The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-09-02

are based upon duties to God.
Before one even loves his neigh
Dor as himself he must love God
supremely. Morality and social
Justice are thus founded upon
the religious motive. Hence the
Lawgiver in Leviticus 10 first de-
clares God to be the standard of
holiness and then goes on to
stress various aspects of public
and private morals which several
| ly are rooted in every one of the
} Ten Commandments. "Thus this
chapter may in way be regard
cd as the Old Testament counter
mart of the Sermon on the Mount,
inasmuch as it lays down the laws
of conduct. and the latter lays
down principles of action, in as
comprehensive though not in so
systematic a manner as the Ten
Commandments
LAW OF GOD
Be Like God. Sixteen times in
this one chapter God says, 81 am
the Lord your God" He is our
sovereign and entitled to sway
the scepter over our lives. More
over, he is holy while we are sim
full. having sinned against him
rrievously. But by his mercy and
his mandate we can be like him
and must be like him before we
can do his work in the world.
Hence he said through Moses:
eye shall be holy: for the Lord
YOUR God am holy" And Jesus
said in the Sermon on the Mount:
"Be We therefore perfect, even as
YOUR Father which is in heaven is
nerfect." Peter also wrote: Gas
he who called you is holy, be We
holy in all manner of conversa-
ton" -
Share with the Poor. Here is
very practical suggestion under
ancient conditions in the east. 1t
is probably the oldest poor-law IN
any code. 1t does not pauperlze
the poor nor pamper the well-to-
do. 1t shares without stint or
surfeit the harvest of grain,
grapes, and olives. The landown-
er when harvesting wheat or
barley must leave some grain un,
cut in the field corners, let fall
on the ground some of the cut
grain and even a handful or a
sheaf here and there; so that the
poor, as Ruth the Moabitess, may
come and reap, CLEAN, thresh, and
take home bread supply. The
same thing applied to vineyards
where clusters of grapes were TO
be left on the vine with some tal-
len on the ground so that the
poor could come and help them
selves. Similarly the oliveyardss
must not be stripned clean OF
berries but a scattering left on
| the boughs with some dropped on
the ground. Since the land is the
Lords he has the right to let the
poor share in it's increase which
nevertheless requires industry
and economy.
LAW FOR THE DEFENSELESs
Defend the Defenseless. The
unwary and the unSuspectlng are
easily defrauded. They are unable
! to cope with sharpers and crooks.
So fraud and falsity are expressly
: forbidden. Stealing directly or
indirectly, in small or large
amount; false dealing in the form
of cheating or fraudulent trade in
any form; lying which is false
hood in act as we'll as in word
and the blashphemy of taking a
solemn oats in the name OF COD
as sanctions for fraud with intent
to deceive: These things, and
their like, are emphaticaily FOR
hidden. Protect the weak. De-
fend the undefended!
LAW FOR THE DEPENDENT
Sympathize with the Depend
ent. Is any neighbor susceptible
to any form of oppression, social
financial, or otherwise? Shall we
! shackle him or serve him-whicn
Has a servant done the day S
work faithfully and acceptable!
Not even overnight must he wait
for his wages which he needs TO
secure supplies. And who can be
so base as to curse dear man
unable to respond in like epith'
cts? And will not he who puts 8
stumbling-block in the path OF
blind man fall over it himself
There is a just God who look;
down in pity upon the blind and
deaf, the hireling and the help
less. Gear God"
LAW FOR THE DOWN e.
TRODDEN
Help the Downtrodden. There
is much social injustice in the
world. Sometimes the poor are
the victims and sometimes the
rich are the victims. Let no one
do any unrighteousness in deal
ing with the one or the other. II
is wrong to favor the poor simply
because they are poor. 1t Is
equally iniquitous to victimize the
rich simply because they have
purse and place and power. Judge
everybody righteously, appraisc
them correctly, and positioniz'
them where they can render
greatest service. Against such 8
program of social justice there
are two bitter foes: The gossip
who busies himself fitting here
and there, retailing SANDER anc
injurious talk; and the false wit
ness who, like the sons of Bella
on the stand against Naboth, en-
danger the very life of innocen
men. ~.
LAW FOR THE DEPRAvED
Rebuke the Hayward. Thes,
foes of social justice, numerous