The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-18
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
MUST Be RECOGNIZED
DIR. j. II. johnson Declares That We
Have Come to n Day of
Social Confusion.
SHOULD JUDGE BY INTERVALS
Pastor Asserts That Present World
Social Conditions Are Disgrace to
Civilization - Civilized but Not
Christianized.

The Social Gospel of Moses" was
the theme from which DR.. j. r. John
son talked yesterday morning in Ven
able-Street Baptist Church. He said
in part;
( We have come to day of great
social confusion. Glass is arrayed
against class and nation against ma
ton. This may not be so much be-
cause Of the individual desires of men,
as OF the circumstances under which
we are living. The turmoil, however
| may not be bad omen. 1t may be
| the awakening of forces that SHALL
/ at least endeavor to correct social
| wrongs. and properly Just the social
and commercial relations among men
/ Mere law can never do this We have
never had SO many laws as at present
and are still crying for more. Yet
| there has seldom been so much dis
| satisfaction. We need law, but we
need much more the love of God in
our hearts; that kind of love which
manifests itself toward our brother
and which will not be seeking to make
| void the laws We have. Christianity
| Is thoroughly sociological, and the
principles of its founder. If we'll OBJ
| served, would correct our trouble
/ some problems. They can never be
! properly observed without love in
the heart that drives out selfishness
and covetousness. This is nothing
new. IT was not a new teaching when
Jesus proclaimed His principles gov
erning human relations. or when Paul
wrote that memorable chapter of love.
Paul made love the dynamic that
ought to right social wrongs. But
J such teaching was based upon the
declarations of Moses in the very be-
ginning Of the history of God g select
} people.
} lone of the problems of the ages
J has been to get the world to recog-
nize the individual rights of men. "A
; mans man for a that is not the
doctrine of poet. but of God, who
: made man and knows his worth. Men
have judged each other by externals
: instead OF Intervals; by possessions in
| stead of character. 1t has been hard
: for the ruling and rich TO recognize
the rights OF the serving and the poor.
} This Is woefully manifest In Europe
today. 1t is not always easy for the
poor and working class TO act with
$ kindness to others, We must ac-
knowledge that the present world So
cial conditions are disgrace to CIV
, iliZation. We may be civilized, but
not Chrstianized Yet If these prob
!, lens are ever to be solved it must
, word of God. Let us see some OF
: these teachings set forth by Moses in
. the book of Deuteronomy
s Many Financial Wrongs.
Injury TO others is to be avoided
This covers every phase of a mans
life. The financial wrongs of the
present day would be corrected II
we followed the teachings of Deu-
teronomy, chapters 2224. Oppression
= of the poor or serving by too small
a wage or Withholding the wage too
long is absolutely prohibited Such
: oppression was a sin and a crime
against humanity No man was to
die Of starvation, If the fields were
- yielding. Such cases as our papers
report Oh Church Street could not
exist II this law were obeyed. The
widows and orphans we're not to be
swindled, neither was man to take
as surety their needed support. 1t
was not right to set them in the street
\ when the rent was not paid. II by
unavoidable circumstances Other
n mems property was to be cared for,
e even If 1t put one to some trouble,
= expense and loss of time. We are
t far behind these teachings. Physical
injuries were looked after. No man
e was allowed TO erect a building in
d such manner as to jeopardize the
= health and life of others What have
q DecA tine IeNtldtlOliS III our factories
8 and offices. recently? Has the health
i; and life of people been guarded? We
= have had to force men by law to
n provide even fire escapes on high
n buildings The working man has been
r thought of as a part of the machinery.
4 His place can be supplied when he
r Is worn out. Such ideas can never
a make manhood. Men everywhere
must be respected and honored If for
nothing else than that they are men
No situation must be allowed that will
4 disgrace and belittle manhood and
= make any class of people detestable
moral feelings of the individual are
cared for by Moses. No interruptions
: creditor was to be allowed to offend
= the inner feelings Of those who owed
. him, much less take the very living
out Of the mouths OF babes to pay
y for the loan. or house rent. Men
o were to be treated as II human. We
have no right to offend a man simply
because he cannot help 1t.
2 1.-THE very home was protected. and
! the tender feelings of women were to
Z be respected, and especially in time
! OF war. How different this Is today
! in many cases in Europe: yes. in our
I own land. @. that men would recog-
! nize the Divine will the will of Him
! who made us and knows our needs:
the will of Him who is no respecter
of persons. Love and sympathy. Cour-
tesy and consideration among men Of
different social standings is the fun
damental law by which our social
wrongs shall be righted. Our troubles
can never end until we treat each
other with kindness and brotherly
love"