Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-03-14
War Apostrophizcd and Made a5l0riOns
by a Master of Ipigram.


in heaven.
War Apostrophizcd and Made a5l0rtOnS
by a Master of Epigram.
Many scientists, however, like
! llacckel openly deny that there is any
truth in the claims Of Christianity or
even of religion. The great prophet
/ OF militarism, Nietzcho, made In his
Christ" the most devastating
attack upon Christian morals ever
made In ancient or modern. times. The
reason for this lay in the fact that
| Chrisuanity-with It's .admoniton to
| protect the weak, help the helpless
snd love your enemies-stands
sluarely in the path OF militarism and
such ruthless power as goes naturally
with it, To clear the ground there
! fore for the military program, he
sweeps away Christianity as an out
worn system. The weak and the
/ botChed must perish. that is the first
principle Of our humanity And they
/ should be helped to perish.
II am writing" he said, "for the
lords Of the earth. You say that a
good cause hallows even war? ! tell
YOU that a good war hallows every
causc" Here is war apostrophized-
imade glorious The mighty sentences
ring out like bell strokes and they
captiyated' the gods of militarism, al
|ready enamoured of power. Il do not
advise YOU" ne cries ITO compromise
, and make peace, but to conquer Let
INour labor be fighting and your peace
/ victory. What Is good? All that in
| croases the feeling of power the will
| to power power itself in man. What
! is happiness The feeling that power
| Increases, that resistance is being
| overCOmc-not COntentmont but moro
] lt IA
war-not virtue but efficiency"
Here is a master Of epigram who
! boldly denounces religion as weak ana
| puerile. Something still for women.
/ and children, but unworthy the Gre
/ denCe of full-groWR men. Having dis
posed Of our Father in Heaven and,
/ with Him, Of the brotherhood of man,
he proceeds to put in our Fathers
place the god of war and to summon
his followers to worship at this shrine.
The answer today is drenChing accom-
tinent in blood.
Now the question | want to put to-
night Is that. IL religion had been as
free to boycott the essentials and
welcome the essentials as militarlSm
! has been to accept science and draft
! it into service, would not religion have
! been q much more formidable thing
! to face than It has proved tOday? Had
! it taken its stand with Micah upon
/ the supreme Verities, justice, mercy
and faith in an overruling providence,
with Jesus on the Golden Rule and
! the two commandments to love God
and man, would not this religion grad
ually have pr lied over the sus-
picion, hatred and ill-will which are
| behind every war? Suppose that re-
| ligiOn had used the energy which has
gone into heresy trials and persecu-
| tiOns, in promoting brotherhood
among men and nations would not
the sense of unity have grown so
strong that war would have been i'm
| possible2 Has not the failure OF the
church to accept the admonltion Of
| the Master: 81 am come that ye might
have life, and that ye might have It
more abundantly," robbed 1t of the
very power which could answer
| Nietzches mighty call to war with
an equally mighty call to peaceS l
believe it would.
The Great Spiritual Realities or the
Christ-hfc.
Again this new kingdom thought
hallows mans daily labor. Formerly
those professions which labored in the
spirit vineyard alone were regarded as
religious. The preacher, professor,
parent, were the hands rocking the
cradle that moved the world. But
this new kingdom regards all life and
all labor as sacred If the working
man is honest. his life holy, and he is
serving the common good of humanity
he becomes Veritable minister OF
God. If man does his work and does
II well-whether he be a peasant in
the field, or q Judge on the bench, or
a preacher in the pulpit-that work
becomes high ministry to men and
a definite contribution to the kingdom
! Of God. Hence the content OF the
new kingdom and the fulfllment of
Jesus is y personal religion growing
out of the experiences of the indiyid-
ual. 1t is a kingdom of the heart
rather than of the brain. This king
dom brings a sense Of freedom and
uplift to our spiritual life which
widens our thoughts, strengthens ouI
souls and gives US those great spir.
itual realities of the Masters life. A
self-centered, narrow religion OF an
intellectual cast has its limitations.
When a mans objective is not hii
own soul, but the redemption of his
fellow man, the betterment of all so
ciety, the uplft of the world, then, and
not until then, will the kingdom come
into his heart and he become a shin
ing, winning fragment Of the king
dom of God in humanity, and a
precious asset OF the cause Of Chris
among lost souls.
That the children OF men are COM
ing into their own is a self evident fact.
They are on the upward climb. They
have seen the blaze on the mountain
4top, and God is a lamp to their feet
and light to their path, ana the
spirit Of Christ is the great animus
of the modern age by which spiritual
ideals become human reals, and the
supreme hope of the Galileean IS the
complete redemption of man. There
Is q new philosophy abroad in the
minds Of men, resting on a new psy-
! Geological Interpretation Of Gods pur-
pose in sending His son into the world
! This new revelation shows us that
the powers, mysteries. and miracles
of the maker of this universe is still
part Of the creators daily program;
that God is immanent in this whole
vast creation, and that the fragrance
of His love, and the breath of His
tender mercies are graciously near
every heartbeat.
In a concluding thought let US see
how human life fits into this idea Of
the God Father and rests upon It..
| How consciousness Of one great un-
folding thought gives added meaning
to every thought Of ours, and how be-
lief in the immanence Of the God