The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-23
THOSE ..F1ERcE oNsLAueHTs.y


of the various Christian denominations
used to go for each other with red hot
branding irons and the people approved
such strenuous Christianity most de-
cidedly. That is, however, a good long
while ago. Later on the brardiag iron
was discarded for verbal abuse and the
writing and sermons of many noted
divine had all the strenuousness of a
blast from a modern municipal garbage
plant.
But public opinion changes and today
the general public opines very decidedly
that the proper thing for the various
Christian denominations to do is to live
in peace and mutual respect and work
together in harmony for the uplifting
of mankind, the alleviating of misery
and human woe and the spreading of the
gospel and of Christian civilization.
1t is by this standard alone that the
world will deign to Judge the preten-
sions of any church Denominatfona1
Christianity does not have any too
strong hold on the public anyway. as
the ratio of church members to popula-
ton would indicate, and it behooves the
learned divines to be very careful as to
how to retain and Increase what in
fiuence they have. -.,4.
man may not be a chureh-goer, yet
| for all that he usually has very clear
and decided notions about the spirit Of
Christ, and he is quite sure that it is
not according to His spirit, fer those
who claim to be His disciples to vilify
and abuse each other. The world itself
/ may not possess the spirit of Christ.
! but it has certainly adopted the standard
Of Christ to judge those by who claim
to be His disciples, and any denomina-
ton that does not come up to this
standard may rest assured of being rele-
gated sooner or later with other rubbish
! to the lumber rooms of ancient history.
| Abuse is not creditable weapon to
use in any cause. It detracts from the
dignity of the subject and hurts no one
but the side that uses it. In the public
mind it is generally looked upon as the
last resort Of the losing side, and is
commonly taken as a pretty sure indt-
cation of coming defeat, as any poll,
tician will testify.
An Associated Press report from New
York, Nov. 10, says: 1.-TWO fierce on
slaughts on the church of Rome en-
| livened the proceedings at today's ses-
sion of the general missionary ccn-
mittee," and then proceeds to give some
of the choicest parts in which, among
other things, the pope is called "a cring-
ing beggar with a monkey and hand
organ"
The Associated. Press assures us that
1.-The applause which followed this sally
was as tremendous at it was spontane
ous.'
In the interest of those concerned it is
to be hoped that the-Associated Press re-
port was grossly exaggerated.
The sane speakers are also reported
to have complained of 1.-The indifference
t and even opposition" with which their
missionary efforts had to contend in
Germany and the Scandinavian coun-
tries. Why we should send missionaries
to those countries is certainly a puzzle.
Those countries are Christian, mainly
Protestant, the Scandinavian countries
exclusively SO. The Christian religion is
even taught in the schools there and
they have excellent schools. There is,
no doubt, a hundred times as much need
of missionary work in our cwn country
as there is over there. Our sending them
missionaries involves an insinuation
which it is but natural for the Lutheran
ministers to resent with Indifference
and even opposition They no doubt
think that we would better set those mis-
scenarios at work in our own country
or send them to the heathen