THE CHURCH AND LABOR.

Evening Star, Issue 12625, 3 October 1905, Page 2

THE CHURCH AND LABOR.

TO THS KDZTOB. | Sir.—" Whit is needed is more preachers who havo the courage to attempt the refor Diaiion of modern, sooioty, who will preach more of the living present and loss of the past of dead centuries—more of to-day and less of aoasot history—who will discuss live topics of this generation, and break away from the dogmatic and theological sermons that cause so many men to pass by the church doors." The above is a quotation troin the interesting address by Superiatenicsat W. I*. Bodine on 'The Evils of the Competitive Life' in your American letter in Saturday's issue of the ' Star.' In his address the superintendent quotes facts and figures to show the evils of tbe competitive system of commercialism, and his closing words, as quoted above, seem to me to suggest the very crux of tbe whole question «* the Church and Labor problem. To anvone who lure freed himself or her•clf from the purely dogmatic and theological religious point of view this problem seetus limpje Christianity, on its ethieal side imposes anl demands an altrmstie sprat uid action from all itd professors. EseryDue admits this, and yet what about the observance of this altruistic spirit in ordinary business and commercial life? The very phrase "Business is business" .implies that business has nothing to do with altruism, and to the meanest intelligence it musu be obvious that tho spirit of altruism is repressed almost entirely in most business transactions. Another very telling sentence from the address ot W. L. Bodine is worthy of detp con&deraUon. He says: " CompctiUon is the life of trade, but the death, of altruism M Well, sir, so far as I understand the claims of the Labor party, they contend that the whole of the benefits that have been obtained thus fur have been the result of an interference with tho system of competition. Vll Factory Acts, trades unionism, Arbitration Courts, etc., have their basic principle in the notion that unfettered competition u an evil. Further, they elaiav that it is unjust that the man who does the most laborious unpleasant work should invariably receive Uie least remuneration. And they also contend that it is a rotten state of society in which tho selfish schemer may become possessed of a very big share of the good things of this life, while the laborer, even under the most favorable circumstances, Unas it difficult enough to make ends meet. And this is the point where the, question of Church and Labor meet. For be it observed that it is a faet beyond all dispute that the n;oat bitter opponents of tho extension ot benefits to the Labor party are men who are supporters of the ..Church, and not merely -.; . .orters, bat usually leaders—elders, deai >••'; or whatever may be the name given by iW-" particular Church they support. And eu though these men may not truly repre- <., i- tii" Church in its highest conception, 0- • .'net still remains that the Church, as an oi-vuised institution, is, and always has b- •>i a supporter of the individualistic theory oi s o'eiety. The very nature of things seem* a'-i'-is* to demand such a conception. Inepi i 'v has Hs basis in the idea of a personal ti.-d" and the relation of th« individual to hi* God. It involves a purely personal and. it•dividualistic conception. Naturally, the mem-b-rs of a society or organisation having tor in root idea an individualistic notion aa a basis for what many deem the most important thing in life have little dimflulty in seeking to apply the same idea to their conception of society; and beyond all -uertion this is just what happens. There ■i-av be in every church a few vho are sup--'■■r-crs of the Labor party, but the vast maor v of church members, and especially the \-,.;'.;; in the Church, are opposed to the ,'.-,•...; vi.,« principles of the Labor party, and v" ■■'\'vnj' iii support of the competitive sys|i . . "--vc v "time. And there is the problem. • , . ,io titio.i js tho life of trade, but the ■ / Altruism is the key- ,'■■'.' "-,? 'christian ethics. The majority of ,: ,i-'i-i-h ;,iambers iunpDrt tho lnoividual■"iV romretitivo basis of society. The ' ' ■■','•■• i-ty kin", long ago threw overboard ■ ~'iiim :ijkl have determined rr.orc am! i ; . .'.,, limit and, if possible, eliminate tins !!■->« then, is it. possible that there 1 ,'. ■ 1117 true union between the Church • ■ i ,>,n ; until the Church is true to the ; . ".',. a f n s founder, and itself tcachrs .'. -.''-Tci">■;.-» the" ethics of Christ: 1 Theoloi;/ : '.,■■•.!. tin Church offers; Christian etli:':* i" .■."'' \ ihe Labor party ask for.—l am. etc , u ;(br: 2.