Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-21
CAPTAIN MAHAN ON WAR.

.
congress In Providence, r. J., a few
DAYS ago on hesubject Of 'war from
] the Christian point OF view" lie seems
20 have contended that the uneasness
about war us not Of Christian origin,
but has rather been imported into and
imposed upon Christianity by those
allen to It's beliefs"
The speaker may be a great authority
on military matters, but as an ex-
FOUNDER OF doctrine he certainly Is a
failure, as far as this question is in
volyed. For the very essence OF the
religion Of the New Testament Is peace.
Apoogists for war generally conccde It
TO be an evil, though sometimes a nee
essary one To go beyond that and
TO advocate war in preference TO arbl-
trauon is to betray ignorance OF the
aims and purposes OF true Christianity.
War cannot any longer be considered
from an ideallstic point OF view. II
does not mean merely lofty patriotism,
herolsm. valor, and unselhsh sacrifices
Tor what Is right. Speaking generally
II means the very opposite Of these
virtues. II Is too often the free rule OF
base passions--a regular carnival Of
vice and crime. The reports from
China show what war Is, as rule,
even when engaged in by men who
boast OF civilization, enlightenment and
refinement We have read OF European
soldiers stabblng their prisoners to
death "to save ammunition" They
have desecratcd the graves They have
killed women and babies. Entire vii
lagos have been depopulated Such is
war Absolutely civilized warfare does
not exist. The two terms are contra
dictory. one destroying the meaning Of
the other as the expression "a square
circle" for instance. War may be more
or less civilized, or more or less saw
age, but as a matter Of fact, in most
instances IL Is revolving and the ef-
fects Of It are felt throughout genera
lions That war Is hell Is a familiar
saying. and the author Of IL spoke not
only from the standpoint OF a humane
soldier. but also from the Christian
point Of view" with much greater pre-
clsion than did Captain Mahan
The Author Of the Christian religion
enunclated the principle that all who
draw the sword shall perish by the
sword, and this seems to be as apple
able to nations as 10 individuals How
many great warriors OF history. whose
swords were bathed in the blood and
the tears OF fellow beings, have had
peaceful death? What nations, that
depended on the sword for their wealth
and power. have withstood successfully
the rayages Of ages?
Christianity proclaimed the truth
that national barriers are arbitrary and
viii finally be overcome in the general
citizenship OF the kingdom OF God, and
universal brotherhood. That alone
stamps war as an anomaly, something
TO De done away with, as a remnant Of
the times OF ignorance. And further,
the Gospel proclalms, as the highest
triumph Of civilization, a golden age to
come, IN which enmlty between man
and man shall be overcome and even
the animals share In the conditions Of
peace.
From such teachings war from the
Christian point of view must be dis
cussed. The devotees OF Mars forget
that even human slavery with It's at
tepdaut atrocities, al one time was de-
Tended on just such fllmsy grounds as
they stand on when they endeavor to
harmonlze the Gospel Of peace with the
doctrine OF strife. But the fallacy OF
the reasoning IS transparent in both
cases
War as the world now Is constituted
may at times be necessary and there
fore jusufahle But It is one OF the
most terrible evidences OF the truth
that the world has not accepted the
teachings OF Jesus. It Is proof posi-.
uFa Of the need OF a divine message
calling the world 10 repentance. Wars
sometimes come as the punishment Of
nations Tor sin and uurighteousness.
buy even then the curse often falls on
both parties though in different ways
LEADER of men should In the present
ase sunl up for truth, because the
tendency is to swim with the current
reht or wrong one Of the results Of
the successive revolutions in France
was 90 regard whatever existed as
right 70 look upon the "fait accompli'
as legally sanctioned The same dis.
position is but too manifest at the
end OF the century II is time the
world De called upon 10 return 20 the
divine commandment. for after all in
the final account mems views and acts
WIN Dee Judged thereby and not by the
direction of the wind Of popular opin-
Tom and continents