The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-03-14

| lief we'll the inharmonious and intoerant
attitude of the churches which proclaim to be
Christian, | wish to ask the following questions
% What is Christianity! (2) How are its obga-
tions fulfilled? CD What must one do to save his
soul These questions are not rreverently pro-
pounded, but for the satisfaction of the writer and
many others who read your paper with great inter
est. D.
The question of D. F. is not new. The writer
has been frequently asked the same question. In a
more simple form, it the question propounded
to the Baptist by the common people when attracted
by his penetential garb, and simple yet rigid doc
trines. "And the people asked him, saying: What
shall we do!" Our correspondent asks CD "What
is Christianity" Answer-It is, to believe that
Christ was the Son of God the Child of Promise,
the Messiah that to come. Here we reverse the
questions by inserting the third as number ~:
"What must do to my soul!" Answer-"He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He
that believeth not shall be condemned" The second
question, which we make No 3, is: Gin what does
Christianity really consist and how are its obliga
tons fulflled!" Answer-St Paul, very good au-
thority in his first epstle to the Corinthians chap
ter xiii, tells and explains the constituent and es-
sental elements of Christianity which in their last
analysis charity
In what does this virtue. of which st Paul
speaks so eloquently consist? Christ describes its
extent. Chou shalt love the Lord, thy God with
thy whole heart thy whole soul and thy whole mind
and thy neghbor as myself" All naturally hope
for happiness Heaven is the abode of true and
lasting happiness To reach heaven one must love
God The love of ones neighbor is also indispensa
bic. 1t is not part but the completion of the love
due to God. Neighbor includes the human family |
To exclude from the law of charity is to ex-
clude God HE who says he loves God and hates
his brother is liar"
Man is a creature of habit and by his environ
ments and training is artificial than natural
Hence because of his teaching and habituaI way of
thinking, this command, 'to love an enemy do good
to those that hate and pray for those who prosecute
and caumnlate," may seem unreasonable and i'm
practicable. But the obligation is not to the abu-
sive i'll tempered hateful and unjust neighbor It |
is to God the debt obligation is primarily due
and the obligation of loving one who has injured
arises from the fact that all are by the fact of Gre
alton, Gods property He is the Creator of all
things visible and invisible. Therefore to him man
AAA NNiOHS' OOOh III ooul anu DOuy- AS creature,
man cannot claim absolute independence. He is
the property of God. To love ones neighbor as
oneself is to love first God and secondly the neigh
Dor who is Gods property. No man can love his
master if he discards dislikes his Masters prop
erty On this principle rests the reasonableness of
the two-fold obligations which comprise the entire
Christian law.
The debt is entirely due to God He is the
author of life. Therefore to him do all owe their
1llal love and gratitude As Creator, he has
light to mans affections. As owner of the debt.
nay ne not transfer it to whom he pleasesl But
sod has made the love of ones neighbor the foun-
iatlon upon which must rest the love he claims for
llmselt. He makes the neighbor an agent. and
lnless he is loved the debt due to God through his
gent remains unpaid. On this universal law of
owe Christianity rests. It's observance includes all
he other divine commands for he who loves his
leighbor as himself, for Gods sake will not in
bought word or act do to that neghbor what he
would not wish done to himself God is love" ac-
ording to st. John, and what he is in his essence
e wishes all mankind, his children to be whilst liv
ng in the flesh. Its practice fulflls the most i'm
ortant and essential Christian obligation.
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