The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-03-04
CHURCH HAS LITTLE
SYMPATHY FOR LABOR
Bay State Preacher Makes This
Startling Admission in
Labor Sermon.
Finds That Apathy Is Due to
Some Churchmen and g.
Few Labor Men.

Boston, Mass, Mar 2.-All Of church.
going New England was startled last
Monday morning when the sermon Of
Rev. Charles S. MacFarland on
Church and Labor" was read in the
popular chord and is now the topic for
discussion in many quarters. Mr.. Mac
farland spoke in part as follows:
There is no doubt that there are
men in the Christian church who have
too little sympathy with men of toll.
There is also no doubt that there are
laboring me who are very indifferent
toward the Christian church.
But my acquaintance wi tn the
church and with laboring men induces
me to feel that the supposed so-called
'estrangement' between the two is
blind and foolish error which emanates
from a few conspicuous churchmen
who are unsympathetic toward the men
Of toll and a few materialistic labor
men who have become bitter toward
organized Christianity.
Certain I am that the idea that the
Christian church is on its side es-
tranged from the workingman does
that organization a great wrong. The
Christian ministers especially are, al
most to man, in deep sympathy with
men of labor. If it happens that min
lister of the gospel unhesitatingly tries
to shield organized labor against errors
of judgment it is evidence of the depth
and thoughtfulness Of his sympathy.
How can Christian ministers be
other than sympathetic? Nearly all OF
them are the sons Of workingmen. Al
most to a man they have gained their
education and made their way into
their calling by the work of their
hands. They live in recollection of hard
boyhoods in workingmen's homes, OF
poverty and hardship because Of the
insufficient recompense Of their ia
theirs toll to met the needs Of human
life.
Their present condition in life Is
that of the workingman, and the actu-
al figures today show that the average
salaries Of ministers are considerably
lower than those of skilled workmen.
How can the Christian church dc
other than commit itself to the moral
cause Of labor? It's Founder and lead
ing personality was carpenter and thu
son Of a carpenter; its great creative
apostle and preacher was tentmaker;
its first Disciples were the fishermen OF
Galilee and the slaves of Caesars
household. It's origin thus commits II
to the workingman.
$50 does it's platform of principles
enunciated by it's Supreme Personality
The articles Of that platform are the
love Of God and the love of neighbo1
as Of itself; the fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man. Its rule
is not the rule of gold, but the Colder
Rule. Thus in it's ideal the Christian
! church is committed to Christ, and
| Christ commits it irrevocably to hui
mainly.
How about its constituency? The
| idea that it is composed of ruthless
capitalists is wrong. It is so demo
cratic and its dor opens so widely that
such do gain an entrance, but its rank
and file are the successors of the Car
penter, the fishermen and the tent
! maker.
MY own particular church has II
! its membership only about half doz'
en- employers of labor; the rest are
men and women of toll. Upon the
standing committee Of that church si
| together in loving fraternity the consid'
crate employer of labor and the labor
| ing man.
''The churches Of today, at least most
of the churches Of today, are trying tt
do more than express the ideal ir