The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-10-11
A CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ORDER
Editor, Producers News,
Plentywood, Mont.

The late annual conference OF
the Nj. E. Church at Helena reeked
of laisser faire, if not reactionar-
ism. Bishop Titus Lowe and the
imported speakers seemed consum-
ingly anxious to turn our thinking
from socialized christianity to per-
sonal evangelism. The prophetic
voice was strangely lacking in
their messages. The shepard was
constantly represented as a harm
less molly coddle supinely indif
ferent to the social, industrial and
political goats consuming the scan
ty heritage of his sheep. "Com-
fort We my people" Tell them that |
they will be millionaires in the
next world and to cheerfully en-
dure the economic tragedies of this |
life as a preparation for the next.
Strange that the conference al
ways chooses the ministers draw
ing comfortable stipends to deliv-
er these sweet messages of comfort
ing assurance to others. Buddhism
teaches the principle of forgetful-
ness. Doubtless the oriental soul
can be So absorbed in the contem-
plation of God that he forgets hun
ger, poverty and restitution; but
unfortunately we belong to the oc-
cidental world.
Why this constant emphasis up
on individual rather than collec-
tive christianity? Can it be that
some of our bishops are fearful be-
cause of a few rich laymen in Chi
cago who fathered a movement
against any social substitute for
personal christianity and threat
ened to close their purse strings
against those who preach a social
gospel? In the higher financial
brackets themselves they profess
fear of economic determinism. re-
lating all happiness to economic re-
ward. One cannot help but wonder
if these gentlemen would be quite
so eager to save the church from
the evils of economic determinism,
if by any chance they we're forced
to work laying railroad ties at So
per day and 80 cents of that ex-
tracted for board. Methodism
floods the w orld with literature
pointing out the evils of the pres
ent competitive system and de-
handing new order based on the
teaching of Jesus, but when a few
bankers and business leaders, who
have fatted their pocketbooks upon
a civilization repugnant to the
teachings of christianity, threaten
to withdraw financial support from
the church, will we run up the
white flag in abject surrender to
their MammOn God? If such is
our attitude we will be despised by
those to whom we have sold our
moral convictions and in the end,
despise ourselves. Over 80 percent
of 10000 protestant ministers a
year and a half ago declared their
convictions that some form of chris
tian collectivism would approximate
much nearer the teachings of
christianity than our present stat
us. How can we expect either the
church or outsiders to have any re-
gard for them, if they auction
their pulpits to the highest bidder ?
These Chicago laymen of the M
E. Church are aroused. They fear
. christian collectivism as much as
sovietism. They are not bluffing
They will refuse support to the
church if their demands are ig.
! nored. All admit the disastrous re-
suits, but the reputation of oul
teachings of the past decade would
not spell disaster to the church
but humiliation. The Methodist
Church has gone too far in thu
condemnation of our capitalistit
system to retreat with any degree
of honor.
Our church, listening to the
psuedo leaders of 1917, bowed
down to worship at the shrine O.
Mars. If there was a bishop il
the M. E. Church. that failed Il
sound the war tocsin I did not 10
cate him. The bishops led the min
listers and the ministers the peopl,
to the blody affairs of the war god
: Again this hour we stand at tn
p. cross roads. Will we choose tn
4 christian ideal of wealth sharing
|, or the mammon of unrighteous
: ness? Saving the church seems t
: be our shibboleth. Will money d.
it? Already the masses are rails
e ing the question as to whether tn
= church is worth saving. The state
e ment of Jesus is appropo, eth
: church that saves its life will los
: it, and the church that sacrifciall,
: loses its life for humanities' in
! terests shall save it." Will Rus
Y sian history repeat itself upo
these western shores? Czarisr
Y saved the Greek Catholic church
/. but ignored the economic interest
3, of mighty people. Today soviet
G ism is committed to atheism. VIII
g ignore the hand writing on tn
= wall? A new social system is slow
E, ly being incubated in the thinkin
of the masses. Whether it will
e, christian or infidel depends largel
er upon the attitude of the churcl
m Like Upton Sinclair, ct would r;
Their be an infidel and act like
christian than be a christian an
behave like an inhdel."
The task, that our civilizatiC
faces is the distribution with son
degree of impartiality the va
amount of goods and services TIL
: our machine age is capable of pr
ducing. The motive so to do
christian. Those Chicago Jayne
: would be forced to admit that v
are not distributing our produ
tive creations-much less wi
fairness and impartiality.
How can a church live that b
Or comes apathetic to vast social i
il CAPABILITIES? What hypocrisy
u ours? We send a memorial to Il
v. general conference condemning o.
to present order and imploring tn
es body to build socialized chr
st tian civilization in which all w
tn work will share the rich fruitage
4 a mach anicfio oo.1 Thor, xxya ,.of,,