Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-03-26
OPPORTUNITIES Of CHURCH
DURING RECONSTRUCTION

DUNlTN0 NENUN0lNONllO
One of our laymen has sent us ,
communication on this timely subject
The great issue is plainly stated ant
the suggestions are in line with TIL,
general program of our Church. Tit
opposition of radicalism to the church
is often due to the old-world confu
sion of church and state, and now the,
are suffering for it. Our Lutheran
Church in America with it's free con
stitution and experience in free church
government now has duty and oppor
tunity to assist the Lutheran churches
of Europe in their transition from
/ state control to self-governing bodies
By being established Independent Of
state control, they will have better
opportunity to fulfill their mission OF
being the salt and the light in the
state. Our communication reads:
"The church has a great opportuni
ty at the present time to aid the state
in the great work of reconstruction
1t can do so only by speaking a lang
uage which the common people can
understand. The masses OF Europe
are revolving against their anarchistic
and political leaders and industrial
rulers, and they are also revolving
against the church in many countries.
The reason they revolt against the
church is explained by the fact that
the state churches Of Europe have Oft
en- In many ways been the tools of the
privileged and favored classes, who
by their system of exploitation of the
masses have driven them to revolt.
And now the chickens are coming
home to roost. The autocratic church
es of Europe are going the same way
as the Hohenzollerns, Hapsburgers,
the Romanoffs and the anarchistic in
dustrial kings. The bolshevism of
Russia and Central Europe is imbued
with a spirit of hate and revenge
against the former absolutism, greed
and injustice. Greed and injustice can
breed nothing but greed, injustice and
revenge. The blood of the children
must be split to atone the parents
guilt; the sins of the fathers shall be
visited upon the children.
THE question now is: Shall the
foundation Of the new social order
about to be established be laid in
spirit of hate, revenge and injustice,
or shall the foundation be laid in the
spirit Of justice and love to all men:
Shall we change from one system of
anarchy to another, or from an anar.
chistic feudal system of the propertied
classes to an anarchistic and despotic
system of the proletariat?
Here is where the church may be
nj a. nd hoo
1t can only succeed in this mission by
remaining true to it's original mis-
sion of preaching the Gospel of love,
as it was preached by the Carpenter
of Nazareth. It must be church
that lives up to the principle of separ.
alton of church and state and must
enter upon this work in a spirit of
service to mankind and not to the
privileged classes only, whose pur-
pose in life is to exploit the masses
and obtain control of the wealth they
produce. Here the church has great
opportunity. Especially the churches
with democratic form of church gov
eminent, which can be established in
conformity with the reconstructed
forms Of government. The press hav.
ing, as rule, lost the confidence of
the people has failed humanity in
this crisis, because it has very often
leagued itself with the exploiting
classes. The war of the nations is
over, and we shall have the war of
the classes. The church as a spirit
ual institution has its work to do, not
in preventing the change-which can't
be done, but in guiding its course, so
hot 10 io oo1e
of hate and misery humanity shall
emerge chastened in spirit and with
will to rebuild the social structure
on foundation Of love and universal
brotherhood. Here the church has
a mission. It must not fail.
I'm the words of the great presi-
dent, Woodrow Wilson: Every sign
of these terrible days of war and revo-
lutiOnary change, when economic and
social forces are being released upon
the world whose effect no political
seer dare venture to conjecture, bids
us search our hearts through and
through and make them ready for the
birth of new day-a day, we hope
and believe, of greater opportunity and
greater prosperity to the average mass
of struggling men and women, and Of
safety and opportunity for children =.
The days of political and enconomic re-
construction which are ahead of us no
man can definitely assess; but we
| know this, that every program must
be shot through and through with
utter disinterestedness, that no party
must try to serve itself, but every
| party must serve humanity. The
task is very practical one, meaning
that every program, every measure
in every program, must be tested by
this question, and this only: Is it
just; Is it for the benefit of the aver.
age man, without influence or privil-
eye; Does it embody in real fact the
highest conception of social justice
and of right dealing without respect
of person or class or particular inter.
est?
"'This is a high test. It can be
met by those only who have genu'
inc sympathy with the mass of men
and real insight into their needs and
opportunities, and purpose which
is purged alike of selfish and of parti
san Intention.
"'This spirit Of disinterested serv
ice must be planted in the hearts Of