The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-07-22
GREAT NEED OH EXPLANATION
By G.oree b. Coleman

tSTt = - IN SANAiAlSA government on
earth but claims it is a Christian goy-
eminent. With all The barbarities and
atrocities Of war, with all the intriaues
decelts and moral crookedness Of di-
plomats, even two nations waging war
against one another will both claim 10
be Christian nations. Now. why not
come down to common sense ana cease
this internal hypocrisy9 Either to be
Christian is to be contemplate pre-
tender to something very different
from the facts, or else the term Chris
tan means Numerically opposite 10
the ideals and teachings that we have
in the New Testament.
No man not morally obtuse, Or who
is above the grade Of a savage. can
find anything to object to in The moral
teachings Of Christ. They may say
Confucius taught the Golden Rule 500
years before Christ, but that 500 years
does moi effect The moral worth Of The.
Golden Rule and it is no argument O..
does it have any bearing upon the sub
ject
To come right down Is common
sense and brass tacks. as resembling in
any way, in its laws, customs, usages,
Or ideals. either the Golden Rule Or
any Of the moral teachings recorded
in the New Testament as taught by
Christ, to call this system Christian Z
system Of society, as is the popular Gus
tom. is either moral obtuseness or ig4
norance, or a mixture Of Both. The
modern system Of society is pagan in.
its foundation Our laws are based
upon the legal system Of pagan Rome,
our customs are only notifications Of
pagan customs, and our usages the
same, and the ideals taught in our col
leges are pagan ideals in fact, the.
whole study Of Greek and Latin liter
allure, mculcates pagan ideals, and there
is nothing Christian about it, and to
call il Christian is hypocrisy.
Coming down to the so-called Chris
tan church, the Protestant churches
are more concerned about apostolic
succession through the Church Of Rome
whether baptism should be by DIP
ping, sprinkling, or pouring; whether a.
part are elected to be damned, and
some mose over 200 diverse doctrines,
than they are In the practice of the Col
den Rule or any Of the moral teachings
of Christ. Theology and superstition is
stronger among the sects than are the
moral precepts Of Christ. They are not
in any strict sense Christian churches
any more than are war-making govern
ments Christian governments, or a cut
throat and jungle tooth-and-claw soci-
ETY. a Christian system of society.
As an example of how the working
class view the church as an Institution,
It is now some IS or lS years ago,
mass meeting Of workers assembled in
the Cooper Institute Hall, New York
City, and was composed of some 4
nationalities -when the name Of Christ
was mentioned it was Kissed; but when
the name of The Carpenter Of MAJ
areth' was mentioned it was cheered.
A leading Christian bishop remarked
that that was the most significant thing
he had ever known.
You will ask: Are you opposed to
all religion2" No, quite the contrary.
What, then, would you substituted"
| would substitute real religion in the
place of bigotry, fanaticism. supersti-
ton and form that calls itself religion
which is not. Cooperation is the put
ting in practice of the teachings Of
Christ.
He told his disciples: Cal no man
master, for all ye are brethren" Well, |
we here in Newllano obey that order.
We are all brethren, and each member
knows that he is part and equal owner
with all the rest In our large property
which grows rapidly larger every day.
Here we practice the Golden Rule and
make no false pretenses. Here we
have no theological doctrines to divide
us. We hold no prayer meetings Or
religious or church services. altho any
one SO disposed is free to do so; forl
here there is complete liberation. All !
are free to believe as they please. What
we expect from them is brotherly, kind
" feeling and acts. Here, from the
very constitution Of the Colony, the
Of pure religion must be prac-
ticed. Under the present system Of so
ciety, thpnan OF men who practice
the prs taught BY Christ cannot
survive: q is lucky if he exists. be-
cause it is opposed to the teachings Of
Christ, and it is only under co-opera-
ton and the Cooperative Common
II I L /