Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-27

man as NhS
bishop of oxford. the Right Rev. Charles
Gore, should write pastoral iet'er
which will cause the house Of ortnodoxy
to trenble still more dangerously ana
make II seem an unsafe editiee 10 an
large hearted and right thinking people
The bishop of oxford has written a
letter to his diocese prohibiting prayers
for the ANIMALS engaged IN war because
he saws: 1T has never been the custom
Of the church to pray for other beings
than those whom we think OF as ra-
tional" This is distinct step BACK
ward toward bisotry, ignorance ana love-
lessness in religious thought. IL IS .tniS
sort OF cold humanitarian creed which
has made the Church Of England sucn
dead letter in the way Of progress.
II was this sort Of creed and this
sort of teaching which drove that great
Drained and great-souled woman. Annie
Resant out of the Church Of England
into socialism and made her. for q time,
atheistical in her feeling until she came
into her own Kingdom. that OF aH-em-
oracing. ail-loyins and all-explaining the
,sophy.. = 49,. ss-- s.,' rs Ft -
II the world had taken no step forward
In religious thought and had always
rested on the slogan, lit has never been
the custom to do this where would hu-
manity stand today? 1t was only by
doing things which were not customary
with the past generations that Henry
Bergh came before the world and de-
clarod that animals had rights.
N Until then 1T had never been custo-
mary' to pass laws which protected them
from torture and abuse by their owners
But those laws are part of the educa-
tional and humane system of every civil
land today.
The Church of England has a somewhat
higher authority than the bishop of OK
ford for a belief that animal life IL dear
to the Creator. Christ said, speaking Of
i sparrows, Are not two sparrows sold
for a farthing? And one of them shah
not fall on the ground without your
Father" Ii all created life, even to the
insignificant sparrow, is dear 10 the
Father would He not then be glad to
have prayers rise from human hearts
+, for all animal life? Perhaps the bishop
of Oxford does not think that there are
prayers enough to go around
would advise the bishop to read the
great book, 1.-THE Universal Kinship." II
is a scientific epic In the line of human
itarianism. Here is a quotation from II
that would make better reading for the
diocese Of the bishop OF oxford than his
pastoral letter;
Look upon and treat all life as you do
your own hands, your own eyes, yous
very heart and soul-with infinite care
and compassionate suffering and enjoy.
ing the same Great Being with yourself
This is the spirit Of the ideal universe
the spirit of your own being. 1t is this
aloEe that can redeem this world, and
give TO 1t the peace and harmony fol
which It longs.
Oh. the madness and sorrow. and un'
brotherlness of this mal-wrought world
OF the poor, weak, poisoned, monstrouI
natures of it's children Who can lool
upon 1t all without pain, and sympathy
and CONSERVATION, and tears? What al
opportunity for philanthropy, II thu
Almighty One" Of our traditions would
only set about IT,
Let us be true TO our ideals. true q
the spirit of universal compassion
whether we walk with the featheret
forms OF tho fields and forests. the kin'
of the meadows. the simple savage on thu
hanks OF the river. or the outcasts O
human industry"
Oh. this poor world, this poor suffer
ne. ignorant. fear-filled world. How car
ren be blind or deranged enough or coll
and satanic enough to be unmoved b,
the groans and anguish. the writing an
tears. that conne up from its unparailele
affections?
II 10 do good is to degenerate welfare
then to cause welfare 10 a horse, a bird
a butterfly. or a fish, Is to do good jus
as truly as to cause welfare to men
And n to do evil Is 10 cause unhappines
and ili-fare. then 70 cause these thing
70 one Individual or race Is evil just a
certainly as to cause them 10 any othe
individual or race. And IL to put one
self IN the place OF others, and 20 &C
toward them as one would wish Their
tn act toward him. IL the one great rule
the golden rule-by which men are Z
gauge their conduct when acting towar
each other. then this is also the on
great rule-the golden rule by which me
are 10 regulate their conduct toward a
beings There is no escape from thes
conclusions, except for the savage an
the fool