The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-12-17
RELIGION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE DECAY OF NATIONS.
ABsURrI1Y OF PROTESTANT ARGUMENT
SPAIN Is POINTED AT by BIGOTS AS
AN AWFUL EXAMPLE,
OF The DEMO REALIZATION OF RoMANIsM
NATIONAL SUCCESS is NOT DUE TO
ANY OF THE CHURCHES.

| One of the most popular and plausible
charges preferred in recent days against
| the Catholic church is based on the al
legged decay Of Catholic nations. Prot
estant preachers and writer's of the more
violent type have attributed that decay
to the influence of Catholicity, and have
discovered therein a new argument
against the church. They point to Spain
J. as an awful example of the decay which
| Romanism has caused, and they boast
that the victory which the United States
won was due to the fact that we arc a
protestant people" England with its
| mighty army and navy, It's influence
abroad and it's wealth at home, is held
up as a type of Protestant progress,
| whilst the Latin nations furnish proof
| of Catholic decay. National success or
failure is made the test of the truth or
falsehood Of the religion which the peo-
pie profess The Catholic church is de-
| nounced as false and supcrstitious be-
cause the Catholic nations have not
grabbed as much of this worlds goods as
the Protestant people, says the San
Francisco Monitor.
This line of argument appeals to So
called statesmen, to those who put their
| trust in mammon, to those who place
worldly success before the kingdom of
heaven. There is no attempt at arguing
the truth or falsity of doctrine That is
| unnecessary. Religion is to be Judged
| from it's fruits-the fruits In this in
stance being powerful army and navy,
a bank account and worldly prosperity.
| 1t is scarcely necessary to state that His
disciples should be known by their
fruits. He did not mean fruits of this
order.
| The history of all nations refutes the
statement that national success, in the
sense in which the term is used today,
is to be the criterion or true religion.
The Roman empire was in the zenith OF
its power while it was pagan. In mag
nificence, in power, in military glory, it
surpassed all modern nations. Christi
anity in the first century, attracted prin-
cipally the poor and the humble; many
of the most devout Christians were
| slaves. 1t was Christ's glory that "the
poor had the gospel preached to them"
The Roman annalists of the period might
have written just as convincing i treat
Use ON "Paganism and National Sue
cess" Not even the most rabid anti
Catholic preacher will admit that pagan
ism is a true form of religion, with the
single exception of Bob lngersoll, whose
name is just as odious to the devout
evangelical as that of the Pope of Rome.
! Where, then, we ask, is there any foun-
| dation for making national success a
test of the truth Of any form of religion?
The New Testament does not set down
wealth. prosperity or worldly success as
one of the conditions OF entering into
the kingdom of heaven. Christ did not
intend that the doors Of His kingdom
should be unlocked only by golden key.
The purpose of His coming on earth and
founding the church was to save mems
sOus-not to swell their bank accounts.
And even He said that it was easier for
the poor to accomplish their salvation
than the rich. Hardly shall rich man
enter the kingdom of heaven" at were
easier for a camel to enter through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter heaven" These are but samples
of many texts that might be quoted to
the same effect. How do they compare
with the contention of the modern
preachers that the only religion is that
professed by wealthy nations?
On the other hand. the devil held out
promises of worldly glory and power to
those who should fall down and adore
him: "All the kingdoms of the world
and the glory of them will give thee IL
thou wilt fall down and worship me-"
1t is evident. therefore, that Christ did
not insure riches or the goods of this
world to His followers. His mission was
more important and more sublime. If
He were to be Judged by His worldly
wealth, as the preachers of today, He
would have been condemned as a false
prophet.
His religion, of course, is a powerful
element in the formation of character
1t develops virtue; 1t inculcates self-ab-
negation; it restrains passion and pride
The Spaniard may be as good a Christian
as his conqncror; he may be as moral, as
sober, as honest. and in fact more so.
These are the virtues which true Chris
tianity develops; 1t is not directly con-
cerned with the qualities which help to
win battles.
There are other and more important
elements than religion to be considered
in accounting for national success. He
redity, race. climate, the habit of indus
try and many other considerations ex-
ercise their influence on nations. They
are the factors which contribute most