SELFISH PIETY by Annie M. Toohey

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 21, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 29.

SELFISH PIETY.

By Annie M. Toohey

THERE is a common phase of piety which is to be generally deplored. It is a selfish, supercritical form of religion, to be universally encountered in every creed. It is a moral and social iconoclast, and works more havoc in an unobtrusive way than the insidious breath of a pestilence. This pitiable form of piety is manifested in the self-styled Christian who is continuously striving to personally pose as a spotless saint by throwing a merciless searchlight upon the secret faults of others. This detective Christian is truly one of the most dangerous elements of modern society. Upon the fields of his alleged missionary work often lie more lost souls as a result of cruel exposures than in veritable haunts of vice. Such heartless zealots take ghoulish pride in openly and scathingly moralizing with poor helpless sinners, instead of dealing with them as Christ did, gently and forgivingly, and with tender persuasiveness. Let the Christian world rid itself of these boisterous shamers of unfortunate humanity, and replace them by gentle missionaries, with pitying voices, humane hearts, and tender hands.—Annie M. Toohey, in Christian Work.