The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-02-01

themselves anu 20 -sLn0 practice or
which they have not as We converted
their own civilization. It.. is all
right to- attempt to Christianize%
pagan land provided that this pagan
land of America is Christfanized;
and believe, therefore, that it
would be better for the churches if
they turned their gaze full upon
their own communities. And yet
today, as yesterday, there is no
easier way to arouse the enthusiasm
OF the churches than to inaugurate
a foreign mission campaign, and
nothing harder to accomplish than
to interest the churches in a cam.
paign for the redemption Of our own
society. A year or so ago there was
established in New York city what
was :called the Ethicai-Social League
Of New York city, the purpose of
this. organization being to unite the
churches Of the city with the various
secular agencies working for social
reform in general campaign for
the social redemption Of this great
American metropolis. This League
has taken up. one by one, such qaaes-
lions as nemployment, tenement
house. reform, child labor, and. In
spite of able leadership, it., has sue
ceeded in accomplishing almost
nothing. The League Is today sick
unto death, and this for the reason,
as the director has told me per-
sonally, that it has been impossible
to arouse the interest of the churches
In these problems. And yet, at this
very moment, the so-called ''Lay-
mems Missionary League" is hold
ing great series of revival services
in New York, and every orthodox
church in the city is aroused to a
very fever of devoted enthusiasm.
Enthusiastic over the cleaning up
the wilderness of Africa but indif-
ferent to cleaning up the wilderness
of the East Side! Enthusiastic over
saving the aowntrodaen women Of
india and China and Japan but diff
ferent to the thousands of down
trodden women in America! Enthu-
siastic over Saving the little ones"
in distant lands but Indifferent to the
hundreds of thousands OF little ones
annually perishing in our owni
tell you, my friends, charity
begins at home! Religion begins at
our own door. True Christianity
means keeping your own back yard
clean and putting ashes on your
own sidewalk. If ever the Church
is to do the work Il ought to do for
child labor reform, or any ether
social movement, it must first be
taught to establish the Kingdom of
God in it's own community before it
attempts to establish this kingdom
in countries far away across the
seas!
AS q fourth reason for the indif-
ference OF the Church to child labor
reform let me speak Of that aston
ishfng idea which has persuaded the
Church in all ages to assert that
religion. as such. has nothing to do
with political or industrial cues
tions Of any kind. This idea has
it's root in that faIlacious distinction
which has always been made between
sacred and secular, and which has
consigned to the. care of tho Church
the one and frankly removed from
its control or even interest, the
other. The Church, it is argued,
has to do with spiritual, not worldly,
matters. 1t has its sacred Book: all
others are profane. It has its holy
day; all others are common. 1t
has its one specific field OF sacred
work; all others are secular. Assidu-
ous&y preserving the Sabbath from
proclamation by innocent amusements