The daily sentinel., 1905-10-19
REV. BECKER CREATES
SENSATION IN DENVER,

created quite sensation at the meet
ing OF the Congregational Minister'S
Institute in Denver Tuesday bv his
discussion of the subject "The Church
and Socialism" Extended notices of
Rev. Becker's discussion was given
by the Denver papers. The follow
ing is taken from the Denver Re
publican:
The extremely broad-minded views
expressed by Rev. James A. Becker.
OF Grand Junction, in a paper read
before the Congregational Minister'S
institute yesterday afternoon on the
Church and Socialism, caused many
of the worthy brethren present to
throw up their hands in horror. The
well-balanced way in which DR..
Becker presented the subject was the
only thing that saved him from rails.
ing a vertible hornets nest in the
world of religion. He told of the
good in socialism as well OF the evils.
He told Of the church's shortcom-
ingss. but did not fail to bestow upon
it the laurels earned by IT,
If the church taught as it seems
to me it should do. the logical de-
ductions from the Masters Law of
Love and Golden Rule, her teachings
would lie far in the direction toward
which socialism is pointing" said
Rev. Becker.
THE parable of the Good Smart
tan is not an Isolated instance. but
a perpetual experience. Neither the
priest OF the LeYite We're such hard
hearted villains as they are usually
painted. They We're simply men as
we are. too much absorbed in the
contemplation of what they consider
spiritual things, too busted with the
preparation for regularly ordained
religious services to have any time
for or interest in sociology.
The church has dwelt too large
ly on distractions: she says BE Good,
but has not specified the things of
which goodness consists. She says
Deal Justly but she has not always
been careful to point out Injustice, "
These are a few of the raps that
Dr.. Becker gave the church of to
day.
Some of the statements on social
ism are worthy of the most ardent
disciple of Karl Marx In part, he
says:
Socialism is a word that means
either social paradise or social infer
not depends on the dictionary you
are using. To many people it is a
synonym for anarchy to others a
"Divest socialism of some of the
teachings OF its early days and which
seem to have no necessary connec-
tion with its fundamental premises,
and you remove some things that
have made earnest men so antagon-
istic to its teachings. Divested of
some of its excresences there is much
in socialism that appeals to many who
labor for the common veal.
In speaking of the aim of social
ism he said: Mans division of the
earth's resources from age to age has
been Grade indeed, the adjustment
dictated by selfish cunning rather
than the common veal The alb
stract of title to all real estate, if
you go far back enough, rests on
might rather than right,
IF the earth is the equal herit-
age of the Fathers children, it means
that every child should have equal
opportunity to turn his only God
given capital ability to labor with
hand and brains against the re-
sources of the earth to produce from
them the necessities of life.
This is the end which socialism
seeks. 1t is one of the ends I'M
piled in the FatherhoOd of God and
the brotherhood of man. The most
tnaL can Ne given ~ any lAhi'iNN
is an equal chance.
"There is much in the contention
of the socialist, DR.. Becker declar-
I'd, that is just, and in this the
church ought to support him.
The church according to his opin-
ion. has a much broader mission than
socialism and it has far greater aim
than merely to help adjust our eco
nomic relations. Humanity" he
said. was affiliated with many social
evils and must have more than one
remedy to cure them all. The quack.
has but one remedy for every ailment
and, in respect to social Diseases
socialism savors of quackery
"The socialist forgets that the
dross must be taken out of the gold
before il can be put to the finest uses,
and that selfishness must be ellmin-
ated from the hearts of men ere they
can be used in ideal governments.
In conclusion he said:
"The programme of Jesus includes
much for which socialism contends.
Consequently the attitude of the
church towards il, though it may de-
nIore its shortcomings and short
sightedness, should be one of sym
pathy towards its aims.
The discussion that followed the
paper also brought forth many re
markable opinions that were quite
tbe reverse OF those one would ordin-
arily expect clergymen to have. Rev.
loci Harper of Montrose said there
was a colony of socialists near Mont
rose. which will not tolerate ehurch
or Sunday school within its bound
aries. He had noticed this antago-
nistic attitude. he said, towards the
church on the part of other social
lists also and asked the reason for IT.
He was answered by DR.. Walker,
member of the national board OF
Congregational churches. who asserted
that the church itself had caused TINS
feeling by it's lack of sympathy for
the Iaboring class. The question was
moi what attitude the church should
assume toward the labor union, he
declared, but how the two bodies
should best work together
Charles Kirkendall, OF Mesa was
in town yesterday.