The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-12-20

lowed Jonah or not" broad enough to
seek converts, not for the upbuilding
OF one particular creed or sect but for
the love of humanity and because true
Christianity teaches that you ARE your
brothers keeper. You may build costly
churches, rent fashionable pews, pay
high-salaried preachers, but so long as
you do not have for your groundwork
the love of humanity taught by that
greatest of preachers 1000 years ago, so
long will you fail to accomplish the
saving of the world to Christianity.
But do not wish to be understood
as a foe to Christianity. No man has
a sincerer respect for the man or
woman who gives time and talent to
the uplifting of humanity than I.
Who is there that is not touched by the
sight of sweet-faced sister of charity
living her life in cloistered walls be-
cause she believes she is obeying the
will of her Divine Master? In the
same degree admire the brave Saliva
tion Army lassie giving her life for the
poor and wretched, herself living a
life of poverty and mayhap filling an
unmarked grave. But they are work.
ing against heavy odds. They both, by
different methods, seek to reach what
is termed the masses. But when these
people are confronted with the creeds
and dOgmas of our modern churches,
what is the result? They are driven
back worse for their contact with
those who pretend to teach and obey
the wishes of Him, who said, ''Love
thy neighbor as thyself."
AS bearing out my contention that
any thinking man will reject these
creeds | quote portion of the creed
of one of our best known churches:
"By the decree of God and for the
manifestation of His glory some men
and angels are predestinated unto ever
lasting life and others foreordained to
everlasting DEATH"
"These angels and men thus pre-
destinated and foreordained are par
ticularly and unchangeably designed,
and their number is so certain and
definite that it cannot be either in
creased or diminished"
GAS God hath appointed the elect to
glory, neither are any other redeemed
by Christ, effectually called, justified,
adopted and sanctified and saved but
the elect only"
"The rest of mankind God has pleased,
according to the unsearchable of His
own will, whereby He extendeth or
withholdeth as He pleaseth, for the
glory of His sovereign power over His
creatures to pass by and to ordain
them to dishOnor and wrath for their
sin, to the praise of His glorious JUS
tice."
This is part of the creed of one of
our strongest churches and is founded
cn the Bible. Is it any wonder that
the brightest men of that faith rebel
at its teachings 1t is claimed that
Christianity is making rapid strides, but
this statement is open to question. l
have seen it stated recently on the au-
thority of one of our best magazines
that the growth of Mohammedanism far
exceeds that of Christianity in recent
years. And the reason contains a
lesson. A follower of the prophet, be he
prince or peasant, always carries his
religion with him. He does not put it
off and on like a coat Wherever. he
may be he lives his religion and in and
out of season is watching for an op-
portunity to convert the unbeliever.
Christianity and its precepts as laid
down by its founder is not taught to-
day, but something called by the same
name which can BE- twisted and turned
to fit any and all occasions and to
justify the most d1agrant abuses and
wrongs.
Away with your creeds and isms.
Take for your creed the Sermon on the
Mount, make your Christianity prac-
tical and put it into your every day
life. That kind of Christianity will be
contagious and it is the only kind that
will succeed, KISMIT.