The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-22
FIVE DOLLAR cHRrsTrANlrY.

FIVE DOLLAR CHRISTIANITY.
The question can a person be Chris
tian on five dollars week has been
asked Of J. Kerr Hardie, editor of The
Labour Leader Glasgow and mem
her of the British Parliament, and he
answers it in a recent issue of his paper
says the Literary Digest. He confesses
at the outset that he finds himself in
something of a quandry i'm attempting
10 reply to the query, on account of the
varying definitions of Christianity"
If a Chustion is one "who takes no
thought for the morrow, and who does
not lay up for himself treasure upon
earth" then it is very obvious that
mot only can a. man be a Christian on
five dollars a week, but he could not
possibly be anything else" He might
not be much of a theologian' adds Mr.
Hardie land could not well be a church
goes, but a Christian ne must be- The
writer continues:
I'm the early days Of Christianity,
asceticism was held to be a logical out
come of Christian belief Dives was
sent to Hades for apparently no other
reason than that he was rich. Lazarus
went straight to Abrahams bosom be-
cause of his earthly poverty. James,
the Epstolean, called upon the rich to
weep and Howl for the miseries ahead
of them Christ Sent out, his disciples
with empty purses. and himself had not
where to lay his head The Sermon on
the Mount is a consistent'an powerful
argument against property in every
form The Great Teacher understood
clearly the difference between life and
a mere struggle for existence. If men
desired life they might have it in album
dance, but only on condition that they
abandon the worship of Mammon. God,
the Father, had so ordained that in re-
Spouse to labor the earth would yield
enough and to spare for the supply OF
every human need and if men were only
to follow the example of the beasts of
the field and the birds of the air and
hold all natures gifts in common,
drawing from the great storehouse only
what each required for the needs of the
day, then life would become free, joy
Gus and beautiful.
1T will be seen, therefore, that mar
who is most simple in his stastes, whose
life is lived in closest communion with
nature, and is farthest removed from
the pomps and vanities Of worldly dis
play approximates most nearly to the
Christian ideal. Not for him the glare
and glitter of the saloon or the haunts
OF vice, not for him the expensive
adornment Of gay apparel. His beauty
must be that beauty Of holiness which
comes from closely following the laws
which govern life. The ACQUISITION OF
property will be regarded as an impedi
ment to the development of the soul
which is alone immortal and worth car.
ing for With Christ there was nc
wealth safe life. and material things
were only valuable in so far as they
contributed to the production of life.
The fatal flaw i'm this argument as
applied to the subject under considera.
ton. says Mr.. Hardfe is simply this,
that we do not Worship Christ at all
but Mammon. In church life. in lite.
nature, in. politics. Mammon sits en-.
throned. The original question car
a Christian on five dollars a week. thar
is, live a life i'm accordance with the
will of God under Christian surround.
ings but weather he can do so under
present conditions. which. in the opi,,.
ion of the writer. are the reverse OF
Christian. To me query in this amend.
ed form Mr.. Hardie does not hesitate tr
reply with an empathuc negative. He
says.
"The neighborhood in which the mar
will be compelled to live whether in
London or in some other big industrial
center win be one in which a healthy
life is impossible. He will see his chill.
dren and his wife suffer from sickness
due i'm part to a lack of decent food ant
in part to unsanitary surroundings
HpyyaNray r,,aat ap.l r,,;l.l l., .....- ~.