p. 8 | WARS AND GREED by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 20, 1901

WARS AND GREED.

By T.

The foundation that has given rise to most of the wars that have cursed mankind has been greed. Not always has it been greed for money, but sometimes it has been greed for power, and usually the two are commingled. Neither has the spirit of greed always been strongly manifested on both sides. Sometimes one nation is driven, from true patriotic reasons, to defend itself against the greed of a foreign power. But on one side or the other greed is at the bottom of it.

This greed is the manifestation of one of the worst forms of selfishness. It is a selfishness that will not stop at anything to accomplish its end. It will destroy property, and brutally and savagely take thousands of lives in order to gratify the insatiable lust that is burning in the minds of those who are bringing on the fight.

War is a terrible thing, and it seems to have a superabundance of material on which to work in all parts of the world at the present time. And if you will look at the matter squarely it will be manifest that greed for money or land is at the foundation of the whole of it.

This country was drawn into a war to free the Cubans. The sentiments that were expressed when the war was entered upon were noble and generous. It was the act of a great nation saying to the oppressors of a weaker people that they must desist. But after the war was launched it did not take long for greed to get in his work, and the whole course of things was changed. The war that was started to free the people of Cuba has been turned into a stubborn effort to subjugate the Filipinos.

What is the argument in favor of continuing the Filipino war? “Commerce, commerce,” is the reply. And the interpretation of the meaning of such commerce is that it has degenerated from the noble sphere of friendly and legitimate traffic and trade into the base game of killing all in the Philippine Islands who will not consent to the program of greed.

This selfish greed will continue to get worse and worse, and consequently wars will become more and more numerous and sanguinary. If you ask how we know this, the answer is plainly given in the following words of Scripture:—

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” 2 Tim. 3: 1-5.

Note that this scripture says that the “last days” shall be “perilous.” And further note that this peril is occasioned by the self-love and covetousness of mankind among those who profess better things. Where men become such lovers of themselves, so covetous, that they shut out the interest and happiness of others, there is no describing the strife that it will bring about. And these days in which we live are cursed by men who are given over to just such selfishness. We are glad that there are still many men and women who have not yielded, and who will not yield, to such sentiments of evil. If it were not for these, in the various churches, and in the various courts and Legislatures, and in the different vocations of life, who are still standing stoutly for justice and right, the conditions of our days would be past description.

We have the plain language of the scripture quoted in the foregoing to tell us that the “last days” shall be “perilous,” and that self-love is one of the principal causes of the perils. Further on in the same chapter the apostle tells us that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Then these conditions are to become “worse and worse.” Wars, and the violence of rioting, will become more and more pronounced and terrible. We have the Word of God for it, and any man who will look carefully to the conditions of to-day can see plainly that things in the world are becoming intensely alarming. These evils will grow until the Prince of Peace will be required to come in person to put an end to it.

We are glad to see that so many are studying the difficult problems that confront society. Much of what is said and written upon the subject is good, and helps to stay the flood-tides of evil that are rolling in. But we should not make the mistake of building up theories in these times and holding to them at all hazards. We can not be safe with anything short of the real truth itself. And that truth is given us nowhere except in the Word of God. In that Word all the evils of this time are spoken of, and it is plainly taught that the Master will come in the clouds of heaven, with all His holy angels, to destroy sin and every unrepentant or incorrigible sinner.

The great event of the second coming of Christ is the one thing before the world to-day. To ridicule it will not set it aside. It is coming speedily, and if you do not know about it, it is high time that you examined the evidence so as to know it for sure and for yourself. The evidence is unimpeachable. If you do know of the event, you should have your whole life devoted to giving the glorious news to others. T.