The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-04-09
WHAT
ABOUT 1T?
By o,BoYLE

islatures, of departments, Of balanced
checks, of courts, of presidents, or
kings. 1t is not matter of primaries
and elections. 1t is spirit. 1t Is an
intangible; bundle of assumptions.
Those assumptions are Christian and
basic in Christianity, that the individ-
ual is superior to any man or God
made thing, that the rights of the in
dividual are inviolable; that those
rights are grounded in the spirituality
and immortality of the human soul.
Our democracy here and now is
doomed to survive or perish with the
fate of this Christian idealism. That
idealism, as history shows, has made
US democracy. Our democracy dies
with the death Of the ideal that citi-
zens are children Of God and heirs
to the kingdom of heaven.
This ideal though by and large we
American do not do it even Sunday
service, is in the blood stream of our
national life. 1t is the final absolute
to which administration Is referred
and from which legislation seeks au-
thority 1t is the last rhetorical ges-
ture of the polition. 1t is more sacred
than our flag.
But though that is so the Church
and the clerics of all denominations
have not been singularly effective to
prevent the decline of emphasis laid
on spiritual values Those values
have passed into the custody of school
teachers, secular writer's, newspapers,
educated men and women here and
there, social case workers and host
of public servants and to militant
ladies' teas and gossip circles. And
to the great danger Of democracy a
real Christian Leadership is near to
gone and all Christian derivatives are
exposed to disintegration.
Why is this? 1t seems because the
sheep now lead the shepherd. The
pastors now follow the flock. He tells
the people what they wish to hear.
Men who by name are Christian over
scorers and two-eyed are without, eyes.
They do not take their place on the
absolute truths of religion, on the
rock bottom religious fact that all
men before God are created equal,
that men are endowed by God with
inalienable rights, that among these
are the right to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness and that govern
ment or economics or any other man
made thing fails to serve but rather
destroys man, it is the right and duty
of every believer to make provision
for the protection of what God has
given to every man and which no man
mot even the individual himself
may take away or destroy.
To teach all that means hardship
and persecution for any Christian
leader. But the cleric accepted lead
ership with his orders. The path
along which l a man may wish to
follow. But then / am sheep, he is
the shepherd of his flock, he is the
pastor. If / a sheep do not know
where to go and If in leading me he
takes me merely to my here and now
fancied destination because he minds
the safety of his own body, tomorrow
when he is safe and l am in misery
and danger l shall say he is no shep-
herd. Then | am completely disillu-
stoned. His leadership is gone. 1t is
gone forever!
One way and only one can save that
leadership and keep strong within the
life blood of our nation a respect for
human values and that is that clerical
leaders effectively believe the doc
.rines that Christ instructed to them
10 teach that day on the shore of the
Lake of Galilee Then He urged
hem through the earth and down all
Tine to teach whatsoever He COM
handed them. He said He would be
with them as they brought to man
he good news that men are gods,
Flesh of His flesh, bone of His
bone" The good news is that men
ire divine.
If men are divine can any man.
made thing be above them? Shall
livinity be exploited? Shall machines
'ule over them? Shall Christ in His
members be enslaved, be hungry, |
naked, in misery and fear?
You men of God dare you tell us
he people that gospel? Sheep finally |
come to know mere hireling Does
lot the good book say so?