The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-01-28
The War Spirit and Christianity.

iHC wal oPHh dHu SHTISlldHlIy.
(The following paper was read be-
fore the Literary Glass of the Palat-
ka Woman's Club at recent meeting
by Mrs. J. H. Harmon of this city,
Europe, the land of churches, the
home of civilization, the cradle of re-
ligion, supposedly the fireside of cul-
ture and refinement, plunged in war!
Gar, Emperor, King and President
each crying to their God for victory TO
their arms-and in all the thousands
Of churches, the populace praying for
their armies to be given the strength
to kill the others. The awful TRACE
dy of people praying to the God who
gave His son to bring peace on earth,
that he may strengthen men and en-
ploy their divine powers to the ends
of destruction and carnage! God
cannot give victory to every army.
God is on the side of the right, if
such side there be in this awful
struggle-no creed can stand in the
face of such monstrous ironical
mockery. How can there remain
faith in a. religion, practiced as it has
been by these autocrats? God, our
God, the God of our fathers to have
His name so easily on the lips of ev-
cry potentate, as though He were
being earthly, to be called at COM
mand!
When the war is over, the battle
fields cleared away, business resumes
it's sway, the starving have been fed,
the naked clothed, the homeless
boused-when things approach nor
NAL, and once more they think of
their religion, they will find that it is
gone. The old creed of God, high in
the heavens, ruling men by right of
might, blessing this one, cursing that
one, answering selfish prayers against
foes--will have faded from the earth.
1t may not go when we can see it,
but surely this war, if anything can,
will waken the people of the earth
to a new religion. The fields of car
mage where brother has met brother
and grappled to the death will be the
forerunner of a new brotherly love.
the widows and orphans, desolate
homes and ruined countries, will sure
ly teach US that man can be saved
only by God of love who dwells in
the human heart. We have been
long time in preparation for this
change. We have known that God
could not be enlisted for selfish ends,
but that He only responded to the
divine element within us when it is
espousing the right. But Europe,
and all of us for that matter, have
been so bound with custom that even
when we felt His pleadings in our
soul, skill like the Greeks who looked
to Mt. Olympus, have turned our
faces to the sky and expected to find
Him there. We will learn anew,
'Love thy brother as thyself," and
with His help, we ourselves must
try to right that which we ourselves
have ruined. A more christian creed
than we have known.
This war was conceived and bror :,
about by despots, militarists and pet
ty puppets in their hands. Its pur-
pose was that their kingdoms might
grow-that for their own vainglory
they might become world powers and
lIIlpleSS upon dll lIdIlOlS JHelf culture
and civilization. What mockery of
the words! Culture is not thing
of education, mental attribute.
Culture is the inborn refinement of
the spirit and it could have had no
hand in promulgating so ruinous
thing as war.
Nevertheless, this war as it has
turned out, is not the war that was
planned. The purpose of it's origi-
nators has been subverted and it is
become a war for iberty-liberty Of
thought, action and religion. The
soldiers at the front went there be-
cause an inborn loyalty and ruler
sent them there, but as time has
passed, things have taken on differ
ent aspect. The Russian and German
peasants are not enemies, neither do
they hate the English. And as the
war has grown older soldiers and peo.
pie have come to realize that this is
not war to avenge the Austrian
Archduke, nor yet to extend empire.
1t is a war between democracy and
~.--