Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-12-24
OBSERVATIONS
(By the Cornfeld Philosopher

Human Greed. A Christmas sermon
OF all the motives that actuate or con-
troll the human mind and tend to evil
deeds and dangerous practices, inor
dinate greed, or the desire to get rich
quickly, ''easily takes the lead" l
would that l might persuade the
preachers in all of our churches to
base their Christmas sermons upon
this theme or text. It is true that all
human beings need and must have
good clothing and shelter, in order to
enjoy life or even to exist. but why
should not the desire to pile up and
hang on to the treasures Of this world
cease or become less active when this
sufficiency is acquired? We do not
live merely to eat and dress and en-
joy riches. The last statement may be
doubted by some, but the view it
expresses is held in common by all
orthodox ministers of the Gospel. Is
not the primary purpose Of living here
>On this earth a preparation for life in
better world to come? Is the devo-
ton of all ones energies to the driv-
ing of "clOse bargains" and taking
advantage Of our fellow men in
thousand ways and disregarding or
violating the laws of our country in
order to acquire wealth, the sum and
substance of our existence, the whole
duty of man? Setting aside or ignOr-
ing of all 'creeds" ought not a person
who hopes for happiness beyond the
grave not strive to do all the good
he can in this world? Sin and sorrow
and suffering are all about us, much
of it the outgrowth Of which poverty
is a chief cause.
And what produces poverty? I as
sumo that nobody deliberately plans
to be wretched and unhappy. No one
would choose extreme poverty to mod
crate wealth. We may therefore safe
ly conclude that the twenty per cent
of our people, of which the writer is
one, who are living on the ragged edge
of poverty and the government census
tells, are the victims of circumstances
over which they have no control. This
own choosing, for they are constantly
protesting against the hard conditions
that surround them. Indeed the great
social unrest now prevailing the world
and daily becoming more pronounced
poverty and draws it's chief susten-
dnCC Ii Jill ZIG pun C1 S1dSoCO
The Good Book is full of warning
and admonitions respecting human
greed. We are commanded not to lay
up treasures on this earth where
moth and rust doth corrupt and where
thieves break through and steal. No.
where in the Sacred Scriptures do we
find any condemnation of the poor on
account of their poverty or any sugs
gestion to leave them i'm that condi-
ton as disaproving of their fate.> On
the contrary, we are assured that HE
who giveth to the poor loveth the
Lord
Among the Beatitudes there is no
such statement as, '@He who is indus
trious and uses his brain power to
amass wealth is an heir to the king
dom of Heaven" Far from it! When
rich man asked, what shall I do
to be saved" was he not told by the
highest Authority, s'Sell all that thou
hast and give to the poor and take up
the cross and follow me?" What an
awful warning do we find in these
words, "It is easier for camel to
go through the eye of needle than
for rich man ito enter the Kingdom
of Heaven" If all protested Chris
tians could lay aside all man made
creeds and dogmas and united upon
this one basic Truth, that it is the
duty of. every person to do all the
good they can in this world and as
little evil as possible and all ministers
preach from this simple text, in sea
son and out Of season there would
be such revival of religion every
where that the world has never
known At least this is my opinion.
The whole world is in great ira
vail and distress and unrest and dis
content, pervades every civilized ma
ton threatening the stability if not
the very existence of government,
largely caused by poverty. To dig
down and reveal the true cause OF this
condition of the masses and to brave1y
and courageously find out method
OF removing or minimizing these caus-