Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1905-11-08
Smell of
the Earth

Rev. Edward L. Mills of the Helena Methodist church has
ISSUED card announcing series OF religious meetings now
being held In this announcement Mr. Mills said:
1T perhaps timely suggest that religion should have
first place in thoughts and lives We pay constant at
enon to business affairs and social pleasures Frequently
burn incense at the shrine of politics But no of these
interests all of them combined, equal in Importance
the question of religion They all smell of the earth They
stop at the skyline They Leave man to his own devices and
a man without God is man without Hope.
Now these meetings chiefly for the who far
has ignored or forgotten the fact of religion They will give
him opportunity to consider the mattero get the proper
point of view-and in measure to things they
The speakers intelligent honest earnest men They seek
tell the Truth about Him who is the Truth 1t will be worth
while to hear hem not because they important but because
their message is.''
We desire know what religion is if it does smell
of the earth What did Christ teach but brotherhood among
earth Rev Mills says the srvings of mankind stop
at the skyline What has the sky to do with the hope and
moral aspirations of man! The promise of tustess thief
less life in other world does not alleviate the wants of
man in this sphere Human association requires the
machinery of organization for the accomplishment of social
desire The eyes of society must be kept the earth Upon
the earth builds his character and on to his child
rem as heritage to improve Generations of men add to
social structure accomplishments 1t is this
terrestrial sphere the results and tested by the pece
development of social and individual aspirations requiring
social and individual responsibility. To avoid this response
bitv by turning to the sky cowardy Through political
action toward the object desired Political action
the machinery of social action Men live and produce wealth
from the SOIL this wealth be exchanged and this exchange
is called business" Members of society should participate
in political and business affairs There is doubt about
the existence of corruption in business and politics but is it
not the duty of to correct these evs The sky offers
solution 1t to that the application of good
would solve the difficulties The teaching by the church
of true Christianity might help mmencey The church pre-
tends much love for rghteousness-rg action. What
stitutes right aconi AS applied to the production of wealth
and its exchange righteousness dictates that the producer of
that wealth shall possess and enjoy it all That he shall own
the tools of production and that in exchanging that wealth with
other producers the agent of exchange shall retain that portion
only which is agreed upon in advance by the producers As
is the agent of exchange the business man. keeps 80
per cent That not righteous, Mr. Mills plain unaduer
aed stealing, and from it all the corruption, immortality
ignorance murder and existing to-day The church
ngly uphos the system which is the of this Chrsess
condition The church advocates for does not train
soldiers mt its Wesleyan University in Helena! Does it not
advertise its cooperation with the Montana State Militia! Does
lit not supply chapans to the and for its victory
over the armies of other Christian counres If not op
posed to this condition. why does not the church direct its
toward it! If God exists anywhere he should be brought
into close touch with the daily life of the people to eradicate
the evils by social action and system that will not propagate
crime, but will purify human life.
The church has been doping the people for 1900 years will
sky dust anddoe for earthly ailments and the people
have lost faith in both physician and medicine All this time
the church has not failed to appropriate large chunk of things
earthly We suggest that Robert Hunters book Poverty
he read in the churches substitute for hyseria B.