Dushaw, Amos I. The Grumbler. [South St. Paul, MN:] n.p., 1912. Booklet; cover is marked “No. 1” as if this were the first issue of a periodical. Were there more? Inside and outside back cover consists of ads from businesses in So. St. Paul, Minnesota. Pages are unnumbered.
THE GRUMBLER
BY AMOS I. DUSHAW, B.D. Author of “Proselytes of the Ghetto.”
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NO. 115 CENTSMarch 1912
[inside front cover]
Protestant Church Dying in the Ghetto Why? Read, “Proselytes of the Ghetto.”
By AMOS I. DUSHAW.
Time: The Present.Place: New York.Cloth, $1.00
“Proselytes of the Ghetto” is a fascinating and unusual story. I consider the conversion of Rabbi Cohen a brilliant feature of the book. The scene is dramatic and skillfully presented. Altogether the book is a clever piece of work and calculated to awaken much thought. It is a strong plea for the Christianity of the Christ, the obliteration of racial prejudices and for a world-wide Brotherhood.
T. J. MACMURRAY, Author of Highways of Success.
“The Jewish Era,” Chicago, Ill.: “`Proselytes of the Ghetto' is a highly sensational story, the scene of which is laid in modern New York, and was to us so attractive that we read it twice in one day.”
The Jewish Comment, Baltimore, Md.: Begins a long and favorable review of “Proselytes of the Ghetto,” as follows: “Several non-Jews have lately written dramas and novels with the object of combatting the unfounded and unpardonable prejudice which exists in all classes of Society against the Jew. Yet none of them has so fearlessly espoused the Jewish cause and so courageously defended the Jews as this writer has done.”
Brooklyn Daily Eagle: “`Proselytes of the Ghetto,' is a small volume treating of the problem of New York's East Side from a new viewpoint.”
The Continent, Chicago: “The scene of the story is laid in modern New York, and the conditions of the Ghetto are faithfully depicted.”
The Call, Newark, N. J.: “This is a view entirely new to polemical theology and one which carries with it a new element of religion. The author elaborates his arguments with acute logic and much force.”
Christian Herald, New York: “Designed to help in the realization of the petition we daily offer: `Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth.'”
All communications to the Grumbler should be addressed to, Editor, Box 463, So. St. Paul, Minn.
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THE GRUMBLER
The Founder of the Christian Church was satisfied with the title of Servant.
In a comfortably furnished parlor, a number of men of different ages and of many races and creeds, but all laboring men, were enjoying themselves in various ways. Some were smoking, as smoking was not prohibited despite the fact that the club was under the supervision of a Church, others were playing checkers, chess, dominoes, and those who had no inclination to indulge in these innocent diversions were reading the papers and magazines, domestic and foreign. Upon a table stood a samovar filled with steaming hot water, and on a tray were glasses, lump sugar and sliced lemon.
Some of the frequenters of this club had been in the habit of spending their evenings in the neighboring whiskey and coffee-saloons, but they were now quite contented to spend their evenings here.
The various Christian Associations do not erect beautiful and spacious club-houses in the really needed sections of our cities. Shallow reformers seek to destroy the saloons and billiard-halls without putting anything in their places. But Rubin, the organizer of this club, believed that churches failed in these sections of the city because they failed to adapt themselves to the changed conditions. He was himself a product of such sections and he knew what these people needed, and that they frequented saloons because they had no other places to go. Having started this club he found no difficulty in gathering in the men. Here they assembled night after night, no money was wasted and the wives of the married members knew that they were in good company. There was no danger of returning drunk, vicious, or penniless. The evenings were spent not only in playing games, but in discussing great themes, and no one was hindered from giving his candid opinion on whatever theme was discussed.
This particular evening, about 8:30, the parlor being well-filled with the friends, one of them suddenly stood up and clapped his hands. When every one was still, he said, “Gentlemen, I suggest that we discuss this evening a theme that has been on my mind ever since we parted last night.” “What is it, Joe?” called out several of the men.
“An American god.”
Laughter, clapping of hands and other exclamations of approval greeted the spokesman.
“Lead off then,” called out a man about 35 years of age, in a husky voice. “I, for one, may have something to say on such an outlandish subject.”
“Well then listen, and by way of introduction, I see that another Christian church has been sold and that it is to be turned into a nickel theatre. They are going one by one and it appears very strange indeed. These Christians who are everlastingly boasting of their religion, namely, that it is the only true religion; but as soon as conditions go against them they pack up and move to more congenial quarters. I, as you know, am not a Christian, at least not from the point of view of the churches. And by the way, you cannot get ten Christians representing ten denominations who will define Christianity in the same terms. Why? Because we have a religion about Jesus and not a religion of Jesus. His religion is too simple and too practical to be appreciated by the churches. His religion is the Sermon on the Mount put into practice, and that is just what His followers do not wish to do, because it will mean a radical reconstruction of society in such a way that all will be equal. What will the masters do then without their servants and slaves? Why has our host, I mean Rubin, succeeded in bringing together to this place, night after night such cranks as you are?”
“Now Joe!” exclaimed some of the listeners, “Not so hard on your friends.” “I,” said another, “see nothing strange in this sudden transformation. I suppose
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a church is like any other institution; as soon as its usefulness ceases it dies a natural death. I dropped into this church one Sunday morning and I heard the representative of the Nazarine say, `We are not here to do missionary work amongst the foreign people who crowd this neighborhood; but to uphold the American ideal. I have read the New Testament, studied the progress of the primitive church, and I now realize why this church has passed away without the shedding of tears on the part of the foreigners. What is this American ideal?'”
“Graft! Do you brother man whenever you get the chance,” exclaimed a third man, with a bushy black beard who looked like another Karl Marx.
“Now my friend,” continued the former speaker, “it is my turn, I have not finished what I started out to say. By and by the American families moved away. By American families this minister meant those who went to his church. The non-American individuals went to the Catholic churches, to the synogogues and to the literary and civic clubs. By the way, gentlemen, here we are, native Americans, naturalized Americans, and foreigners in general; but this wise parson identified the English-speaking Protestant church with America. All the others were foreigners. I, for one, cannot accept this narrow view. He certainly could not call Christians the greatest of the Americans, I refer to Franklin, Jefferson, Paine and the prince of them all, Abraham Lincoln. They were not church members and they accepted none of the church doctrines. Columbus was not an Englishman. And yet they have the nerve to expect us to join their churches that we might become the children of light. What bosh! Can the blind lead the blind? From his point of view New York is not an American city and the sooner he and his kind move back to Vermont the better it will be for them. From their point of view Rubin is not an American. Gentlemen, if Rubin is not an American then Jesus is not a Christian. New York wants men and not sissies, even if they are descendants of those who were forced to emigrate to America many decades ago. New York wants men with red blood in their veins and who believe in the brotherhood of men, and put their belief into practice. The true New Yorker despises the church Christians who are praying for the conversion of the heathens so-called that they might be brought to the knowledge of a dear lord who came to earth for the sole purpose of showing a few selfish people the way to a heaven where many a noble fellow would be ashamed to go. They despise the Jew of the East Side and yet they expect to go to their heaven thro the merits of a Jew and a carpenter by trade. Friends, you know as well as I do that if Jesus came to New York there is not a church that would accept him, and that he would be welcome by the people of the East Side.”
“That's right,” they all exclaimed.
“And could not their god help them to convert these heathens at their very doors?” inquired a young man who called himself an atheist.
His companion, also an atheist, added, “Their god must have decided to build elsewhere so that a filthy tenement could be erected in the place of the church. You all know that the influx of foreigners has raised the rent of these hovels several hundred per cent.”
“Is this the American god you had in mind, Joe?” Inquired one of the atheists.
“You are on the right track, keep it up and you will yet name him.”
A quiet looking man who sat in a corner sipping tea from a glass, looked up and asked in a gentle tone of voice, “And do you call MacDonald, one of the kings of Wall Street, a god?”
Joe smiled, shrugged his shoulders; but did not say a word.
“You might as well admit it Joe,” continued the first atheist.
“How strange to call a human being a god,” added the quiet man.
“Why should it be strange?” replied the second atheist.
“God is supposed to be all powerful, the prime cause of every movement. MacDonald is such in reality. He is the main-stay of the church! Without him the churches can do nothing. In him they move and live and
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have their being. He is their sun. When he conceals his face for a little while all their hopes are blighted, and all religious work is at a standstill. It is only when he opens his purse, and when he grants them a gracious smile, that they bloom like the flowers in the sun. Why, he is more powerful than all their gods, devils, and angels combined.”
“See here, you are a sort of a sacrilegious person,” called out another man.
“Why?” replied the atheist. “Is it because I refuse to worship MacDonald? I say MacDonald is a scoundrel, a true child of their devil; but he tries to appear divine. He draws his income from all kinds of business, legitimate and otherwise, but the latter is more profitable. He is a temperance reformer; but he rents his property to brewer and rum-seller. He is an enemy of the white slave traffic; but by underpaying his girl help in his department stores and factories he forces many of the girls into the slave-market. I venture to say that he would be delighted to finance the socialist clubs on the East Side.”
“We socialists want none of his money,” spoke out a young man with a blonde mustache. “We socialists give as much as we can and very often more than we can. If church people gave as liberally and worked as faithfully to advance their cause they could very well get along without human gods. We are against the millionaire. Where you find the millionaire you are sure to find the pauper, too. We are his uncompromising foes, and we will win. He cannot bribe us as easily as he bribes the parsons who advocate the principles of the Sermon on the Mount on Sunday and forget all about it on Monday.”
The second atheist interrupted the speaker at this point, and said, “Yes and bow themselves before his satanic majesty, and—”
The door opened, and Rubin entered with a friend. They all greeted him most cordially. Rubin shook hands with every one of them, and also introduced his friend who was a theological student. After they were all seated again, Joe said, “So, my friend, you are a theological student.”
“Why so surprised, sir?” inquired Richards.
“Surprised! Why I have every reason for being surprised knowing that there are no churches paying good salaries in this part of the city. I hardly expected to see theological students here. I always expect to see them drop their line where there are good fish.”
“Are you a student of MacDonald's seminary?” inquired the first atheist.
“Now, gentlemen,” spoke out Rubin, “I do not think that you are quite fair to my friend Richards.”
“Never mind, Rubin, I am well pleased with this reception.”
“Thanks,” answered the atheist. “I believe in calling a spade a spade. You preachers, parsons, priests, and rabbis have your own way too much. But progress has been made because someone had the courage to contradict you. You have always Imagined yourselves the private secretaries of your respective gods. But thanks to those heroes, called heretics, your orders have been dethroned, and a certain measure of liberty has been achieved. Truth is not afraid of contradiction, but error is. You, so-called oracles of a so-called powerful god, who can do everything and yet does nothing, are always pretending to guard the truth. I say that the god of the churches is a hindrance to human progress.”
“I take it for granted my friend that you are an atheist,” said Richards, “how would you define deity?”
“I do not try to define something I know nothing about, and which for me does not exist. To define deity is the function of the clergy, and they have certainly given us some pretty fine definitions. You say that God is all-powerful, and MacDonald is such in reality. He is both blind and intelligent. Blind to the truth, and intelligent enough to control all forces that would undermine his position and influence. Let him withdraw his support from your school, and what would become of you, especially now when your denomination is demanding the expulsion of several of your professors because they are questioning the authority of your bible. But he is powerful enough to resist the mandates of the protestant priests. Why don't your church try him for heresy? Is it because he also supports the conservative
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Institutions? I am sure that you all appreciate his divine goodness.”
“My friend, we appreciate what he does for our school; but we do not worship him.”
One of the Jewish friends of this club, a young man of about thirty years of age, stood up, raised his right hand, and said, “I am as you all know a Jew, but here you are, a band of Christians, as my people would call you,” and they all laughed at this. “I, as you all know, do not call you Christians.” And they laughed again. “You are running down religion, speaking lightly of it. Yet it is not your fault. It is the fault of your churches. I do not call MacDonald a god, neither do I call any other human being, dead or alive a god. But there is a real God, my friends, and he laughs at the MacDonalds and at the little atheists, here and elsewhere. My friends, and also Mr. Theologue, the synagogue stands for monotheism pure and simple. The church has deified a human being, the grandest of human beings, if you please, but he is nevertheless, human and not God. He is as human as the rest of us. Pure Judaism, is the only true religion. You do not hear of Judaism defining the MacDonalds. What, for example, can you Christians teach us? I say, nothing. And now that we have the New Testament we can interpret Christianity for ourselves. With all your shibboleths of sacrifice, and so on, none of you have ever sacrificed as much as the Jew has for his faith. But we may have occasion to refer to this later. Think of any intelligent man accepting the Virgin-birth. And to make the matter worse, to make it essential to salvation. Your creeds have nothing whatever to do with life; but only with theories which cannot be proven. And if they were proven would amount to nothing. To make Christianity as grand, or grander than Judaism, you will have to burn all creeds and substitute just one sentence in their place, “Love ye one another.” Then put this creed into practice, and you will find that without even sending forth one missionary the whole world will turn Christian. In addition to the Virgin-birth you must believe in the physical resurrection of the Nazarine, in the miracles which he never performed, and that you must believe all these statements otherwise you are doomed to a hell which only exists in the imagination of the foolish ones. The synagogue boldly declares that the righteous of all nations will partake of eternal life, and that religion consists in repentance, prayer, and mercy. Can you produce a religion superior to this?”
“I do not think,” replied Richards, “that a belief in the Virgin-birth, the physical resurrection, or the miracles, or even a belief in the deity of Jesus Christ, is essential to a belief in the divine personality of Jesus as the perfect revelation of God, The man Jesus lived the life of God in its fullness. In the words of Tolstoy, `I do not know whether Jesus is God or not. But this much I do know that in Him I see a perfect picture of God.' Eliminate everything from the New Testament which may appear contradictory to a man of science, and the life of Jesus still remains as the greatest of all miracles. Jesus still remains as the best example for the world. His life shows us what man is capable of becoming if he will discard all selfishness and meanness, and be loyal to his deepest and best convictions. Say what you will Jesus is still the greatest force for righteousness in this boastful and materially-minded civilization.”
“As a Jew, I am indeed very much astonished to hear all this. Your professors, as exponents and devotees of higher criticism having eliminated that which used to be considered absolutely essential, are now attacking the life of Jesus, and calling Him a myth. I suppose realizing what a miserable Christian civilization we have and seeing how Jesus has been expelled from every important place,—your public schools and universities; your legislatures and senates; and even from many of your homes, and especially from your places of business, the only proper and logical thing to do is to crush him altogether. You have made him a god, an object of worship for Sunday, to be baptized, married, or buried in his name. You should have made him a living example, to do as he said: take up His cross and follow Him. I repeat, realizing that after 1900 years of Christianity you have failed to make your civilization Christian, your higher critics are now trying to crush Jesus altogether. Why? Because the millions of Christians are saying
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every day: “Away with Him! We will not have this man rule over us.” I am probably shocking you. You Christians have called us Christ-killers, doomed to be tortured and pillaged by Christians in this world and to be thrown into a lake of fire in the next world by the gentle Nazarine for refusing to be what you are. Can you Christians, the best of you, teach us anything about morality, temperance, courage, and philanthropy? We have rejected and we will reject your Christ, I mean the Christ of the church. Furthermore, I honestly believe that we Jews have the worst enemies in the church people. You will find in general that honest and intelligent freethinkers are not our foes. These freethinkers have given us the political freedom we enjoy today in American and in France, and also in Italy. As fast as the Church, Protestant and Catholic loses its power, we gain our rights. You will ask why. Because the minister and priest are constantly filling the minds and hearts of their people with lies. And the biggest lie of history, that the Jews crucified Christ, the god of the Church. Even if the Jew did crucify Christ, the church ought to remember that Christ said: Father forgive them for they know not what they do. This is another evidence of the fact that you do not want the Jesus of the Gospels. Furthermore, even the Protestant Church which boasts of having the right to read the Gospels is not doing us justice today. It is not a question of which church is the best. None of the churches are our friends. Italy is a Catholic country, yet the Jew enjoys more rights there than in any other country. Why? Because the country has placed the priest where he belongs. The New Testament was written in the heat of controversy. It is therefore one sided. One sided as it is it contains more love for Israel than the average sermon about the Jews preached by Protestant ministers. To find a Christian who loves the Jews is to find a real follower of the Nazarine. As for me, I shall never join the church even if I should be convinced of the truth of Christianity.”
“How about Rubin?” inquired Richards. All eyes were turned on Rubin. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Gentlemen,” he said, “I prefer to listen tonight. You all know my views. You hear me preach, and I preach what I consider essential. I let each man have his own theological views. I only judge the believer by his life. I have no quarrel either with the ultra-orthodox, nor with the ultra-heterodox provided they make a reasonable effort to live the life of Jesus. Jesus did not organize a Church neither did he formulate a creed. I quote his own words: “I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” This is all that I have to say just now.”
“I am satisfied with Rubin's view,” answered the Jew. “But I have this question to ask Mr. Richards. Do your professors believe as you do? I thought they were obliged to subscribe to the confession of your Church.”
“I believe they are, but I suppose they have the privilege of a mental reservation.”
“This is quite Jesuitical,” replied the Jew. “But does not MacDonald object to such ambiguity?” inquired Joe.
“Mr. MacDonald, as you know is not a theologian; but I believe he is in sympathy with progressive thought.”
“I suppose,” added the Socialist, “all MacDonald cares for is that socialism be not advocated by his protegees.”
“Here is Karl again with his socialism,” answered the Jew. “You seem to think that all roads lead to socialism.”
“They do,” hastily replied Karl.
“It seems that way. You take no vacation. You are always busy, always pushing your views to the front. But—”
“Yes, our views and not ourselves like the modern Christian Evangelists and soul-savers, and always holding out their hands, and always at the service of the Church that pays the most,” added the socialist.
“But,” replied the Jew, “let us stick to our subject now for we do not always have the privilege of having a regular theologue with us. What puzzles me is this: how you can deny the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and still call yourselves Christian. I mean Christians in a theological sense. If you accept the monotheism and ethics of the Old and New Testaments,
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but deny the passages which tend to confirm the deity of Jesus, his miraculous birth and physical resurrection, you are in reality Jews without knowing it, and we Jews have won the battle. It is just those passages which we intelligent Jews repudiate. I say, and say it most emphatically that Christianity falls when the cardinal doctrines are repudiated by its adherents. You then make Christ a mere man who taught very eloquently, lived nobly, and died the death of a martyr, or paid the penalty for being earnest. In this He was no exception. The same may be said of Socrates, and hundreds of others belonging to all nations. This view of Jesus would not necessarily place Him in a class by Himself. Jesus was not the first nor the last to drink the cup of ingratitude at the hands of an ungrateful people. If you accept the Unitarian view then we Jews have won the battle from a theological point of view.”
“I must confess that I never thought of the Jewish side of the question,” answered Richards.
“That is just the trouble with you Christian theologues and ministers,” added Rubin. “The great mass of intelligent Christians never associate Christianity with Judaism in any manner, and yet Judaism is its mother—”
“And pardon me,” said the Jew, “and Christianity a daughter gone astray.”
“Thank you, gentlemen. I am accustomed by this time to be interrupted by Mr. Samuelson. The trouble with the ministry today is that it is not interrupted enough. I will now continue. In order to be able to appreciate Christianity better, theologues ought to take a course in the Talmud. They would then appreciate the Old and New Testament more than they do now. Some ministers know what Tertullian, Origen, Clement, and other fathers of the church said and did; but they know nothing about Rabbi Hillel who was as great and as noble as the greatest and noblest of the fathers of the Church. Was Jesus a disciple of Hillel? Was Jesus an Essene? These questions the average preacher ought to be able to answer. There is no great gulf between the teachings of Jesus and the Jewish Church Fathers. Richards will go home tonight and feel richer,—he has come in contact with one Jew who is able to discriminate between the beautiful character of Jesus and a paganized Christianity.”
“That is so,” replied Richards.
“Mr. Richards,” said one of the atheists, “you are an honest young man, too honest to waste your time on theology. Why sit at the feet of men who do not know what they believe; but for the sake of procuring an easy living put their signatures to creeds they deny in their hearts.”
“Now this is entirely uncalled for,” replied Rubin. “The trouble with many free-thinkers is that they deny to others the privilege of thinking for themselves. This is certainly not fair. You of all men should be the most tolerant of all. Not all instructors are hypocrites. You need more faith,—faith in the ultimate triumph of truth and justice. And by the way, Mr. Samuelson, `Justice' was the fundamental principle of the Hebrew Commonwealth,”
“And who will usher it in,” quietly enquired the Socialist?
“Well, well, Karl! I know what you are thinking of. Do you want me to say that socialism will usher it in? I care not who or by whom it is brought about. Socialism, if you mean the altruistic sentiment of the day, or even if you mean the political party, I have no doubt but that it will have a hand in it. Supposing we admit that the Man of Galilee and Socialism will overthrow the present system of wage slavery. The Man of Galilee will clean out the inner man and socialism will reorganize society. Personally I do not see why any true servant of the Man of Galilee should fear socialism which is undoubtedly one of the greatest altruistic movements of the day.”
“Why? I will tell you why preachers and others fear socialism,” answered the socialist, “MacDonald objects to it.
“If you socialists win out,” enquired the atheist, “what will the parsons do?”
“Those who are competent to instruct will be given decent churches.
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By decent churches, I mean, churches that will support their preachers decently and without being obliged to subscribe to creeds they do not believe. The incompetent preacher will be given something he can do and thus earn an honest living. In the socialist republic, work of every description, I mean useful work will be honored. He who sweeps and sprinkles the streets will not be a pariah, a social outcast. The social outcast will be the parasites, and they will be compelled to earn their food. Today the parasites are the best fed, best clad and best housed. By breaking the power of the American gods we will enthrone humanity. The competent parsons will use their education for the uplifting of humanity. At the present day your influence is decidedly limited. Go into your churches and who do you find there? My comrades are not there.”
“My friend,” answered Richards, “it appears to me that you are rather too harsh on us. We are not all slaves of MacDonald and of his kind. For example, we have one professor who is an avowed believer in Marxian socialism.”
“Pardon me,” replied the socialist, “you mean in the class-room; but outside an avowed worshipper of MacDonald, the foe of Marxianism. It is quite fashionable these days for preachers to talk about the social aspects of Christianity, and even for some to call themselves socialists; but how many, of them are doing what Marx did? Yes, one of them did it in one of your Fifth Avenue churches and he was dismissed. Marx, one of the brainiest men of the Nineteenth century starved, starved, and starved. He could very easily have done what your professor and his ilk are doing. But he was as consistent as Christ was, and he was therefore persecuted by the same powers that crucified the Nazarine. Had Marx fallen in with Bismark's state socialism he could have lived in luxury in cultured Germany, but he would never have been the Messiah of the proletariat, any more than the Nazarine would have been your Christ had he fallen in with authorities in Jerusalem. We socialists understand your Christ better than you Christians do, my friend. And now, permit me to say a word about you.
“Perhaps you are not now a worshipper of MacDonald; but you will soon be one, unless you are made of different material than the general run of theologues are. Now you are young, without a family, and you can therefore dream your dreams without being disturbed by the bread and butter problem. When you will become a Pastor, and also the head of a family, then your dreams will vanish like the dreams of the night with the rising of the sun. You will not even dare to dream, at least, not aloud, of the kingdom of heaven coming down to the earth. You will also accept the so-called fundamental dogmas of Christianity which you are now inclined to question. Otherwise how will you be able to get a church that pays a living wage? It will be either freedom and bread without butter; or slavery and bread with butter and a few other extra things. Your eyes will be centered on the earth. You will seek your own material welfare. You will laud MacDonald to the sky. You will call him the greatest, if not the noblest, benefactory of the day,—the supporter of missionaries, the builder of Y. M. C. As. and of colleges and Universities, and hospitals, and a thousand other institutions. Am I exaggerating? Well then listen. MacDonald has been denounced by the “Press” as a crusher of competition in the most brutal and vicious manner, and also as a buyer of our legislators. He has broken every law enacted to protect the people, and yet he is at large. And further more, see how the preachers are dying to get a chance to preach in his church. They consider it a far greater honor to preach in his church than to preach to a poor congregation. And if he is not there on a Sunday morning all the preacher's inspiration instantly evaporates. He can have most any preacher he wants. And a nod of approval from him is more appreciated than all the joys of the Christian heaven. The other night I heard a well-known preacher defend MacDonald in a church in greater New York. What rubbish I heard that night! How he displayed his ignorance and servility before a congregation 80 per cent of whom were women. He said, `you divide the wealth of America today, and in a very short time the mighty,
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the industrious, will have it back again. Those socialists are in the wrong when they expect us to divide the wealth of America equally among the people. He then took up the question of tainted money. I will take all the money that is given me, no matter how it was earned, and I will use it for a good cause,' these are the very words he used, Such learning and such logic will never draw intelligent thinkers of the working class to the Church. Is it any wonder then that you never see them there! This preacher ranks very high in the ministerial world. Not because he is a brainy man; but simply because he is a pastor of a church that pays a large salary.”
“Karl,” said the Jew, “the next time that you meet this parson tell him to look up Deuteronomy 23:18. Ask him also to reread the story of the priests in Jerusalem who refused to use tainted money for the Temple sacrifices.”
“Mr. Richards,” continued Joe, “I am afraid you have fallen among wolves in sheep's clothing.”
“Don't you believe it,” replied the socialist. “We wear cheap cotton goods. MacDonald and his protegees have all the wool.”
“I am sure,” added Rubin, “that Richards can stand all this without being offended.”
“You are right,” replied Richards. “I am here to learn, and I assure you that I bear you all no ill-will. You have certainly spoken most candidly, and I even appreciate your portrayal of what I will be a few years hence. I suppose the spirit of prophecy is now like it was in days gone by given to those who are not officially connected with the church. You are frank to a fault. You have your own way of looking at things. Gentlemen, I have spent a most profitable evening with you, and I shall be delighted to meet you all again.”
And thus the discussions of the evening closed, and the grumblers departed for home.
By AMOS I. DUSHAW
Christian missionaries tell us that Turkey needs the gospel. We dare not deny this statement—altho the same can be said of Russia, Italy and also of America. But just at present Turkey needs a few “dreadnoughts” and manned by a Japanese (heathen) crew.
We are told that Dr. Sun, the new provisional president of the Republic of China is a Christian. He and his fellow countrymen have discovered by this time that there are other Christians besides the missionaries, only they go by the name of Russian, German, French, Italian, British and American. The latter have certainly done everything in under the work of the farmer.
“Can he come back?” Many have tried and failed. Live so that you do not need to come back. It is not advisable to trifle with truth.
The difference between an ancient Temple and a modern slaughter house is: The ancient Temple was also a slaughter house, the priests did the killing, and therefore received the choicest cuts; while a modern slaughter house is divorced from the church, the ministers do not sacrifice and are therefore glad to get most any cut.
The peace treaties are quite harmless in themselves; but they are more so when supported by heavy battleships.
Diplomacy is the means by which Christian statesmen try to cheat each other; but they are all wise to the game,
The importance of a diplomat depends on the size of his club.
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