The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-01-17
The CHRISTIAN IN
POLITICS DISCUSSED
Must Express His Faith In Political
Life As Definitely, Ii Not More So,
As In Church Life, He Holds.
By DIR. HOWARD A. KELLY

l take it that a Christian is any
che who believes in the deity o
Jesus Christ as the Son of GOO, an(
that He came to earth to take oul
nature upon Him, to die foroursiu'
and who accept this Christ as hi:
personal savior.
| | take it, too, that politics in the
| larger sense includes all the mani
| fold interests of the social body il
| which We live; that is to say, the
affairs of ourselves and our neigh
bors in so far as they effect oul
communal life. In the narrowest
(but most importantly sense politics
refers to the election and the activi.
ties of those we choose to act fol
US in a representative capacity in
the city, at the State Capitol in
Annapolis or at Washington.
Ought, then a Christian to inter
est himself actively in politics in
either or both of these senses?
hold that the ne ought, while some
earnest Christians say NO" Some
years ago, greatly troubled about
this matter, when 1 was in London,
went to hear an earnest minister
Of the Established Church at st.
Marks, Audsley, near" Ambassador
Pages house. AS 1 was leaving
shortly, l called on HIM the next
morning to his establishment while
he was still at breakfast, and l put
this question to him: Ought a
Christian to attack the manifest evils
and to take an active interest in I'M
proving conditions in this world?"
He replied: Il am not sure but
that the Christians whole duty is
other-worldliness."
Other Worldly Plan A Failure
A large part of the Christian
church has for centuries plodded
along on the "other-worldly" plan,
trusting to inspirational church ser
ices and preaching and hoping in
this way to reach the evils OF society
and it has proven a failure. In SO
far as our Baltimore churches pur-
sue this plan today they are like SO
many little exclusive clubs, preach
ing Sunday after Sunday on some
tLeme-which, hoiled down, amounts
&C a declaration that Christianity is
mighty good thing-and praising
Crcd vocally, often through uncon-
Ferted quartets. And while we are
,hus absorbed Satan holds high car
nivals in some grossly immoral
theatres, in so per cent. of our
movies, on our streets where i'm
moral men and women surge, at our
tace-track gambling courses, and in
our halls of legislation; while the
.egal profession, which ought to be
be very backbone of our civic
O tEn - fr,R1
actively in the passage of good laws
and their enforcement, only too often
cares for nothing but its fees. And
cur courts, the clearing houses of
oIr civic ills, are disgraceful in their
.ack of expedition of business.
l believe the business of the church
IS both other-worldliness and this
world-liness. Other-worldlIness let
us say on every Lords day, in seek
ng life and light and inspiration, and
then this worldliness six days in the
Aeek in purifying every human act
witty and interest, never tolerating
mere lifeless philanthropy, but
holding up the torch of a burning
Christian service, seeking to serve
men wherever there is a need to be
net or legitimate interest to be
f0stered-always, always, with the
Ultimate aim of bringing individuals
INTO the same personal, trusting, in
ipiring relationship TO Christ.
As a Christian, l must busy my
jelf continually in seeking to estab-
.ish kingdom of Righteousness here
IN earth both by breaking down the
vii and by bringing in and building
ap The good.
Activity In Politics Important
A Christians activities in party
politics in the narrower sense, is of
he highest importance; Tor our
Whole civic life is built up and nam
aimed by our politics and politicians.
OUR people can be ruined against
heir wills by bad laws, sucn, for
Example, as the sanctioning of such
criminal acts as race-track gambling
Which has made Maryland a Mecca
tor the gamblers of the United States
who come here to fatten on the
:ools and suckers" Such a purifi-
.ation demands an active interest in
he individual candidates and the
selection of good, honest, true men
1T the primaries and working for
heir election, utterly irrespective
IL party. "A wise selection Is, I'M
fortunately, will-nigh impossible
With our present long ballot. 1t
implies placing principles and calls
for the sacrifice of time and service
to win others to those high ideals.
1t also calls for a close study OF the
actions Of our State Legislature
during it's session and very clear ex-
pressions Of opinion regarding such
serious legislative faults as trading
Jotes, the deliberate wasting Of time
at the beginning of the session hold
ing up important measures IN order
10 rush things through at the end
and the foolish, lavish waste of the
peoples money in unnecessary offices
and appropriations.
Without doubt a Christian is obli-
gated to express his faith in his po-
litical life, in every sense of the
word, just as definitely, nay, per-
haps even more definitely, than he
expresses it in going to church and
in worship. After all, such service
is one OF the highest forms of the
expression Of faith.