The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-02-05

ment on sinful world. But that's mere absurd conjecture and 1t IS endowing God Almighty with g. sense of justice, in that the very in nocent are the greatest sufferers, that would disgrace a savage. Besides, what materialism there is certainly cannot be laid at the doors of the men who started this war. The Kaiser is nothing if not religious; Franz Josef, tottering to his grave prays With the officlai zealousness of age. The Tar is not only religious man but is ex off cio head of the Greek Catholic Church; King George is reputedly punctilious in his religious oDserv- ances, prays like a preacher and styles himself the herditary Defend CT of the Faith.
 We have been repeatedly assured | by both the Kaiser and tho Empe- rorKing of Austrla-Hungary that God has been fighting with them and it would not become us to ques- tion the religious quality of either who have so close a familiarity with the mental attitude of the Creator.
 | In the face of all thece facts. therefore it seems atroc:ous to sug- gest that this war is not beins | fought by religious men, that their religion has not accentucted their ! fighting efficiency and that moreover they are not the product themselves of hereditary religious frame of mind which has contributed to the social cataclysm that now engulfs all Europe,
 None the less it is to be admitted that there is nothing at all in the religion of Christ which would drive to war; that there is everything in that religion which would urge against war; that that religion teaches expressly love not hate oi ones enemies; that it expressly teaches that when one cheek is smit. ten, the christian turn the other to him who would snite that other ono also. Yet it's votaries have their chaplains Eor regiments and battle shIrs have thci, ecclesiastics hold i ing war services and sacrifices for victory; have their preachers ana priests blessing battle flags, drums, guns, ships, snomarines and aero planes. How are we to explain these apparently irreconcileable and directly antagonistic acts with the professions that men make?
 Most people accept the teachings of Christ on the above heads as part of the cardinal points of their religious doctrines, and yet through. out the lives of men they arc honor ed in the breach and not in the oo- servance.
 The fact is that what has passed muster as christianity has been an adjustment of the doctrines taught by Christ to the economic conditions that prevail Just as 1t accomo- dated itself to the imperialism of Constantine, the foudali5m of the Middle ages. so also has it modified itself to accomodatc the economic system that prevails today in the various countries. It is therefore not correct to hold tho doctrines that wero professcd by tho earliest christians as responsible for this war In the historic processus through the centuries, tho wcy men made their living also directed their religious concepts. It is true that they did not at any particular era begin now form adapted to that era That form was built up with in the shell of the old; it adapted some of the organism of Greece ana Rome, and the pagan festivals and the christian festivals fell in line so that they coalesced almost without any other change than change in name.
 The religious element thst is ex- emplified in this war today is pre- cisely the same psychological impulse which led the Romans to worship Mars and to consult the auguries in the event of hostilities. That it's name is changed and that. wo refer no longer to Mars is because at least