CHRIST AND SOCIALISM.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 255, 4 November 1910, Page 7

CHRIST AND SOCIALISM.

TO THE EDITOB.

Sir,—Was it the Rev Mr Richards's aim to embody in the maximum of words the minimum or sense? Then I congratulate him on his achievement of the 28tli ult. it, however, he wished to tell, us some- ! thing we did not know, the result was | less felicitous. For who could deduce I a coherent argument from the two columns of categorical assertion, mixed metophor and bad logic which ■ appeared in Friday's paper? Could '■ you? Could any of your readers? I believe not one. I rarely give advice, and never take, it; but before presuming to discuss Social- (or any other)-ism, Mr Richards might try to learn the-meaning of the words he uses. This, at present, he does not do. What, for instance, is "Jingo Socialism"? As well speak of "Christian Atheism." Nay, indeed,; since a sharp observer might find nothing paradoxical in this, let me say one might as well speak of "reasonable clericalism." Jingoism means a fanatical and truculent patriotism. Socialism stands, for international fraternity. Either Mr Richards does not know this or he is not at all particular what he says. In similar confusion he writes of "Ethical Socialism." The combination ■is absurd. . Were I to compose you an essay on "Ethical Richardsism" you ' would find it equally intelligible. And what effrontery it is to pretend to explain "what was Christ's attitude to the' economic, popular, secular Socialism of to-day." , The inference is divinely inspired, the reprocitory, so to speak, < of 20th century revelation. One could, wish our ministers a. little more modest, a little less irreverent. Pre- . sumption in the disciple tends to dis- : credit the Master. I will not bore! you with a detailed criticism of the article, because, candidly, rb is rißt worth it, being self-contradictory in: the last degree and full of the most meaningless phrases. Where one does meet a sentence which can be construed to mean anything it is found' to state the opposite of truth. As when he says: "The Socialist, sees more! money as the need of the age." And again: "Christ began wifch the individual, the Socialist with the masses." Whyj Christ was always teaching the masses. Moreover, he not • only taught, but fed them abundantly. He would probably have been charged with the "pig philosophy" had He lived to-day. When He teached practical economies at all He was indisputably a sound Communist. The whole of Mr Richards's essay might be traversed in like" manner; May I recommend to the rev. gentleman a helpful little book? It is absorbing and inexpensive, but very little known among the clergy, and has, moreover, a direct simplicity of style which Mr Richards might, with advantage, model oh, the book is called the New Testament. As to Mr Richards's proposed battle cry for the churches, "Back to Christ 1" I have no objection. I only wish them God-speed. They have a long way to go. A VISITOR.