The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-02-10
CLAIMS OF CHURCH
TOWARD PEACE
AND WAR
David |. Go'dstein Presents Sub
ject From Catholic Viewpoint
UNDER AUSPICES OF K OF I
Well Attended Lecture on Great Prob
lem at High School Hall Last
Evening.

Declaring that the world will not
have peace at the price of peace, and
so nations are deluged with blood '
David GoIdstein, formerly socialist
and now travelling lecturer for the
Knights of Columbus, made strong
argument in high school hall last eve
ming for a return to the principles OF
Christ and the Catholic church as a
solution of the problem OF peace and
war
On the platform We're several oilici-
ais of the local X OF c. council, Pat
rick J. Pendergast, Grand Knight;
w. L. Sears Deputy Grand knight;
joseph Cunning, financial secretary;
ID. II. Murray, recording secretary; ID.
A. Guiltinan. advocate; John Nash, A.
c. LaMarre and State Senator Ed
mund LaFranchise. The speaker was
introduced by Frank Il. Howe. An
audience of about 800 people We're
present.
Mr.. Goldstein dealt with the subject
OF peace and war as ii applies 10 the
individual, the family the industrial
life and the governmental relation
ships-giving the Christian position
in contrast to that held by radicals.
In dealing with national and interna-
tional peace Mr.. Goldstein said, III
part: Bad viii, denying Gods law
and setting up our own in our domes-
tic and commercial relations, is no
foundation for national peace. Just
Sc 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
maintenance of an army and navy
is q necessity today. But every time
we see a regiment or battle-ship 1t
should be reminder OF our personal
and national disobedience to the law
of Christ 1t is indeed an evidence OF
Mans inhumanity to man that makes
countless millions mourn
The world will not have peace at
the price OF peace, and so nations are
deluged with blood. II is interesting
to note that those who deny the power
of the Church, cannot forget her
claims. Ever since the outbreak OF
the European war. have been fre-
quently questioned as to the contra
diction between the law OF the Catho-
lie church and the acts OF Catholics.
They want to know how 1t is that the
Catholic church says Thou shalt
not kill" and yet, in the armies of the
opposing nations at war, Catholics are
found killing one another? why. as
the law of the Catholic church Is
against killing, does not Rome put
stop to the war by calling upon the
Catholics Of the several nations at
wal to refuse TO fight?
Questions of this character as often
show sincere ignorance OF the law
and the power of the church as they
do hostility to her What seems TO
some genuine lovers of peace to be a
plain contradiction between the law
of Catholics and the acts OF Catholics
quickly gives place TO common-sense
view, when the facts in the case are
pointed out to them. OF course the
insincere man holds the self-same
perverse opinion even after the plain
est Of answers. Thou shalt not kill'
is indeed the law Of God, and the
Church is the divine interpreter of
the law. The Church says: Thou
shalt not kill But, interpreting the
law, the Church says that you and
have right to our life; that, if an
enemy. out of revenge, or if a mad
man threatens our existence, we may
cut him down. and the law Thou
shalt net kill is not violated. The
Church teaches that the State has a
right to its 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 set
tlement of her just claims, and the
| law Thou shalt not kill'' is not VIC.
| lated So it is that the Interpretation
of Gods law meets with the assent OF
right-mnded men. For it rests upon
the principle of Justice, not upon
sentimentality more or less sound or
sickly. The mind of the Catholic
Church is robust, wholesome, sound
While the Church says there is such
! thing as Just war she knows that
some day, some way, God will punish