The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-10
LOVE VS..
SELF-INTEREST-
The Theme Before the Common
wealth Club.
Prof. HERON Says Christ Was
Crucified by Politicians.
ST. JOHNS SENSATION.
Denounces the Action OF the
United States
In Shooting Down Filipino
Mothers Fighting For Liberty.
Says Our Philippine Campaign
Is q banning Shame.
ST. JOHNS SENSATION.
Denounces the Action or the
United States
In Shooting Down Filipino
Mothers Fighting For Liberty.

Prof. George D. Heron OF GrlnneIl, Aa-'
the eminent Christian socialist, deliver
ed his lecture THE Conflict OF Christ
With Civilization to a good sized
audience. In this lecture Prof. Heron
advanced ideas probably more radical
ly at variance with accepted theories
than any brought out in his previous
expressions and INDUCED in many start
ling assertions. Prof. Heron said:
I'VE are in the habit OF saying tnat
Jesus had nothing to do with inStitu-
lions or with politics; that he Went
about appealing to individuals TO DC
saved We have fatal way OF view
ing Jesus apart from HIS history anu
social perspective; apart from human
facts which form the setting OIL F1ls
career. 1t is absurd to suppose that
Jesus was put to death for going about
healing sick people and appealing to in,
diVidualS to be saved or to be Sooo'
as we understand these terms. he was
crucified for disturbing the existing ma
tional order of things; crucihed as ma
tionaI menace, because He was aiming
at the wrong at the heart of the natlon.
His death was brought about by poH-
ticianS. The chief actors in the drama
of the crl1cifxion were such as we call
good people or 'judiciOuSly progress
sive' whose plans Jesus spolIeo, ana 10
whom He seemed altogether unamen-
able to reason.
I'VE have only to read the gospels
with even a little historic sense, to see
that the career of Jesus was as certain
Nv political, IN rG1aClO1 10 Ills IAAAACJ as
the career of Joseph Mazzini in Italy
or that of Joan of Arc in France. his
words reveal Him in closest touch with
the political situation and the economic
and social facts of His day. The first
public act of His ministry was to go
up to Jerusalem and clean out the cap
itol This action has a significance
which we have too long eVaoed. Inc
Jewish temple which Jesus purged,
was the political capitol of the nation
He did precisely what one OF US wouI9
suddenly drive from the senate chamber
the lobbyists, the chief of whom are our
elected senators, elected to represent
corporations for which they are palo
attorneys. Jesus was finally put TO
death by the supreme court of His ma
ton on the ground that He endangered
the nations existence by dong the
things He was doing and saying the
things he was saying. The Judges of
this court had often personally en1olned
Jesus from saying the things that he
said, and He had as often refused TO
obey the injunctionS.
ST can never understand the bald and
persistent statement that Jesus mao
nothing to do with politics or economies
except on the ground that we are anA a
| ious to keep Him out of politics ana
economics. 1t is only an apoState CHRIS
tianity that asserts that Christ mad
nothing to do with politics. The reign
of Christ will never be un1eSS1t comes as
a political reign. The notion that 1t can
come otherwise is the accursed fruit OF
that worst and blacklist of all heresies
the heresy that religion is one rnlng anu
life another The kingdoms of this
world belong to Christ, and the Chris
tianity that says that the preachlnSS
of Christ must be kept separate from
politics and economics is simply the pc
trayer of Christ into the hands OF HIS
enemies. The price paid for this treason
is the money of the political and eco
nomic self-interests, as it ever has been
and ever will be, until We have the re-
yivaf that shall show forth Christ as the
giver of economic and political law.
1.-THE history of Christianity is the
book of an unresisting conflict between
Christ and civilization; between an ideal
and the political supports of the ma
teraI things which civilization takes to
be realities. Edward Carpenter is right
in declaring that civilization has always
hated Christ, as it has always mated the
communism which it forever seeks to
destroy, yet which it blindly builds The
conflict between Christ and civilization
still goes on. It must go on, until carr
Marks idea of a perpetually fluid CIV
ilization is realized by the universal &C
ceptance of the love of Christ as the
sole human law and liberty. Christ and
civilization are building UP two entirely
opposing principles; the war between
them is the war of love against self
interest as the governing principle or
mankind. 1t is the law Of self-interest
which makes civilization the antithesis
of all that the name of Christ rightly
stands for.
"Organized money menaces the integ-
rity and perpetuity of every existing
government. 1t is causing the peoples
international to question, as never be-
fore, the utility OF government; they
are beginning to distinguish between
government and the nation, between
Iegalism and law, between power and
liberty 1t is time for the Christian
apostles to plainly examine and chal-
lenge the social right of great possessors
of wealth to their possessions. OF this
wealth, the possessors are neither the
or riO
created by the people and to the people
it belongs. To say this may be danger
Gus, but there is infinitely greater dan
ger in leaving it unsaid.
IF the teachings of Christ are danger
Gus and destructive if He spake i'm
practicable things which He did not
understand, If His words are the cries
of an wrought enthusiast, then let
us quit worshipping Him and put an
end to this colossal thing we call Chris
tianity. If Jesus is the Son of God and
Redeemer of man, If He is the true
teacher of practicable teachings, then
while it is yet day, before dreadful judg-
ment comes on, let US begin to preach
what he taught, and to divinely enforce
His justice of love-
In spite of the cold the largest daily
audience of the week gathered to hear
Ex-Governor st. John on the 'Disarma-
n1ent of the Nations" yesterday after
noon in the State Library hall.
Governor St. John said that he had
been surprised that the czar's peace
proposition did not meet with more
hearty response War is a relic of
been cruel and has never settled a
wrong of anv Kind We 81 al baf C05