Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-26
ORTHODOXY ARRAIGNED.

contributor 10 the October Arena
gives a striking picture OF present-day
orthodox Christianity As Il Is exempli-
fed, he says by the orthodox churches
II would not be recognized by It's
Founder The spirit OF TRUE Christan-
ty IS love, mercy and justice, but the
spirit OF modern Christianity is filled
with hate, and Is both merciless and IN
Just In proof Of this, the writer as
serts that II war is desired by the
great money interests In order TO In
crease their unrlghteOus gains, then
the pulpit--hand.in-hand with their
other hirellngs declares It to be n good
Christian proceeding and one that will
bring the greatest possible good to
those whose lives we would take and
whose property we would steal in the
name of Christ His command to His
disciples was TO preach the Gospel and
heal the sick. The church Of today does
neither; and It Is apparently unwilling
to let any other body Of people accom-
plish what II leaves undone.
II Is admitted that In the churches
are found many good and true Chris
tan men and women. and also some
clergymen who are sincere. But the
latter generally are found among a
class that fail TO think for them
selves A number Of the occupants Of
the pulpits, In the view OF the writer
OF the Arena, are INSCRIPTIONS. They
have brains but no religion. They are
over-educated and love TO pose as
broad-minded, liberal men; they seem
to talk and write with great fearless
hess about their disbelief concerning
Joshua and the sun standing still, Jo-
nah and the whale and other Bible
stories, but they always dodge when a
really vital issue is under discussion.
The author, further, gives It as his
view, that the reason why the sectarian
churches have become prosecutors is
the love Of money. which seems to be
the ruling passion. There Is, he says IN
substance, no room In the pulpit for
men who are spiritually and intellec-
tually free-men who believe In the
cause OF righteousness. and who believe
that the golden rule Is something more
than a dead letter. The orthodox
church Is no more Christian today than
II was in the days OF Jesus, and the
Master would not be accepted by the
chief priests Of our time any more hos
pitably than He was by the scrlbes and
Pharisees Of old. They would cruelty
Him today. or at least get an injunc-
ton from an obliging magistrate pro-
hibiting His utterances in public They
probably would not lay violent hands
on Him, for they are too cowardly and
solicitous as TO their own well being.
This is a severe indictment. but is It
not true? There are millions of hon
est upright souls throughout this land
to whom this question should have VI
tai Importance. For IL il is true; n
orthodox churches are the very con-
trary to the church Of the great Nag
arene, they are, spiritually on the
wrong train and are carried of in a
direction they never intended to take,
and the sooner they leave that train,
the better They are in the midst Of
a battle, but through deceit they are
made to fight on the wrong side, and
the sooner they lay down their arms,
the better
The question should be OF the greatest
personal concern TO everybody. And
It cannot be settled without an lndvl-
dual effort 70 learn the truth. through
study and prayer. Truths OF great
value are never found by accident
alone. He who would possess the
Pearl Of Great Price must be willing
10 make sacrifices Tor It. They are
Ike the precious metals IN the noun
tains. On The surface there may be
indications u their presence, but he
who would aHl them must venture
down iat0 The cssp. often at great ex-
! rsfffer ar.N Htfs1s.s 80