The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-20


ing to all. He came not to destroy
life, but to give life, and that more
abundantly.' The socialist takes no
account of the spiritual life, God or
Immortality. He would postpone all
thought Of these until he had pTovid
ed for the body and has lifted all men
on to the same plane. Jesus Christ by
giving the spiritual life would make
men honest, Industrious, temperate
end thrifty. By giving the spiritual
life He reveals God and brings men
into contact with holiness, righteous
ness and truth. These virtues make
for and evolve equality among men.
Not equality in ability and capacity,
but equality in manhood"
Mr.. Orr then sums up by saying:
IF socialism is an attempt to reach
the ideal social state by means of evo-
luton and inward growth, then Jesus
Christ was socialist. But if it means
an attempt to reach the ideal social
state by means of revolution and ex-
ternal reorganization, then Jesus
Christ was not socialist.
"The attempt to readjuSt and reor-
ganize social conditions by the exter-
nal method, by changing the environ
ment, is doing what the mar did who
built his house upon the sand. But
if we build the social structure as
Christ would from within outward,
then we will be like unto Him that
built his house upon rock; and when
the rain descended and the floods came
and the winds blew and beat upon
that house it fell not because it was
founded upon rock, but had a sure
end firm foundation"
Mr.. Orr assumes that socialists be-
lieye that the revolution and exter-
nal reorganization" can be accom-
plished by simply telling men that 1t
is desirable; aside from this, his SER
mon shows quite clearly the distinc-
lions between idealism and material
ism; between individualism and col
lectivism.
Of course Christ was rot a socialist.
Man then produced by using the SIM
Ilest TOOLS Cooperation in the true
sense was not possible, because divi-
sion of labor was very slight. One
man could make pair of sandals; one
hundred working side by side could
make a hundred pairs. Today 1t re-
quires so men to make one pair OF
shoes-and no one of them can make a
pair alone. But the sixty, by use OF
n achines, in a given time, make many
| times the number of pairs that they
| could il each worked individually on
a pair. Real cooperation is possible
| orly under division of labor. Two
| WI do nnlu fxui0n a
much as one man. Let one make a
self-binder and the other can by its
use do as much as many men with
cradles.
Without this division of labor there
was nothing in Christ's time to en-
gender socialist thought-hence, Jesus
was not a socialist, but very pro-
rounced individualist Men do not
preach Temperance" and prohibition
where intoxicating liquors are un-
known.
The truth today must lie somewhere
between the extreme individualism OF
Jesus and the extreme collectivisn
preached by the socialists of the pres
ent age. The REIMBURSEMENT of society
rust come both from within and with
| CUT lie Change u1uSJ COllc DOlu IL
methods and men.
/ There is no way of demonstrating
that the socialists are in error, be-
cause in no country has the collective
ownership of the means of production
been tried. But the social teachings Of
Jesus have been a,lsht for ], 900 years
with the result that if one OF His fol
lovers should attempt to practice
them today he would be Jailed as in
sane. No matter how much he pro
fesses to believe, no Christian REALLY
Goes believe the social teachings O
| Christ.
4 This may cause a feeling of surprise
and resentment from Christians-bu
i let us test the truth:
Do you obey the command, "Thol
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself?'
Mark 1929 Do you love your enc
nlies", Matt. 5:43.) Have you obeyet
the command, go sell what thou has
and give to the poor?" mark -0:17
Matt. 19:21.) Do you take no though
for the morrow, what we shall eat ant
what we shall drink, or wherewitha
We shall be clothed?" Matt. 6:25.)
Do you clay not up for yourselve