The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-14

1
him first cast a stone at her. st. John
| VIII T.
| If every individual who is disposed
to find flaws in others would just keep
the words of the above text in mind
and act accordingly. it is a surety that
the world would be a much better place
to i've in. That, certainly. is what all
people are striving for. Or. if they are
not, they should be.
| 1t will be remembered that the
v ords Of the text were used by Jesus
of Nazareth when the scribes and
Pharisees brought before him a woman
who had been unfaithful to her mar
rage vows They cast her at his feet,
r~ade their charges against her, and
called attention to the fact that under
| the laws of Moses such an offender
should be stoned. They asked him for
a judgment IN the case, hoping that he
might rule in a fashion that would per-
| nit them to bring charges against him
of being out of sympathy with the laws
! as they prevailed. But his answer were
the words quoted above. Nor was thera
one of the accusers who knew himself
to be qualified to inffict any punish
| ment on the unfortunate woman. When
Christ had lifted her to her feet all of
| them had disappeared. There was no
one left to condemn her further. Meth
er did Jesus. and he sent her on her
way with the admonition: GO. and sin
| nc more"
There was likely little doubt that the
woman had transgressed. There is like
| ly to be just as little doubt
| that there are good grounds for
some of the criticism which persons of
today have to make against their neigh
bors and their friends. But that is not
! the point at issue. Rather does it con-
| Germ the unfftness of any one but pro
perly constituted legal authority to hold
| another up to scorn as a sinner, mas
| much as no matter who the accuser
may by, it is more than probable that
| he is something of a sinner himself IN
more than one particular.
| Humanity Is filed with frailties. Ev-
cry man and woman has his and her
shortcomings. Because of this fact no
one should be hasty in pointing the
| finger of accusation at another. A
greater tolerance among men, one for
| the other is needed in this era, just
| as it has been in every period of time
that has passed on It's way. Indeed, 1t
| would appear to be more needed now
than ever before. Preachers and news
| papers. or, some of them, reformers in
and out of politics, are hurting their
| coarse shouts of criticism as almost
| every condition that prevails in the
affairs Of men, except that of their own
little coterie. To read many of these
Giatribes one might be pardoned for
thinking that every single activity in
this and other nations, particularly this
one, is built on foundations of corrup-
ticn. Almost everybody is classed as a
crook or a wrong-doer of some sort
except, of course, among the critics and
their particular cronies. To be sure,
there is nothing wrong with them, in
their own opinion. Where did the re-
former of tie holier-than- thou type
ever make his presence known who con-
sidered himself anything but we'll nigh
perfect?
But the incessant preaching of such
doctrine as This is pretty poor bust
ness. In the first place, the greater
part of it is founded on anything but
fact. 1t is promulgated for Interior
purposes which are often no more i'm
portant than to attract attention and
gain a little passing applause. It's eff
feet cannot help but be baneful, though.
and especially among the growing
youth of the land. To keep dinging
into their ears necessarily that the So
ciety of which they are soon to be an
important part is rotten to the core in
} each and every one of it's multitude
Ious qualifications is anything but
good food for their thoughts to work
upon It's about time a halt was called
: in this direction. It's about time that
a little attention was paid to the great
law for mortals laid down by Christ
in his sermon on the mount, when he
said: Judge not, that ye be not judg-
ed. For with what judgment We
judge We shall be judged: and with
7 what measure ye mete, it shall be
7 measured to you again" Or, as he put
the same thought in other words dur
ing his stay in Jerusalem: Judge not
and ye shall not be judged; condemn
rot, and We shall not be condemned
forgive, and We shall be forgiven