The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-02-16
THE PUBLIC FORUM
The Real Issue.

The Real Issue.
Editor, The Chieftain: | am every
once in a while informed by some of
my friends that | have been accused
of the authorship of some of the let
ters in the recent religious discussion
lin the columns of the Chieftain. The
suspicion is a mistaken one. This is
my first contribution to the discussion.
When | have anything to say, / am
not afraid to say it in my own name;
though Captain White should remem
ber before abusing a man who does
mot, that the orthodox still have many
ways left of making it hot for a man
who challenges their position, even
though they can no longer burn him
at the stake Captain Whites own
attitude perhaps explains why some
people prefer to express their real
opinions on religious matter over a
pseudonym At the same time, if a
man holds unpopular opinions, | be-
lieve he ought either to keep still or
to speak in the open.
The one fault find with popular dis
Icussions on religious themes, as some
times carried on in newspaper col
,umns, is that the issue is unduly mar
jrowed 1t is supposed to be ques-
tion of either Christianity or atheism.
Whereas, as matter of fact, there
iare very few atheists still surviving,
and among people who really think
on religious subjects, no new ones are
being made. The age of materialism
is past Spiritual thinking is the order
OF the day. Maeterlinck and Francis
Glierson occupy the place Of protest
against orthodoxy which Haeckel once
occupied, minus Haeckels bitterness.
The question is no longer, God or no
God 1t is between the Christian con-
ception of Cod and a new conception
which many people consider worthier
one 1t is between the God who is
willing to see some of his children
damned eternally, and the God who
isn't. Between the God who is limited
in his presence to the temple, and the
God who dwells in every star and
flower, and every true and sacrificing
soul. Between the God who speaks
only by the Hebrew prophets, and the
God who is the inspirer of every brave
and true word ever spoken.
Christianity might, to very good ad-
vantage, clean house. The religion
'professed by the churches is not Chris
tianity; it is Paulinism. Read the
works of Calvin, and Luther, and Wes-
ley, if you don't think so. 1t is only
within a comparatively short time that
the churches have begun to make any
distinction between the spirit of
Jesus, and the spirit of Paul. Jesus
lprayed, Father forgive them, for
they know not what they do" Paul
Isaid. "If any man receive not our Cos
lpel let him be anathema." Which be-
ling literally translated, means, ITO
Hell with him" Jesus fought the
Pharisees all his life Paul, the Phar-
Iisee, annexed the Person of Jesus,
land founded new religion, three
parts Pharisaism, and about one of
Christianity.
There are a great many OF us, VINO
believe in God, and revere Jesus Christ
land hope for eternal life, who will
neither patronize the churches, nor
submit to their narrow code, because
1--WE believe that neither church nor
code represents the spirit of the
ENazarene. Like Abraham Lincoln,
) when we find a church which repre-.
lsents the spirit and teachings of Jesus,
we will join it. But there are great
many teachers we prefer to Paul OF
Tarsus; and the Symposium" or the
"Phaedo" of Plato, or Maeterlinck' s
'I"Wisdom and Destiny" or Emerson S
! Essays" feed our souls when we have
} lstarved on the Epistle to the Galatians
: have meant to speak without giving
loffense.
CHARLES b. MITCHELL.
Republican Policies.