The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-03-23

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heard that it hath been said love your
friends and hate your enemies. But I
say unto you love your enemies.
Do good to those that hate YOU" The
plain teaching of the entire passage
is that we as Christians are obliged to
return good for evil and kindness for
hate. Every man who listened to this
sermon, which is characterized as
"nonsensical twaddle" will bear me out
in the statement that the entire SER
mon was the application Of those
teachings of Christ to individuals, to
communities, to churches, to corpora
tions and to nations. For 1000 years
the world, growing beneath the aw-
full burden of miseries and disolation
of war, has been waiting for our
Christian statesmen to apply these
teachings of the Christ to the interna-
tional relationship between nations.
When they are applied war will cease.
These specific teachings of the Christ
and their direct application to the
problem Of war is what the com CEN
tator on last Sundays sermon is pleas
ed to characterize as "nonsensical rap
sodies" and "idiotic twaddlc''. I am
inclined to think. that there is not a
few Christian people in Devils Lake
of both Catholic and Protestant ocr-
suasion who would not agree with this
self constituted critic that these teach
ings of Christ are "nonsensical rapso-
dies" However, if this hostile critic
of my peace sermon, is convinced that
Jesus was teaching "nonsensical rap
sodies" and "idiotic twaddle" when He
lay down these principles to guide all
Christians, then it is equally evident
that his quarrel is not with me but
with the author of these teachings,
Jesus Christ. Let this brawny brain
ed critic go directly to Headquarters
and hurl his choice oratorical emma
tions of "nonsensical rapsodies" ar,.,
idiotic twaddle" (whatever that is} al
the Christ and not at me. Let this
self appointed critic who is afraid to
sign his name, but sneaks out of sight
behind an honorable and much loved
institution, come out into the open anc
either prove that I did not in my Sun.
day night sermon correctly interpret
and apply these teachings of Christ
'"Thou shalt return good for evil''
Glove you enemies, flight hate VIII
love-, or else let him boldly declare
that Jesus was teacher of "ncnsen
sical rapsodies" and "idiotic twaddIe"
I have always felt as a Christian mar
and a teacher of the Gospel that il
was my business to preach the Gospe
and not mend it. If Jesus made mis-
takes let my critic go and set Hin
right. It is hardly in accordance will
the American spirit of fair deal rt
blame me because Jesus was "non
sensical rapsodist." I utterly disclain
all responsibility for the "idiotic twad
die" that Jesus taught. In the mean
time until / receive fresh orders +, n
the skies, in spite of all hostile criti
cism, I shall continue to preach ane
try to live this same "idiotic twaddle'
and I have sneaking suspician tha
when this same "idiotic twaddle is ap
piled to the relationship between ma
tions that all wars will cease. 'Nu:
sed.
Praying that the richest and choic
est benediction may rest upon the G
A. R. post of your city and every ex
soldier throughout the republic, I bet
to remain,
Sincerely yours,
r. Carleton
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