The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-07-17
RELATION CHURCH
WORKING . PEOPLE
Christ Never Spoke More sympa-
thetic. Words Than He Did
NH. to gmen.
Principles for \ hich I Church
Stands Would Solve All Indus
&. 1 trial Problems. =

u; THE church has always been
against the worlingman," SO some
men q "a sare wont to cay. shall not dis
c,iss the purely theoreticaf arguments.
In this connection. Neither do s. pro-
pose to make this a theological trea-
tdse;; nor vet shall I discuss religion
an such. There are some well-known
historical facts which may and should
be produced against the statement ct
the head Of this article. sss<$
Christie Sympathy for Workers. :$$:
\ In the first place its founder, Jesus
Christ was not against workingmen.
Never were more Sympathetic words
spoken to the common people, than
were uttered by Jesus Christ we
are told that '.ssthe ( common people
heard him gladly He, himself, was
9 carpenter and He must necessarily
have had 81 workdngman's syinpathies
He constantly rebuked the oppressors
OF the poor. The men whom He! Sc
ilected as His disciples and who were
the first promoters Of the church were
,workinenen. During the first cen
turtles OF Its history the church re-,
scedved dts strongest support from the
great labor guilds OF that period the
labor unions we would now call them
- and It Is not imp ssible that Jesus
himself was a member OF the Car
pentera' Guild ii Nazareth. So: st %... I.
5 In the second place the prophets OF
the church were not opposed to work
fngmen. The strongest intltc tnents 81
the labor agttator today are chosen
from M the sayings OF the prophets as
they are recorded in the Scriptures.
!: Principles Of tho Church. =. f:5I:
Furthermore the text book OF the
church is not opposed to workingmen,
The principles laid down by It's writ
sers would solve the social question IF
faithfully lived out by both the cap
.dtalIst and the. laborer. Scarcely q
book treating on political economy
which was used in any university ten
years ago but is out Of date today.
The Bible is the only book always
p-to-date,i and It is the only text
book which the church officially rec
ognizes. 49,, v~,>-,,--ay ss~..'s> ,:.-s = -
Again, the leaders in the great re-
ligtous movements In history were not
opposed so workingnen. Indeed. most
Of them were worldngmen themselves.
The great religious movements had
their origin among. the common peo-
pie. They were fought for by work
inEmen, Of whom thousands :. shed
their Blood because they believed In
the great principles involved u " !
Finally the preachers OF today, as
a class: are not opposed: to, working
men Many OF them could be named
who fearlessly de1lounee the sins 81
the rich IS well As the sins Of: the
poor. Eager TO. help, they are asking
what they! may do In q practical way
to assist in raising the STANDARD OF
living for workingmen. s.s%:' 4
In the. Hight Of all this ds 1t fair to
make Che, state1ne emit that the. church
ts opposed to workingmen?g / confess
that the church has not done all that
she should Tor humanity, because,
after all, It Is made up: Ut poor, weak
:rnortals. But give her credit for what
she has done. You would demand the
same treatment for trades unfonisrn.
and Tdghttu1ly SO. .s s. = 5. .ss. .s .E
-: 80 >| y REV. CHARLES sT1EI11.Tc., !.