The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-11-11

and eliminating in hatred. can never
remedy social evil or calm the spirit OF
discomfort"
What is TO be the attitude of Chris
tianity toward this movement? What Is
the duty of religion? What is the atti-
tude Of the church toward the social prob
lem and what part is the Christian man 70
play in its solution?'
we must first of all" says Father
Stafford, approach the question with
profoundest sympathy in direct accord
ance with the fundamental principles OF
Christianity-sympat love. liberation
The love of God for man; the love Of
man for God; the love OF man for fellow
man. Remember that no matter how i'm
possible Of realization may be the scheme
Of regeneration advocated by socialist, an
archist, reformer-can him what you VIII
however wild and visionary the theory
expressed, however hateful even the So
luton proposed. it may be advocated by
man blinded by error, perhaps. but
with a heart that desires only TO benefit
mankind; by a soul that is striving man
fully toward the light as he sees IL.
We must never answer hate by hatred
anu We must come fully to understand
that among men who hold the widest
theories concerning the correction Of our
evils there IS a general and widespread
desire to benefit the poor and lowly
which, among all our sorrows. conflicts,
ana difficulties is the real honor and glory
Of our age
In 1876, when q man called himself a
socialist, we could understand what he
meant In 1906 he may mean one Of ten
thousand different Kings. for as the
ideas of heIpfuIness have spread through
the world, through Germany. France
Russia. England. and America. schools
and systems have so multiplied. all rally
ing around the banner and the name
Of socialism. that we cannot be too care
full in our examination Of them before
We lend ourselves to condemnation. be-
fore, even. we seek 10 pass judgment
Can we find via media by which
the mighty forces of religion and the
mighty forces Of this social discomfort
and unrest can be brought together to
work for common end-the good of man
kind? Between religion and socialism in
general there is supposed to be a deadly
hatred and opposition. Nothing is further
from the truth. Rightly understood. the
Christian religion is socialism, and right
" understood. in its highest sense. So
cialism is religion. Rightly understood.
this truth lies at the base of all in
vestigation of the subject It is the fun
damental truth Of the American Consti-
tuition which, after the debasing philoso-
ply Of the seventeenth sentury, proclaim
ing, as it did, the divine right Of kings
marshaled in the inalienable and indissol-
uble rights of individual man.
1t is not by fighting, by conflict, that we
can hope 10 find a way out. As Fenelon,
Archbishop Of Cambrae, wrote to King
James OF England. No human power
can reach the impenetrable recess of the
free viii of the heart Violence can never
persuade men; 1t serves only to make
hypocrites. Grant civil liberty, too, not
in approving everything as Indifferent
but In tolerating with patience whatever
Almighty God tolerates, and endeavOring
TO convert men by mild persuasion Ten
nyson's King Arthur voices the same
spirit when to his last knight he ex-
claims:
The old order ehangcth. giving Iisoe 20 Few.
And God fuilils Himself in many ways
Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.
is there not some way BY which a bet
ter understanding can be established. be
introduced into the world, BY which these