p. 4 | THE PROBLEM SOLVED by W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 4, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 31.

THE PROBLEM SOLVED.

By W. N. G.

For many years there has been made very conspicuous the query, “What shall we do with our boys?” Various and numerous have been the suggestions. Until recently the most popular solution of the problem, and which it was supposed would in some mysterious way include all others, has been a rigid enforcement of Sunday observance by civil law. Just now, however, this universal cure-all is overshadowed by the circumstance of war. Practically, the “Christian” people who have been so worried over the question, “What shall we do with our boys,” deem it solved by the idea of teaching them to fight. An Epworth League Convention was recently held at Wheeling, W. Va., and a report to the Newburg Monitor has this significant paragraph:—

The burden of almost every sermon was, “Christians must be more patriotic.” Whenever a reference was made to the present war with Spain, it was cheered to the echo. One speaker said he would “like to give the sultan of Turkey a dose of Christianity with a hundred-ton Krupp gun, red hot.” And then said he would like to do the same for every Spaniard on the American continent.

Nothing will so stimulate a boy to emulation as the now popular fad of lionizing military or naval heroes, yet many of the most noted of these heroes are also noted for their profanity, which crops out very conspicuously in the heat of battle. Often their profane expressions on noted occasions get into the papers and pass current as part of the heroism. As boys are human, and naturally desirous of praise and covetous of renown, every special attention shown to the military arouses the youthful aspirations. And as the public attention is given more particularly to officers, the boys naturally aspire to be officers, and to imitate the great heroes. And this aspiration is patronizingly called patriotism.

So now we see every effort made to encourage this ambition of the boys. As they congregate in squads and march to the beat of the drum, they are consciously aware that they are the objects of attention. If they can procure uniforms and small guns, and make a pretty good display, they receive considerable applause; if they can not afford these, ordinary clothing and sticks will do. The writer recently noticed a boy of about ten years industriously drilling himself. He had a stick for a rifle, and was going through what “motions” he knew, or thought he knew, giving the commands to himself. As he marched, he gave himself the step by commanding, “Left—left—left.” As these boys are encouraged to emulate military life, their waywardness in other respects is more or less condoned; for the masses of the people become lax in individual discipline and in ordinary social proprieties by the fad of familiar catering to the military.

Another thing that tempts the boys to ape the military calling is their natural desire to attract the attention of the girls. They see the now quite common custom of ladies, old and young, suddenly dropping the conventionalities ordinarily deemed prudent and modest, the moment they come in contact with the military—especially if the uniform has certain official insignia upon it. Of course this otherwise imprudent familiarity on short acquaintance, or no acquaintance, is condoned by society on the ground of patriotism. But the boys see it, and envy it. They see even “society” ladies, old and young, making much ado over men in uniforms, whom they could not have been induced to notice but for the uniform. Thus the street urchin sees in the uniform the possibility of recognition by ladies of a class otherwise inaccessible.

The clothing manufacturers, as well as toy gun and bunting dealers, find profit in catering to the new idea of what to do with our boys. The peasant “overalls” and “jumpers” for boys are made with military stripes on the legs and chevrons on the sleeves. Thus this garment, which ordinarily indicated common labor or crude play, or perhaps poverty, is suddenly transformed into a military suit, and the plebeian youth or the street gamin is suddenly promoted—in imagination—to a higher grade. Now if he gets into a fight with his companions, he can simply imagine that they are Spaniards and his offense is condoned because of his patriotism. He is on the way to recognition by the ladies and no end of imaginary glory through the blood of his fellow-creatures.

It must not be understood that this as yet unwritten yet practically adopted theory concerning the uplifting of the boys, means that they shall enter the prize ring. O, no; that is morally bad, demoralizing—even tho an American should whip a Spaniard! There is not gore or glory enough in that kind of fighting to win anything more than a belt. The fighting that is now encouraged, from the pulpit to the kindergarten, is not mere pounding with the knuckles—that is brutish—it is military fighting that the boys must learn. The insignia

is more gorgeous,—there are stripes and straps, gilt buttons and glittering armor, with the possibility of epaulets, gold cord, and plumes, and perchance high boots and spurs. Military fighting is that which kills, or maims for life; that which burns cities, sinks ships, wrecks trains, destroys commerce, sets nation at variance with nation, and people with people.

Such warfare may be waged in the name of humanity, yea, in the name of Christianity. A “Christian nation” (so called) may indulge in such fighting. Logically a Christian nation is a nation of Christians; its warfare is Christian warfare; therefore it is Christian “to kill and to destroy;” and the soldiers of such a Christian nation are its most active missionaries. Now do you not see how easy it is to train our boys to be Christians, to be Christian warriors—missionaries, forsooth!—fit companions on sight for the girls, without further commendation than the uniform? Is it not a grand conception, one that can be so easily instilled into the boys? Then they take so kindly to this new process of elevating their position in the world, and especially in society. It is so natural for them to learn to fight. Why didn’t we “Christian” people think of this militarism as an elevating, Christianizing experiment long ago? It would have saved so much anxiety, so many tears, so much care, so much self-denial, so much prayer!

But, alas! there is one serious objection to it all: It will not stand the righteous judgment of God, before whose bar we must all appear, and face the standard of His Word,—“All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matt. 26:52. That is, all who depend upon the sword, which represents all human government, will perish with such government, when it shall be supplanted by the kingdom which the God of heaven shall set up, and which will “fill the whole earth.” See Dan. 2:31–45. All the service that will be recognized in that day will be service under the command of Him who said, “The Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:56.

What, then, is the true solution of the problem, “What shall we do with our boys?”—Teach them the Word of God. See Deut. 4:1–13; Prov. 22:6; Matt. 22:34–40; John 3:16; Mark 16:14–16; Rom. 6:22; 1 John 5:1–5. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word.” Ps. 119:9. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Prov. 16:32. W. N. G.