The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-17
CHRISTIANITY NOT YET ,
ESTABLISHED IN EARTH
DIR. w. r. Gibson Draws Contrast Be
tween Christianity and
War.
HOW NATIONS ARE EXALTED.
"our Christian Duty" Is to Make 10
Increasingly Difficult For Nations to
Become Involved In War.


liVereq In tie Broadus Memorial Bap-
Ilst Church nv their pastor. Rev. DR..
! w 10. G'tson, on the subject of
christianity and War"
! Jaf;in= as his text these words:
"My Kingdom Is not of this world; II
MY Kingdom were of this world, then
would NV servants fight. that / should
not be delivered TO the Jews John
1889, DR.. Gibson said.
I am thinking of the birthday Of
our nation, the anniversary of the day
/ on which our forefathers dared sign
the Declaration of Independence,
marking the beginning of our rational
existence. It was a brave thing for
them TO DO. There were but thirteen
thiniy settled colonies. and these were
subject to England, great and
mighty nation. In declaring that
These United Colonies are. and of
right ought to be. free and inde-
| pendent States, and that they are alb
| solved from all allegiance to the
| British crown" these men launched
a rebellion against England, which,
! had il no" succeeded. would have
| brought down upon them as traitors
| the wrath cs the crown. They realized
the seriousness of that which they did.
| When signing the paper, by which
they cut themselves entirely Loose
! cock said We must all hang to-
gether.' "Ay." answered Benjamin
| Franklin we must all hang together.
/ else We shat! all hang separately"
! They were mostly young men.
/ Thomas~l efTerson. who wrote the his
I toric document was at this time but
! thirty-three years OF age. These men
deserve our grateful appreciation and
remembrance. not only for what they
At Il to- 81
the service they rendered the cause Of
/ humanity.
One Justlfabie War.
AID the fH1r which followed. result
! ing n the establishment OF our in
dependence Of the mother country.
! WAS one of' the few causes in my
opinion. where war was tustif1a BILE.
! Our Civil W7r should never have been
! fous mt. There ought to have been
/ men wise enough. unselfsh and self
sacrificing enough, 10 have settled that
disagreement between the North and
South without resort 10 arms, And for
/ the awful conflict now raging In
Europe thRre can he no justification
whatever The nations have gone
mad without Just cause.
But there are times when con-
flict OF arms cannot he honorsbiy
avoided IN the AFFAIRS Of civil govern
f1pnt. IeeF]S GAfS mere. AT NY -fNAth
don were Of this world. then would
NV servants fight" II He had been a
ruler Of q kinvdom of this world the
circumstances under which He was
Their place6 would have justified re-
sort 90 arms The insults, the in
justices, the cruelties heaped upon
! Him would have justified forcsful re-
Sistsncs-
Our forr4athers I'D their best TO
Z hut IL
was forced upon them by the tyran-
/ MES OF the leaders OF the mother
country. Patrick Henry, IN his mem y
( orahle address delivered In this city
s nt old St Johns Church, said: SIT,
we have done everything that could
! be done 10 avert the storm whicn rs
now coming on. We have petfttoned,
we have demonstrated, we have sup
pIicated VIE have prostTateH ourselves
before tha throne. and have implored
its fnternosftion 20 arrest the tyranni-
cal hands Of the Ministry and Par
! lament Our petitions have been
! sltghted: our remonstrances have pro-
duced additional violence and Insult
our supplicattons have been disre-
garded and We have been spurned
with contempt from the foot OF the
throne. In vain AFTER THESE Things,
may we indulge the fond hope of
peace and reconciliation. There is no
longer any room for hope. n we
wish to be free, If We mean to pre-
serve inviolate those inestimab BILE priv
ijeges fog which we have been so Ions
rontending: if we mean not basely 70
abandon the noble struggle in which
we have been long engaged. and
which we have pledged ourselves
never TO abandon until the glorious
obtec, of our contest shall be obtained
we must fight: repeat 1t, sir, we
must fight! An appeal TO arms. and
to the God of Hosts, is all that ie
left US '--
The situation was such that our
forefathers. relying upon God, and to
take up arms to procure those rights
and privileges which God intended
we should have,
Christianity and War.
But my purpose is TO emphaslze the
distinction between Christianity ana
war,
My Kingdom is not OF this world"
saws Jesus. There is the greatest diff
ference between that for which Chris
ttanity stands and that for<which ma
tons engage IN war
l. Consider the contrast between
Christianity and war in the princt-
pies thats-goNern,
II is principle of war that might
7 makes TlEtit w 6f says,
hy force and strength of arms Is right.
The end justifies the means. says war
Hence il is perfectly proper and le-
climate to pillage and destroy and
kin Sword and powder and shell
are the weapons OF war, and nations
at war claim that they are at liberty
to use these TO do the greatest pos
sihle damage to those who oppose
them. And in war grasping greed
ID legitimate; 1t is perfectly proper to
steal, TO take possession of the en-
emy's property, to lay hold on land
and cities and dominions and keep
them, II able to do so by the strength
OF might.
SUCH principles are In direct con-
fiict with the principles of Christi
anity. Christianity says: 1t is wrong
to injure another; better thousand
times to endure am injury than to in
fiict one. Christianity says: 1t Is sin
to pillage and destroy; it is crime and
wickedness to steal or kill. War says:
II your enemy hunger. starve him out
Christianity says: If your enemy hum
ger feed him. War says: If your en-
envy thirst, see that he furnishes rather
than obtain water. Christianity says:
If your enemy thirst, give him drink.
War says: Hate with relentless ha-
tired them that hate you, and IL your
enemy Is vicious and revengeful. re-