TOO MUCH “CHRISTIAN POLITICS” ALREADY.
By W. N. G.
In these ominous times we hear a great deal about “this Christian nation,” “Christian citizenship,” “Christian politics,” etc. We all concede that the everyday life of an individual who professes to be a Christian is the practical gauge of his Christianity. If an individual professing to be a Christian should spend more money for strong drink than for the necessaries of life, including his gifts to the cause of Christ, we would soon decide that his profession was a fraud, and the church of which he was a member would not be slow in disfellowshiping him. And if this same individual should happen to have a case in court (even in the Supreme Court), and in the decision of that case the court should take occasion to say that he was a Christian, because of certain circumstances that occurred before he was born, we would all agree that the court didn’t know what it was talking about. But if we admit that this is a Christian nation, we must all admit that the existing politics is Christian politics, and that the business in vogue in the nation is Christian business. So we have already all that the “Christian citizenship” agitators are contending for. That is, we have it in name, and that is all that the movement ever can bring about, for no human power can change the hearts of the people. The idea that churchmen should be placed in office, and take active part in politics, is already in practical application, notwithstanding the loud complaint of corruption in political circles. A National Reform journal recently reported a personal inquiry of all the governors of states as to their religious status, and gave out as a result of the inquiry that twenty-nine of the forty-five are church members, and all but one are adherents to some religious faith. The additional information might have been given that even that one had signed a barbers’ Sunday law. In addition to this, most of the judges and legislators of the country are either members or in some way supporters of churches. The Protestants, even the chiefest of the National Reform combination, acknowledge the Catholic Church as a Christian organization. Now every one born of Catholic parents is a recognized Catholic, and it is a fact patent to all that our principal cities are controlled politically by the Catholics. The Catholic Christian influence is a potent power also in the national capital, where a very large proportion of the department employees and other public officials are said to pay quite regular tribute to the “sisters” who solicit for the various enterprises of “the church.” But recently a Catholic colonel of the army was appointed by the President to the rank of brigadier general; and, altho he was promoted over the heads of more than a score of colonels his senior in rank, the appointment was confirmed by the Senate. By the way, while referring to the matter of Catholic Christianity and Christian politics, what about the saloon business? It is constantly asserted that by far the larger part of the saloon business is in the hands of Catholics. This is especially true in the large cities whose municipal affairs are controlled by Catholics. Then, according to the popular way of labeling men and things “Christian” because of outward circumstances, the saloon business would be logically rated as a Christian business, and saloon politics as Christian politics. And this so-called Christian nation does a saloon business in its own name in every one of its military posts. From a candid view of this machine-made, labor-saving Christianity with which the “Christian citizenship” reformers would fain flood the country, it would seem that we are already suffering from a plethora of “Christian politics.” We have had already too much corrupt political work, in which professed Christians are as deeply implicated as others, if not more so. There is no hope of anything better, when the word of God plainly indicates “perilous times” ahead. Experience has proved that the leaders of so-called reforms in public affairs are generally the first to prove recreant when personal interest can be subserved. Politicians generally turn reformers when their personal ambitions are defeated, only to seek new avenues to attain their selfish ends. “In the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves.” And this is said of those who have “a form of godliness.” So we confess a feeling of extreme wariness when professed Christians—especially professed ministers of the Gospel and disappointed politicians, and men with great financial interests in the balance—start out on a campaign of political reform. It is decidedly suspicious when men with ambition for political power start in to stir the political caldron with a spoon labeled “Christianity.” W. N. G.