Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-09-01
FOR ALL THE EARTH
Christianity and Patriotism Are
/ One and the Same, Accord
| ing to the Bible.

H.
World events have brought before
Yls at this time most forcibly the
questions of nationality and patriot
ism, and have seen the statement
made repeatedly that Christianity is
fnimical to both. Christianity, we
are told, is not national, but cosmo-
.politan. It's tendency liz to obliterate
Boundaries and distinctions between
race and race.
This cosmopolitanism Of Christian
aty, people say, is absolutely fatal 10
pstriotism. That was, for instance,
ONE Of the criticisms which the Japa-
nese passed upon Christianity. Pa
trfotism amongst the Japanese has be-
come exalted almost into a religion.
Devotion to their land and to their
emperor seems to- be their ruling pas
sicn, and one Of their objections to
christianity is its universalism,
which, they say, is fatal to patriotism,
snd that 1t would inevitably sap the
devotion to their country, which has
been the Jep's boast and pride.
Let us look at this criticism for q
moment and see how much truth
there is in 1t. If 1t could be shown
that Christianity Is antipatriotic 1t
4sEould lack certain element which
appeals to the American just as sure
ay as 1t does to the Jap; for love for
ones land is not a passion which ap-
4peals only to the dwellers in that
eastern empire, but passion which
should burn with an indying flame IN
3he heart OF every true American.
That Christianity is cosmopolitan In
It's spirit cannot be disputed. 1t IS
the gospel for the world. 1t addresses
itself to man as man, and not to man
as a member Of any particular ma
'tion. Other religions are for the most
cart tribal or national. But the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
is the God Of all the earth, and the
father of all who dwell upon 1t. This
Gospel of ours ignores all national
distinctions. Men come to the cross
from the East and from the West,
from the North and from the South;
# is Just as much for the black man
as for the white. It reveals love
that lavishes itself upon all without
respect to differences Of race or color
or tongue. It breaches universal
2afherhood, and consequently uni
-yersal brotherhood Of men. The Cos
pel not only ignores natural and racial
differences, but 1t looks forward to
time when these racial and national
differences shall cease to sunder and
divide men as they do today. do
not say that the Gospel looks forward
TO a time when differences shall cease
to exist. Difference in itself 1s not
an evil, for I believe that each ma
fionality has its important contribu-
zion to make the civilization OF man
kind as a whole. But these differ
ences shall cease to be sources of jeal-
ousy and strife. The prophets Of old
were given the vision Of united
world: Enmities were to be abol-
ashed. The lion is to lie down with
the lamb, the calf, the young lion
and the failing together. Racial jeal-
Dusies are to disappear; war and
bloodshed are to cease; men are to
beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks,
and to learn war no more. There is
no donbt about it that the Gospel Is
COSMOPOLITAN in its message and in
its spirit.
To Human Brotherhood.
Now, I believe that every earnest
man who thinks seriously Is cosmo-
polftan In the Gospel sense Of the
word. No matter what causes may
be assigned for the great war which
as ravagfng the world today, 1t is evi-
dent to every thinking man that the
ultimate cause of the war is national
1ealousies and rivalries. That Is what
lays the great burden Of armament
-upon the nations today; the burden
which has been growing greater and
heavier every year. IN spite Of 1900
years Of Christianity the spirit OF
war still RACES among mankind. and
God has permitted this great war to
scourge us as the inevitable outcome
OF the jealousy and hatred and rival
ries among the nations. Perhaps we
can now see that only in the brother
hood Of nations can there be happi-
ness and well-being. That does not
mean the death Of patriotism, 1t
means no surrender of the love which
we have for our own land. Tennyson
was strong and vehement patriot,
and yet he thought Of the golden age
rs a time when
The war-drum throbbed no longer, and
the battle-f1ags were furled.
In the parliament Of man, the federation
Of the world.
It is an error; Of judgment to think.
that this sort Of cosmopolitanism-the'
kind which the Gospel teaches-is de-
structive of patriotism. The error is
due to a false conception Of what pa
.&~,otioro Ia What IA 0afriotism7 NV