The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-06-24
COMRADE j. M. SALTER
ADDRESSES MINISTERIAL
ASSOCIATION
The Social and Economic
Teachings of Jesus

missioner j. M. Salter addressed that
body under the title, "rhe Social and
Economic Teachings of Jesus" Space
will not allow the printing of the
whole address, which was well receiv-
ed and taken and criticised In the
spirit In which 1t was delivered. Com
rade Salter spoke in part as follows:
81 come before your body as part
and representative of the militant re.
volutionary wing of the working-class,
which finds its highest expression In
the International Socialist movement.
"The church holds that If the teach
ings of Jesus were universally accept
ed, all our vexing social and economic
problems would be solved. " this
means anything, 1t means that the
teachings Of Jesus have a distinct So
cIaI and economic bearing.
1--WE Socialists claim that our philo-
sophy points the way to the solution
of those problems.
1T then follows that the church,
whose business II Is to propagate the
teachings of Jesus, and the organized
Socialist movement which seeks to
spread the philosophy of Socialism,
have common economic end. That
many, both in the church and in the
Socialist movement. believe this Is
evidenced by the Christian Socialist
brotherhood and the following quota
lions from prominent ministers:
Appeal by a Catholic
Is the Catholic church the bulwark
of the existing state of society? Are
we going to repeat the mistake made
by our ancestors by identifying the
Church of Christ with capitalism. as
they identified it with monarchical
absolutism? If we do, we shall bring
shame and disaster upon our holy
Mother.-Arthur Preuss, editor Of the
Fortnightly Review.
Churches are Awakening
Bye. B. Hoffman
Owners of mines in the lead dis.
tricts of southeast Missouri were bit
terly denounced as responsible for
the "frightful conditions under which
miners are compelled to live there
at the annual meeting of the st. Louis
district conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church at st. Louis, May 26.
1--WE cannot hope to make Method
lists there" said Rev. e. ]. Kulp, be
cause a Methodist believes he is
child of God, and no man can believe
he is a child of God and live there, =
Press Dispatch.
Can't Ignore Socialism.
New York,-The Rt. Rev. VIM. A.
lGuerry, Episcopal bishop of South
,arolina, at the Cathedral of st. John
the Divine, New York, during the con-
secration of Bishop Hulse, of Cuba,
said:
mo church and no body of relig-
ious leaders calling themselves Amer
leans can any longer afford to ig-
more this great world wide movement
of Socialism, or to be ignorant of it's
underlying principles"
PROBLEMS TO SOLVE.
THAT our social and economic prob
lens are pressing for solution, and If
left unsolved must eventually engulf
us in a whirlwind of destruction, all
thinking students of existing affairs
admit. Many churchmen expend most
of their energy in railing at Social
ism, while a number of Socialists are
equally energetic in their attacks upon
the church and religion. 1t is with
the idea of doing away with these mu-
tual recriminations that | chose the
subject which | will discuss before
you today.
"Churchmen admit today that the
church is losing it's influence among
the masses of workers. They realize
that the workers look with suspicion
upon the church.
"Yet, in spite of this, Jesus stands
higher than ever before in the estim-
alton of the more intelligent workers
They know that he in his day voiced
the highest aspirations of the lowly
Why Workers Leave Church.
Let me devote a few moments to
explain why the militant workers are
leaving the church .and discarding re-
ligion:
"Al religions have at least three
underlying principles. First theory
of causation, second, the attitude that
man should hold towards the unknown
forces of nature, third, mans attitude
towards his fellow man. Science has
eliminated religion as theory of eau
sation The Christian idea of God is
incompatible with the worlds rising
democracy and to attempt to assume
the attitude. towards our fellow men
III, oh, hn