Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-05-14
SOCIALISM TRUE
CHRISTIANITY

Editor News:
After being preached and worship
ped for almost twenty centuries, the
most misinterprete character in the
! world today is Jesus Christ, He was
born in an obscure corner of the earth,
yet a guiding star and a heavenly
choiI honored his birth. Christ was
reared in holiness and in the fullness
of time his great forerunner, John the
Baptist, proclaimed his coming. Sud
! denly he appeared and shone forth
with new light that caused people to
wonder and be astonished at his doc
preston that all human time was
| numbered anew from his birth. He
taught for all ages and it will require
all the ages to show his completeness.
By some he is worshipped as relig-
ious teacher only; by others be is
looked upon as the worlds redeemer,
a personal savior, as a friend that
sticketh closer than brother, and still
by others as guiding star to the
words "Peace,' not only religious
but civil, and industrial peace as well.
The idea of pure socialism is div
inc thought, born of heaven, and to be
realized upon earth. Its earliest light
was seen when Christ spoke to the
multitudes and his immediate follow
ers. They understood in part what I've
said but a most complete interpreta
ton of his life and teaching was left
to unborn generations. The early
church in trying to follow the teach
ings of Christ first lived in q state of
approximate communism, which is
partial Interpretation of "the com
munion of saints. " We have but lit
tie light on this early type of cooper
alton. 1t appears to have been soon
overwhelmed with the selfshness of
the age. Even before human society
had chance to thy as test the early
christian socialism. the sad growth of
competition and the thorny vines of
human greed soon overran the fair
garden of promise until the life of the
heavenly plant was choked out by
these noxious weeds, Thus was the
second Eden lost and those who were
teMkscupy it were thrown out upon the
waste of barren social life and
ever since"that time the church and |
the N&sld have been mutually suffer
ing rder the grinding processes of
hard labor, and as result the rich |
are gro wing richer and the poor poor
er. ~
Will the dream of brotherhood ev
er be retAized upon earth? This is
practical question and is waiting for
an answer in the world and the
church of today. One of the strongest
aspects of the twentieth century will
be the rallying from the ranks of the
the world under the ban
ner of christian socialism, and this
will bringsto che earth the greatest
industrial PEACE, rest and contentment
that this world has ever known. Let
us draw back the curtain of ages and
look carefully at that marvellous light
and then ask What are the principles
of the perfect social stats as taught by
Christ, the worlds greatest reformer
and spiritual leader.
Christ taught that selfshness is
death. Christ said, "Whosoever will
save his life shall lose it," He en-
bodied world thought in these few
words, all mans effd rts for himself
will fail unless he is planning and
working in harmony with the will of
God. The way of selGshness is one of
The shortest roads to destruction and
he who narrows his life TO winning
his own personal ends is not only a
oser. but he is even committing per-
sonal suicide Selfshness is the ruling
principle in all the natural and bust
ness life of the world Nearly every
hing is based upon each one looking
after his own interests. All this is
natural concomitant of our social sys-
lem and will only be eliminated when
The better laws of social reform ale in
'oice. Christ taught that unselfsh-
ness and benevolence are blessed. The
hangers of this life lie along the line
If selfishness and a man is not as like
y to give away too much as he is to
Keep too much. For that reason Christ
made no mistake when he promised a
blessing to the liberal hearted.
How few people are there who will
appear truly benevolent when we have
IN opportunity to study the motive
Jack of their gifts. In some cases we
AN see that the giver is expecting
omething in return and again we see
hat others are seeking notoriety or
PERSONAL glory, while very few have
g their chief aim the glory of God or
he good of their fel1owman. Christ 1
aught the superior virtue of expect |
ng nothing in return when we give
o the poor. He said at one place,
Sell that We have and give aims" {
The world has found more fault {
With this passage than it has with ,
he other which is maxim of the I
WORLD, "Get all you can aud keep it" {
Our hearts should be SO trained in !