Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-02
SHOULD REFUSE
TAINTED MONEY.
PASTOR DECLARES 1T IS NOT
FOR CHURCH
Rev. 3. Fay Mills Asserts That 1t Is
"UnhoIy" and That the "Re-
ceiver Is as Bad as
the Thief"

BENJAMIN Fay Mills spoke at Fell
loWship service in Blanchard hall yes
terday morning on Tainted Money.
Mr.. Mills reviewed the recent contro-
versy in the Congregational church
over the question of the solicitation for
foreign missionary purposes of money
gained by unworthy methods and end
ing in the Endorsement by nine-tenths
of the corporate members of the board
of missions of the statement by the
committee that "the officers of this
board, as of all other similar boards
organized to promote religion, philan-
thropy and education, are morally
bound to use every legitimate means
to secure and convert money from
other uses into the direct service of
advancing the kingdom of God in the
world"
The speaker said: II do not mean to
enter into this controversy except to
say that it seems that this action on
the part of one of the most intelligent
and moral denominations marks the
low water of the condition of popular
religious institutions.
This especial giver stands in the
popular mind as the representative of
all that is evil and hostile to the public
welfare in our modern business system
and as the most conspicuous exponent
of the idea that religion and business
are and ought to be divorced in prac-
tical life. This is the limit to which
atheism can go in it's denial of moral
purpose in the world.
For church to solicit funds from
such a source for the conversion of
the 'heathen' to such Christianity
seems to me unspeakably grotesque
and pathetic and necessitates the sur
render of every principle worth living
or dying for, in our modern life.
But, coming nearer to the main
question, 1 believe it to be fact that
tainted money naturally seeks un-
worthy channels. In time it may and
must purify itself, as does any running
stream, but unless otherwise eX
planned, the bestowal of money gained
by unjust methods, upon any object is
disparagement of the integrity of
that object.
1.-The receiver is as bad as the thief
The gift shows that the giver believes
that it's bestowal will not endanger the
further acquisition of money by similar
methods. And why should it? If the
missionary purpose is to persuade the
heather to accept the theological opin-
ion of the missionaries, in order to save
themselves from hell to which all
their ancestors have been eternally
consigned then no such money could
be acquired by methods too mean.
But if the missionaries exemplified
and taught the real gospel Of
Jesus. that we are children of
spiritual Father and brothers
one of another. that there is
no distinction of persons win
God, and ought not to be with one
another, that we should not lay up
treasures on earth; that no rich man
can enter the kingdom of God; that if
man has money he must lend, hoping
for nothing again or sell all that he
has and give to the poor; if the mis-
sionaries should preach and live ac-
cording to these and the other teach
ings of Christ, they could solicit no
tainted money for their support and
none would volunteer itself for that
purpose.
eff it did it would be such a con-
fession of it's repentance as if Mr..
Rockefeller should establish a college
to teach socialism or should furnish
the means to the starving miners in
Pennsylvania to prosecute successfully
their plea for better conditions of ex
| istence.
But the sad fact is that all churches
and benevolent institutions are sup
ported by tainted money. 1t Is like
| the money of which the apostle James
wrote, which is trusted and moth eaten
and cankered.' Every philanthropy
depends for it's support upon money
gained by methods that practically
deny the fatherhood of God the broth
erhood of man and the authority Of
Jesus.
"It consists. as Ernest Crosby we'll
says, of the stolen earnings of the
poor, rents squeezed from brother men
for permission to live on Gods land.
the product of usury compounded upon
usury, born of unjust monopoly and
purchased laws and legalized violence.
The shambles are in the temples as of
yore and the tables of the money
changers waiting to be overturned ="
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