The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1939-09-30
BUSINESS DIVINITY
Father Divine Praised


Father Divine Praised
Where men are ignorant their
god Is terrible; where men are in
telligert, beir god Is tolerant.
Among the savages and barbarians
OF former ages. the gods we're heart
less and cruel masters: among the
civilized men OF modern times, our
God is Father who is merciful
and long-suffering and loving. Ne
groes are especially pre-disposed
to look upon God as a great ter
ror. with the result that dying is
fearful thing. AS a Negro, l
know the dread and horrors that
cling to the idea OF death. TO one
unsupported by the solace OF re-
ligion.
A casual inspection OF life would
convince ore that God is not as
terrible as He has been painted
How else can We account for the
foolishness that He takes from the
sons OF men? II God Is so ter
rible, how do we account for the
prosperity OF the wickedl How are
we to account for. the longevity OF
some sinners? How do we account
for the survival OF Father Divine?
Here is a little colored man call
ing himself God. and accepting
worship as God. and yet God lets
him live and ride In one of the
finest cars on the streets OF New
York City. II he we're white, we
see how he might get away with
his stun; but how a little colored
man car get away with such only
proves that God is good and gra-
cious and not the terror that He
was painted by our humble and un-
sophisticated fathers.
In New York City. there are only
three topics Of the day, namely, the
Worlds fair, the war aud Father
Divine. l have been reading about
Father for 10, these many months
and have formed an opinion OF the
man and his work. However, It
took a trip TO New York and
closer inspection OF his heavens"
do give the basis for a sound ver-
dict on the man and his methods.
My seasoned conviction Is this: I
would not give n rap for his "di-
vinity.' and believe that wherein
he claims TO be God, he Is merely
an imposter and certainly his
claims are the heights OF sacrilege
II the Bible is true. Or perhans |
do not fully understand what he
means by calling himself "divine. :"
ard herein Is a possibility that
vitiates my appraisal OF his divin-
ity. I am. therefore, waving Fa-
theirs divinity" hut as a business
genius, we must lift our hats to
him.
Father has built and Is building
an economic and social king
dom" that bids fair to be abiding.
He is building where the Catholic
church has built through the ages.
around the reeds and aches and
urges OF mankind. Protestantism
has been more Indifferent TO the
needs OF the body. and has CORES
pondingly had difficulty in COM
mending Itself, whereas Catholic
ism has attended more the needs
and opportunities OF mankind: and
It bids bair to conquer the world.
Father Divine is pattering his king
dom after the Catholics, with him.
self as the BLACK Pope" and with
this ]. must admit have no quar-
rel. Father Divine has capitalized
on the depression ard unemploy-
ment. and Is feeding the hungry
and affording a shelter 10 the
homeless, and however bereft he
may he Of divinity. we must give
him credit for having a program
that Is meeting the needs OF the
hour.
We must give the devil his due.
However much may deplore
his presump,iousness IL calling
himself and allowing himself 10 be
called God; however repulsive
may be the idea OF his accepting
worship as being divine: how
ever inclined may be TO share the
appraisal OF one OF the Philadei-
phia dailles which branded him a.
a charlatan. this much must be
said. that in things religious he
may be a charlatar ard impostor.
but In business and in business
matters he Is genius. So then.
IN the final analysis. rs business
genius the man deserves sympathy
ard tolerance. and even cooperation
due a constructive organizer. The
work he Is doing needs TO be done
and what Is more. suoh work Is the
task OF tho Christian church. We
are only saying he does not have
10 arrogate divinity unto himself
TO he = savior Of men.
Our great fault. then, 10 be found