The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-07-20
THE MORAL EFFECTS OF THE
WAR UPON AMERICA
By Rev. Charles 8. Mcfarland, d. d.
General Secretary Of the Federal
Council Of the Churches of
Chriet an marira

council OF the Cnurcnes OF
Christ in America
Recent experiences in Europe ma,
have led 10 over emphasis, but an
constrained TO the feeling that tn,
moral effect Of this war upon Amer.
lea may be worse than upon an,
of the nations involved. Among tn,
belligerent peoples, there are com
pensatory influences for its awful
tragedies. One witnesses example!
of splendid bravery and self sacri
fee, the spirit OF both patriotic de
votion and Christian resignation OF
the part Of the widows and children
of allegiance TO concience, the will
lingness OF the rich TO share will
the poor, the deepening Of the reli'
gious sense, which in some cases has
risen to a spiritual atmosphere far
above the conflict, the sense Of Q
sublime faith in the future, in some
cases the discrediting Of militarism
at times the spirit Of intercessoin
and many other moral and spiritual
elements which. perhaps, go far to
counteract the demoralizing influen-
ces of human strife. Many or most
of these elements are wanting in the
moral atmosphere Of our country.
what right has the United States
TO intervene !" protested the wife OF
a pastor in Paris as we were at din
ner on Sunday, when the word "in-
PREVENTION" happened to be used by
a member of the group about the
table. THE United States has
shown interest or concern in matters
OF Justice and Righteousness. They
have simply kept their eyes out for
commercial advantage. To be sure,
they have supplied the allies with
munitions, but il has been a purely
commercial transaction, and they
would just have soon have sent the
munitions to any other country for
the same OF more money"
MY friend in Paris was not with
out grounds for her vehemence. We
HAVE given ourselves over in many
directions to the concentrating OF
the misfortunes Of our bretheren
across the sea, even to the amplitude
of complacency. And we have ex-
hibited at the same moment the
spirit of Pharisaism and thanked
God that we are not as other men
are, especially as these poor Publ
cans in Europe. We have forgotten
that the same material ambitions
and selfish competitions and suspi-
cions which ha' caused this war
are right in our own midst. The
nations Of Europe are suffering not
only because Of their immediate
sins, but because Of their past in
Equities and we are not altogether
free, at least, from blots upon our
history. Some Of our militarists are
not very much better than the mil
itarists OF Europe. The same social
disorders that must bear their share
OF the responsibility over there are
present with us also. If the nations
of Europe-had only thought less
about their foes without and more
about their foes within, they might
have preserved their common civil
lization, but we are making the same !
sort OF analysis. Our brothers and
our sisters across the sea have been |
trained and guided wrongly? Grant
il all ! The children of their fathers |
were conceived in national sin and
born in radical iniquity, and the re-
suit is international depravity? |
Yes. But how far is our own better
state due to our better national
morals, and how much OF our more
favored station upon the map Of the
world? Yes, we have been guilty OF
the prayer of the pharisee.
I feel sadly sure, moreover, that
we are losing some Of the moral
idealism which was gaining its way
into our midst. Our preparedness"
program has not been free from mil
itaristic touches, and some OF them
are affixed to it by men and women
who once We're predicters Of an in
morality whose proph-
ecies they have now cast off in con-
tempt. But its worst influence has
been that il has obscured that larger
moral preparedness toward which
we really were tending. We are not
at this moment very much con-
cerned about the violation Of some
Of our own treaties and we are
along very much in the
paths Of the same old diplomacy
hat has brought Europe TO ruin.
The ideals OF international right
eousness which we had begun to
dream have been at least sadly OBJ
scured by the dust Of our parades
and the imploring speech Of the pro-
phet Of the armored conscience Is
drowned nv fho hpazan hapd and ihn