The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-12-05
CHRISTIANITY AND CIVILIZATION.

What Christian civilization has done for the.
world and oppressed humanity is subject that is
little known to the masses in this or any past age
What the world was when Christ the Prince of
Peace, appeared in the of life may be learned
from the writers and sages of antiquity. His sue
cessfu mission developed a new order which raised
the dignity of man to its proper standard. His
sympathy for suffering humanity stands today in
deep contrast with the teaching of the pagan
philosopher and sage, Marcus Aureius, who de-
clared 1t "a weakness to pity the unfortunate, to
weep with those who weep The unbelieving world
fails to appreciate the difference between his tender
mercy and the cold, inhuman teaching of Seneca,
who considered mercy vice of The heart which
should be carefully avoided "The true sage" he
wrote, SIS devoid of pity" Whilst Cicero, in his
stole precepts gave the following aphorisms: ''No
one is compassionate unless he is foolish or
thoughtless; a true man never allows himself to
be moved touched; it is a misdemeanor and
crime to heed the promptings of compassion"
Universal suffrage was the natural outgrowth
of the rincipes inculcated and the teachings of
the Good Master. A French minister of educa-
ton, once addressing his countrymen, told them
that if they lived in ancient times not one among
slavery would be their lot. In ancient Rome
wealth, power and influence were commensurate
with the number of slaves the lodly master pos
sessed. Among the very rich some possessed 10000
slaves Chateaubriand tells that in the Roman en-
pire there were 12000OOOO slaves who were subject
to all sorts of indignites and oppression. SO nu-
merous were they that the Roman senate would not
permit them TO wear badge or dress denotng
their bondage lest they might realize their strength
and declare their independence. "There was great
alarm" wrote Seneca, "at the small number of free
men," This state of affairs was not confined to any
particular nation. 1t existed everywhere amongst
barbarous as we'll as civilized nations It was con-
sidered necessity having the sanction of usage
Mature" wrote Aristotle. requires that there be
slaves" From the Christian standpoint all men
are equal and the only standard of freedom is
truth. "The truth shall make you free" The former
owed It's existence to tyranny and was put into exc
cuton through ''the law of fear" The latter had
its foundation in eternal justice and was executed
through the inherent law of natural love. What
do the results prove! Laboulaye, the French his
torian, who was always staunch friend of the
United States, and who publicly expressed his SYM
pathy for the Union during our civil war; an
swers: IF Christ had not appeared upon earth, [
do not know how the world could have resisted the
despotism which was sitting it. [ do not speak
here as Christian; l set aside every religious
question, and I only historian. In this
chapter / affirm that in politics we'll in morals
and philosophy, the Gospel gave new life to souls
We have reason to date from the new era for a
new society sprang from the Gospel" These bene-
fits and social reforms TO a certain extent bene
gotten by the proud nellects of the last and pres
emt century. They not only forget but even deny
that the great change and moral regeneration that
began It's work twenty centuries ago owed their ORR
gin to the despsed and poverty-stricken baby that
was born in stable near Bethlehem. He was the
first to raise the standard of equality and preach
liberty which was founded on justice and truth.
But an incredulous age is unwilling to 'give credit
to whom credit is due" The emancipation of the
race they say, is due to enlightenment, and the
progress of man; whilst material prosperity lends
entertainments to all social ameliorations Yet it
cannot be denied that the material civilization,
grandeur and spendor of the Roman world, when
Christ was born, were equal to any that has ex-
listed since. Neither can it be denied that pagan
Rome furnished men of letters, poets and philoso-
piers On that ancient civilization, material gran
deur intellectual superiority and prosperity would
our modern theorists, who deny the beneficial in
fuence of Christian civilization, base their claims
Their motto: "Live and be happy, for tomorrow
you die when tested by experienced and ancient
and modern history, will not lead to true, real or
lasting happiness. In the natural order only the
very few enjoy and reap the benefits of material