Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-05
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.


1t appears that many church mem
bers of this country are rapidly belnt
Influenced by socialist doctrines. nnc
that the organization known as tbs
Socialist Fellowship now has branches
in great many Protestant churches
The unitarians, we believe. took the
lead in this direction, They are now
followed by Eplscopalans, Haptists
Mothodsts. Presbyterlans, Disciples,
Lutherans, Congregatlonalists, Uuiver-
salists and even Roman Catholics
though the leaders of the Catholl1
church are rather severe In their de-
nunciations of socialism.
We understand that the members
OF the Socialist Fellowship win hold a
conference In New York during the
latter part OF this month. From no
tees sent out we learn that the closing
public meeting OF the conference VIII
be held in Carnegie HAL, and that the
Right Rev. Franklin S. Spalding, d.
d. p. Il. Bishop of Utah, Will be the
honorary president of this session
Edwin Markham, as chairman, VIII
speak briefly and read q poem, The
Muse of Brotherhood,
This movement is purely religious.
That is to say, 1t is an effort to apply
religion to social conditions, It's slogan
is; THE Golden Rule instead of the
rule Of gold. The Christian socialists
teach that: Jesus was Socialist. II
He had lived In our day, He would have
been q Messiah of this new gospel
which defends the poor against the
rich and opposes the domination of
capitalism with an ideal of Industrial
justice"
II certainly is II remarkable move
ment We have always maintained
that neither the various theories of
socialism, nor anarchisln. contain any
remedy for the social or moral ills of
mankind. as long as they ignore the
teachings of religion. When, however.
social reformers adopt the principles
of the gospel their work viii assume
a different aspect entirely. But Chris
tlanity, 1t must be remembered, en-
deavors to make society what 1t ought
TO be through the regeneration OF the
individual. This great principle must
not be forgotten.
1t is asserted that the movement is
not political, but as 1t Is through POI
liucal action that Its principles are to
become operative. Ii presents re-
markable sample of the mixture OF re-
ligion and politics. And the ultimate
political Significance of the movement
is obvious. When 1t is remembered
that the respective Protestant bodies
number upon their commitment rolls
seven millions of voters to which must
be added three million Roman Catholic
voters, a total OF ten million OF voters
1t can be seen to what an extent the
Christian Socialist propaganda can in
terfcre with the old political parties.
There seems to be at present a
twofold tendency away from the con-
servative democracy embodied in the
American form OF government. One is
toward a more restricted conservatism
and the other toward radicalism.
Both have detected failings in popu-
lar government and both propose n
remedy. Ambassador Bryce recently
maintained that the reaction was very
much visible In Europe The intel
lectuals," he said, are conservative
and disposed to check democracy rath-
err than TO broaden or deepen its chan
nels. This is probably true, but some
propose to remedy the defects OF popu-
lar government by making It still more
popular. Rev. II. j. Campbell of the
City Temple, London, has proclaimed
himself a socialist and in America the
facts already brought out concerning
the New York ministerial socialist So
riety tell their story.