The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-07-07
Silver and gold have none. but
such ~ ] have. give ] thee. In the
name OF Jesus Christ, the Nazarene,

TWO OF my friends and | sat to-
gether thinking and talking about
me iamentabie ana poverty-strick-
en- state OF most ministers of the
gospel. We even talked about the
poNerty-stricken state of most
churches. After so long discus
sion some one Of US suggested that
we work out plan whereby we
would be able to make some money
Tor ourselves. That is, that we
would go into some kind OF bust
ness Almost Immediately upon the
entrance OF this suggestion, one of
my friends objected with the OBJ
servation that the history OF reIi-
gion has been that men are gem
orally called out OF business into
the business OF religion, at least,
this was the experience OF those
who became the first messengers
or the cross OF Jesus.
The suggestion OF my friend
served TO start much inquiry In my
mind as concerned the plight OF my
people and the general impotence
OF religion In western civilization:
why Is America the most lawless OF
the earth's civilized countries? II
soon dawned upon me that we are
victimized by the beauty OF our
horns as was the case with the elk
Of Aesop's Fable. Aesop tells US a
fable OF an elk and lion. The elk
had beautiful horns. One day he
came out OF the bush down TO the
stream TO drink. ~ he leaned over
the crystal stream he caught a re-
Election OF his beautiful horns
stretching out over his rhythmical-
| ly constructed body. He began
praising himself, especially EN-.
phasizing to himself the beauty O.
his horns. Finally he said am tn,
possessor of the most beautifu
head In all the forest and IL 1t wer
not for my keeniy constructed leg
= and feet / would have the mo,
y beautifully body of any beast In Il
10 forest. oven the lion with his &c
20 den. flaxen name would not CO,
pare with me- Just then a Hon II
,ot had decided to have the elk for
-. lhrcnkfast leaped forth 10 yet n
The disdained but agile feet
be athletic legs OF the elk were
on Immediate salvation. But the I
- did not stop because the elk Z
- leaped across the stream and o.
distanced him In their swift ra
through the bush. Just as the III
was about TO give up the chas
something suddenly happened. I'll
horns OF the elk were caught
0 an overhanging vine and he wa
: trapped only TO serve as the pre-
! of his pursuer.
The experience OF the elk seem
!, to be similar to what has been tn,
experience of our Western Culture
Especially has this been the Case
with American Culture We
are victims OF what Matthew Ar
mold once called "The American
Rhapsody OF Self Praise"
Even religion when II becomes
entrameled and bewildered by ma
terial beauty becomes proud, vici-
Gus, cruel. Indifferent. blind. cere-
monial. and narrow. And so II de-
parts from its natural work and
| thus becomes incapable of progress.
For whenever an organism, wheth-
er be tiny cell. an individual. or
an institution departs from its ma
tural junction and seeks TO adjust
itself 10 other things for the
purpose of survival IL loses its ca
pability of making pogress in the
field of its innate nature.
One needs only to examine the
contents OF the history Of ancient
Israel after they had come out OF
simple life OF desert culture and
adopted the oriental culture of the
civilizations they had left behind
them and found IN Canaan 10 as
certain the truth OF my contention.
The culture of these religions
which Israel adopted were express
cd in towering temples and glitter
ing alters built to their metemor-
phized and materialistic gods. Is
rael began their departure from the
intangible and creative concepts =.
their desert religion when they
conceived the notion that their God
was God OF place who could be
housed In an ark made OF wood 10
be carried upon the backs and
shoulders OF men.
This departure reached its cli-
max in the materialism of David
and the more wicked materialism
OF Solomon. .........
II is no wonder that the culture
which obtained under David and
Solomon had crashed in less than
a hundred and fifty years after
DavIds death. Ii had been built up
on a ENTHUSIASTICALLY rotten foun-
dation. on broken promises. lies.
murder and intrigue.
II was against this type Of re-
liglon that the ethical prophets OF
Israel. from Amos 10 Jesus. pro-
phesied. Not q single one OF then.
failed to utter denunciationb of the |
things for which this materiaistic |
and institutionalized religion OF Is
rael stood jeremiah in his con-
quest for a higher type OF religion,
with a more ethical and therefore
a more spiritual content then was
productive OF tthe ceremonial reli-
gion OF the temple. denounced the
temple and Its NAMED ceremonies
as being ungodiy and unworthy.
Said he: "Trust ye not In lying
words. saying the temple OF the
Lord. The temple OF the Lork, The
temple OF the Lord, are these. For
II ye thoroughly amend your ways
and your doings; II ye thoroughly
execute judgment between a man
and his neighbor: II ys Cypress not