The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-10
David GOIdstein of Boston
Makes Stirring Address to
Stamford knights Of
Columbus.

Columbus.
"Men who have been stating that
a man cannot be a good citizen of the
United States, of England, OF + rance.
of Germany or of any other country,
and be obedient to the Pope at the
same time, because the obligations to
the Pope conflicts with the obligation
| OF the State, are now the very men
who are necessarily demanding the
reason why the Pope does not stop
| the war in Europe. Friends. think
you will all agree with me that the
Pope has shown a remarkable att-
tude of strict neutrality in the great
struggle, and yet has displayed the
spirit, often announced, that he will
do all in his power to assist in estab-
fishing peace
This statement was made by David
Goldstein of Boston, in a lecture on
the subject, ''Peace and War;" in the
Casino, Stamford, Wednesday night,
under the auspices of ST. Augustine
Council, knights of Columbus. The
capacity of the hall was taxed by the
audience, who interrupted his words
with rounds of applause as he spoke
of the position of the Catholic Church
in regard to marriage laws, to Social
ism and to war and peace.
After the lecture, which occupied
nearly two hours time, Mr.. Goldstein
and ST. Peters Councils and the Wis
iting out-of-town knights in the St
Augustine club rooms in Main street.
He shook hands with rne various men
present and spoke to them along the
lines of the good Of their Order.
The meeting in the Casino was
opened by Past Grand Knight Ed
ward J. Fleming of st. Augustine
Council who with the speaker Grand
Knights william MeGill of st. Angus
tines. and Grand knight Arthur
Tynes of St. Peters Councils. occu-
pied the platform Mr.. Fleming said
a few words about the work which
the Order is trying to perform IN
the countries where Councils, have
been established. before introducing
the speaker of the evening.
Mr. GoIdstein dealt with the sub
ject of peace and war as it applies to
the individual, the family, the indus
trial life and the governmental re-
lationships, giving the Christian posi-
ton in contrast to that held by radi-
GALS In dealing with national and, in
ternationa1 peace and war, Mr.. Cold
stein said, in part:
bad WILL denying Gods law, and
estting up our own in our domestic
and commercial relations, is no foun-
dalton for national peace. just so
long as there is national greed, envy
and jealousy, just so long shall the
clash of arms be heard and the only
peace we shall have will be armed
peace, with its ever increasing burden
of taxation. This being so, the main
.tenance of an army and a navy is
necessity today. But every time we
see a regiment or a battleship 1T
should beGa reminder to US of our
personal and national disobedience to
the law of Christ. 1T is indeed am evd-
dence of Mans inhumanity to man
that makes countless millions mourn
1.-THE world will not have peace at
the price of peace, and so nations are
deIuged with blood. 1t is interesting
to note that those who deny the pow
er of the church cannot forget her
claims. Ever since the outbreak of
the European war. I have been fire.
quently questioned as to the contra
diction between the law of the Cath
Ole Church and the acts of Catholics
They want to know how it is that the |
Catholic Church says: Thou shalt
not KILL and yet, in the armies OF
the opposing nations at war, Catho-
lies are found killing one another
Why, as the law of the Catholic
Church Is against killing, does not
upon the Catholics of the several ma
lions at war to refuse to fight?
Questions of this character as Of
ten show sincere ignorance OF the
law and the power of tire church as
thew do hostility to her. What seems |
be a plain contradiction between the |
Catholics quickly gives place to a |
common-sense view,s once the factS
in the case are pointed out to them.
OF course the insincere man holds to |
the seIf-same perverse opinion even
after the pIainest of answers Thou |
shalt not kill is indeed the law OF
God, and the church is the divine in /
tepreter of the law. Church says:
Thou, shalt not KILL But, interpret
ing the law, the church says that you
and 1 have a, right to our life; that
if an enemy, out of revenge, or II
a mailman threatens our existence,
we may cut him down and the law I
Thou shalt not ki1f is not violated.
The church teaches that the State has
a right to it's life; that the State has
a right to maintain and to perfect
that life If then, the State takes in
battle the life of an invader, the law
Thou shalt not kill is not violated.
The State may enter the territory of
her enemy, making war to compel
the settlement of her just claims, and
the law Thou shalt not kill is not
violated So it is that the church's
of Gods law meets
with the assent of right-minded men.
For it rests upon the principle of JUS
tice not upon the mere sentimentality
more or less sound or siclxly. The
mind of the Catholic Church is robust
sound. While the church
says there is such thing as a just
war she knows that someday, some
way, God will punish those nations
that wage unjust war, for the state
is morally bound to obey the law of