Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-28

failure has come about because the Chris.
tian way has never been tried"
What" exclaimed the doctor. Chris.
tianity never been tried? And we are
teaching it every week and history Is
fun of the stories of noble martyrs to the
faith?"
Yes | admitted History is fun Of
tales of martyrdom, but you must admit
that if the teachings of Christ and the
prophets had had very much effect on
society the martyrs would not have gone
to their death The persecution of the
martyrs was not Christian
Professor Kent continued, has
written most remarkable book. It could
not have been produced by any biblical
student fifty years ago. for men were
afraid then to study the Bible as they
studied any other body of literature
Whatever else the Bible may he. we now
recognize it as the social religious and
political history of "A pecIiliar race. The
prophets and priests were men who met
contemporary problems with such knowl
edge and insight as they possessed. We
can study them today without the theo.
logical bias which has led the world
astray for SO many centuries. Professor
Kent has done this. He has studied the
period covered by the Bible as though he
were studying the Middle Ages in the
documents produced in that period and
he approaches the prophets and Jesus
himself as though they were human
beings influenced by their times and
struggling with the issues of life. He re-
minds us that the world has misconceived
Christianity, and to prove it cites the
remark Of a theologian of the last half
of the last century that Christianity is
not a life but dogma. If that view had
not been held so widely and so persist
entity | do not think that this war would
have happened You know men used to
murder one another for dsagreeing about
doCmas. We are rediscoverinG that
Christianity is Il life that il is an out.
ward manifestation of an inward spiritual
awakening. You know that when Zac.
cheus, the grating tax gatherer, an.
nounced that he would sell half his goods
and give them TO the poor, and that if he
had taken from any man what did not
belong to him he would restore it four
fold, Jesus announced that this day hath
salvation come to this house There was
not a word about dogma but the outlook
on life had been changed for Zaccheus
and he was a changed man."
Yes, have often thought of that"
remarked the doctor. But we have been
trying to apply Christianity. I have some
friends who are what they call Christian
Socialists. and they have been planning
reconstruction OF society on the basis
Of the teachings OF Christ"
But you know they will fail unless
they reconstruct the individual members
of society don't you?" asked
Yes, / suppose they will"
Professor Kent puts his finger on the
weakness of their position when he says
| that they are attempting to reform so
| ciety by popular vote with the majority
ruling. He reminds us that the Socialist
places his chief emphasis on material val
| ues-insists that the morals and the re
| ligion of people are largely determined
| by their economic environment and that
| the individual as we'll as society can bt
reconstructed by mere economic recon
struction. Christianity, on the other hand
! stresses the ethical and spiritual value:
so that the social leaven of Christianity
begins to work as soon as an individual
begins to live in accord with the socia
teachings of Christ. Socialism attempt!
to cure a disease and Christianity seeks
to remove it's cause. When the principle!
of human brotherhood taught by th'
prophets and illuminated by Jesus, ar,
acknowledged and practiced by employe
and employe social disorder will disap
pear and when they are practiced by ma
tions war will disappear from the fac