Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-10-20
IF All Americans Were Christians
Crime Would Be Less in Dull Times

who have risen to acts of sublime heroism
when prompted by love of country,
Now, yield to no man in my gratitude
to organized society for building the
outer walls about the individual. 1t is
easier to follow the path of duty. to
listen to the voice of right in a land
where these walls surround the individ-
ual / feel like taking off my hat to
organized society for the real service 1t
has rendered the cause of religion by
erecting these outer walls of legislation,
education, business, home and patriotism;
but there is no one who does not know
that there are exigencies in life when
no one or all of these walls can render
the individual safe.
(a) Take legislation. for instance. In
spite of our statute books every day
there is an innumerable company Of men
who throw law and order to the winds
and outrage decency and honor. over
10000 were committed in this country last
year. over $1,000 girls were sold as white
slaves during the year. For them at
least the outer wall of legislation breaks
down.
Education without Purity.
| Oh Education. Education has the power
TO develop mans abilities, but there are
innumerable cases where It fails to direct
| those abilities.
| Co Business. There is no doubt that
poverty causes crime with some. just as
crime causes poverty. There is no doubt
] that being without a job is a severe
strain on mans morality.
II abject poverty tends to eat away the
foundation of moral powers, there seems
to be a sort of acid in money and pros
perity that eats the virtue and purity
out of many who possess It.
I'd Home With all the moral influ,
! ence of the home every copy of the morn
ing paper adds to the sickening list OF mer
and women who violate all the sacret
things that bind them to, home. They
sin against themselves. against theil
children and against society. Every da,
the outer wall of the home as protect
ing force breaks down.
(e) Patriotism. Although in the tim,
OF war patriotism does inspire small mel
to big action, yet I'm times of peace wheI
the smell of powder is not in the air, ant
the rattle Of the drum is still, men fint
1t easy to fail IN their duty, and In
thousand and one ways. by low ideals o.
dishonest practices, commit treason I,
their country in innumerable ways. Their
are more Benedict Arnolds than histor.
records. Every day, therefore, the cute
wall Of patriotism breaks down.
Christian Character ImpregnabIe.
want now to pay a tribute to tina
one inner wall Of genuine Christian char
acter which will stand when ali thes
} outer walls have crumbled into dust.
II every man in America was a genuin
Christian. we could dispense with tn
outer wall OF legislation, for II is be
cause the principles of Christianity ar
not accepted and lived out that we nee,
police, jails, penitentiaries, electric chair
and scaffolds.
II every man in America was genuin
Christian, even though we lacked tn
wall of education, 1t would be found tina
the ignorance of a man who is a Chris
tian would not be as fruitful soil 10
the seeds OF wickedness as the ignoranc
OF the man who is not a Christian.
II every man in America was a genuin
Christian our periods of unemployment
would not be productive OF crime as the,
are now. The inner wall of Christianit!
helps a man more than anything els
to hold his ruder true, when his sens
OF morality Is being strained 70 tn
breaking point by temptations which
! come in the hour OF poverty or want.
II every man In America was a genuin
Christian we could beat our swords int,
pruning hooks. our bayonets into pillow
shares. sink our battleships, spike on
guns and hang a For Rent" sign owe
every brewery. over every saloon, an,
houses Of shame would become houses o
I virtue.
, No one Of these walls. nor all withou
3 the inner wall of Christianity, can rende
the nation or the individual safe from
the enemies which attack us on all sides
but the inner wall OF the religion o
Jesus Christ can protect him evel
though every other wall be torn down
On the Rock OF Ages founded
3 What can shake my sure reposel
BY Salvation's walls surrounded.
/ can laugh at all my foesl
\ Copyright. 1915. w. A. Sunday