The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-12-25

, intellectual portions of the Roman aristocracy began to interest them selves in the movement and like the parlor socialists or anarchists of our day, the Roman mansions manifest ed an intellectual interest in the teachings, occasional fanatics got
 the faith and spread it still further. 1t grew in power. And as it grew 1 in power, it became no longer the
 religion of the lowly, but the reli zion of the very mighty with graGu ated caste distinctions even in the ecclesiastical ranks. It became no 1 longer a democracy but a theocratic oligarchy.
 Naturally also there were modifi- soon discovered that there was mo-
 thing incompatible with Christian teachings and immense wealth, i'm
 mense social power and dominance
 over the poor. For the poor and the
 meek "the kingdom was not of this
 world. For the proud and rich and powerful, Christ's kingdom came
 upon earth It was very simple and very natural.
 But just as it is now possible to perceive the distinctions between. say the art of PraXiteles and the art of a Byzantine decorator, so an i'm partial scanning of the christian reli- zion in ts ethcal codes, will show that it varied as it travelled throughout the earth and passed down the aisles of passing time. It absorbed some ideas of Greek moral ity, of oriental mysticism, of Roman authoritarianism, of this, that and
 the other point of view with which it
 came in economic contact, adapting itself under feudalism to the feudal | ideas, and under capitalism to the capitalist ideas of current morality.
 The christian religion of today as
 it is practiced finds an extraordinary
 realization in the battlefields of Flu
 rope. The men fighting those battles are christians for the most part and
 yet despite the complete reversal of
 everything that Christ has taught
 reddened fields, they would be the | first to protest with indignation
 that they were not followers of
 Him who passed no sorrows by" Moreover although we know that in that sermon on the Mount wher feeding and clothing and giving
 drink to relieve human need was
 made the very basis of the religion He taught, we see charity workers
 today making a profession of q stri. button and Investigating whether the recipients are worthy of that char ityi
 Now the doctrine of Christ iC.
 sisted that because it was done to the least, it was done to Him He did not suggest that the donations should be set apart so that the reef pients should be investigated at a cost of four dollars and ninety cents for every dime given away. He insisted that human need of the least worthy was what should be satisfied.
 One could also point out how the leaders of church life anG church society are always those who nave a fair portion of the treasures of ca. ir quite in conflict with his teacI- ing of giving all that one hath. Suffice it is to point out that under capitalism christianity has had to adapt itself to capitalism. and we accept this with the very convenient retort that when in Rome one must do as the Romans do.
 Yet it is a self evident proposition that Humanity will never reach the | acme of it's possible fulfilment until | such time as the golden rule be- comes possible of realization and | there is an economy upon earth | which will make that golden rule a | possibility.
 We believe that is to be brought about. We believe it firmly, earn estly and unwaveringly. The time will come when exploiters and ex- plotted will no longer exist upon 1 earth, but labor will reap it's full re- ward in the product of its work in an industrial democracy!