The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-07-24
A JOB FOR RELIGION

| one trouble is that the POLITICIANS
are trying to do by poIitics-by laws
and platforms and candidates too
much of what can best, and perhaps
only, be done by religion; trying to
make people good; trying to rule the
world by improved machinery, when
the truth is that, though improved
machinery may help, what is really
important and effective is the spirit
that is behind the working OF all the
machines.
And the same thing is true of what
we call education. We keep trying
to make it do too much that is best
done by religion-soften manners,
fortify the spirit, bring saneness and
tru h into life. The schools try to inn
prove the machinery by which the
mind works, and they do improve it,and
they do well. But the great education
is to Christianize the heart With
that for a thread you Can string on
whatever pearls the schools or the
politicians supply, and be sure that
the result will be an adjournment. And
more will be nice, and less won't great
ly matter, for the spirit will be fed.
But the value of the pearls will depend
very much upon tn ir correlation and
the strength of the thread that holds
them,
A very large proportion Of all the
stir in the world which is now proceed
ing must look for guidance and final
settlement to religion. The relations
of men seem all to be under new
scrutiny. The old adjustments of them
are challenged as unfair. All manner
of new adjustments are proposed and
are under examination. Most of them
look dangerous to conservative minds.
Many OF them are dangerous People
who ought to know better go about
with governmental propositions that
remind one of the impulses of some
striking mill hands to break the ma
chinery of the mills because they are
not satisfied as to hours and wages.
We in this country are disturbed and
made ANXIOUS; England is sgitated and
rocked; China is upheaved. with every
anchor of her old civilization apparent
ly torn loose from its holding; Mexico
struggles and gasps in her effort to
substitute more repi sentative govern
ment for the despotsm that lately
checked her into orderly proceedings
and drove her on in the path of civil.
zation. The outcome everywhere de-
ponds on the individual capacity and
character of the peoples concerned,a and
that depends largely on the religion
that has shaped their minds and stan
dards. Where there is sufficient
popular capacity to choose between
what is feasible and what is not, be-
tween whatis just and what is crazy,the
changes and establishments that are
due will come safely and with com
parative tranquility. Where the pop
ular mind is not mature enough to make
wise choices, some form of the strong
hand will eventually keep order and
drive who must be driven. What is
being tested is how far Christianity
has brought civilization. For Chris
tianity is at the bottom of modern
democracy, its basis, its chief inspr-
alton, and its Indispensable ingredient
and safeguard
Two great services, among others,
the Christian religion does for democ-
raoy. 1t teaches good will to men.
making every man his brothers. keeper,
and it creates, or emphasizes. new
values in life spiritual values which
make those who possess them less
eager for the material goods and more
patient with those to whom material
possessions are all-important. The
value in these times. and in all times,
of religion that at the same time
quickens sympathy with labor and
abates jealous of capital is Obvious
Harper's Weekly.