lie OF others;
~, defend ones country. to save society from luna
lies or criminals, and In many other cases I'm"
decision Of the question In what cases Shrists
he sci
,.n,'io who employed violence. SO that It ended
bv thrist's teaching tire subject OF not resist
ing evil by Violence beng cVp'e ,hat he vsry
people Christ denounced came to consider the mem
doctrnes But the light shines through the dark
ness and Christ's teaching Is again exposing the
pseudo teachers Of Christianity, tho world 70 suit
our own taste; no prevent that. and we may
Try to do what seems to us pleasahf OF
with violence the pretext that we are uo,ns
good Put acting thus we chnm'' apounces lust
,pis dnceptlon' Truth sooner later reappears.
and the false teachers are shown up when Is just
w mnly lei NE question 81 mans life be rightly put
as Christ IT, and not az II h,s nees structure Of
hgaIscbood which the churches have built over
christ's teaching vii. co!iap,c OF isei ine %,
eeer,ain human society that people should foiow
The law OF love and the CONSEQUENT ,hw d a., Hoo
ard tomorrow vii, de- who are. indeed. tsna ii
deathward every moment wish no, now, ak, .ent vo1
anu H. ,n,i Who clearly showed you His WI aNc
in tradition and in your mind ana hearu OF NO. ;,h
~ to resist His Will? And as Soon a. ' n
preIe.tt IL ,ut Thus only one renly IL possible: !
ie n his moment without delay or hesitation
VII ,hn v"rv utmos, OF my strength neither wnn.hs
y INC VIZ nnr counting the cost. TO DO that when
alone is ccarly demanded by HIM VINO sr"r ~, conI
i ~ wa a. T wish 10 or can |. act otherwise ior
herein lies my. only possibility Vi 70 TO.sTOI.
harassed life" ''''