*THE
WORKER*
Brisbane,
March 16, 1895.
Open
Column.
For
the expression of social and economic opinions with which the
“Worker” does not necessarily hold itself in complete accord.
The
Blind Leading the Blind.
If the blind lead the blind both will fall into the
ditch.
Woe to them that put darkness for light and light for
darkness.
Ye that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the
weak, and not to please yourselves.
Bear ye one another's burden's, and so fulfil the law of
Christ.
Be not as the hypocrites are, for they say and do not.
It seems almost incredible that the light of such plain,
self-evident and homely truths, such good advice, and such profound
wisdom, evidently designed, and so well adapted to raise humanity to
a higher plane of intelligence, freedom, and happiness to reform and
bless the world, should have been allowed for nearly twenty centuries
to remain almost a dead letter, to become nearly obsolete, inoperative and obscured by men connected with so called
Christian Churches who have received countless millions of pounds for
the express purpose of removing that obscuration, to make a reality
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,”
and to bring about “Peace on earth and goodwill among men.”
* * *
These thoughts have suggested themselves to my mind from
the fact that if many good and liberal-minded clergymen in
aristocratic and plutocratic churches were to tell their purse proud,
domineering masters from the pulpit that they were responsible for
the social, commercial, and political corruption that is now cursing
the world they would probably rise in a body and leave the church,
and quickly inform them that unless they refrain from being political
agitators their services would no longer be required, as there was no
connection between preaching the Gospel and political agitation.
* * *
If it be right to expose commercial injustice and
political wrongs stumbling blocks to the progress of that
“righteousness which exalteth a nation”- which embrace political,
social, legal and commercial reform, can it be wrong for the churches
to use the lawful means to remove them? And what are the lawful means
but political agitation in conjunction with preaching the Gospel.
Politics are the tools or instrumentalities to make laws with, and
without their strong arm of protection to-day no man's life or
property would be worth one day's purchase, with all the increase of
churches and their costly maintenance. What a blot on our boasted
civilisation and a disgrace to Christianity? When darkness can expel
darkness and Satan cast out Satan, then may we say there is no
connection between political agitation and preaching the Gospel.
* * *
This long cherished conventional church lie, “no
connection,” which many of the clergymen throughout Christendom
appear to believe in, teach and practice, is the stronghold, the
curtain on the stage that hides the inner lives of the dignitaries of
the church and their wealthy supporters from the outside world, who
make war on industry, plan, plot and contrive the best means to keep
the poor and ignorant blind to their temporal welfare by directing
their attention to the glories of a future state; form themselves
into powerful monopolies and syndicates and commercial corner rings,
become sleeping partners in questionable enterprises, throw the dust
of deceit in the eyes of the toilers and keep them grinding at the
mill of labour competition and slavery whilst the rich live in ease
and luxury and make large fortunes.
* * *
Can this state of things last much longer? People
starving in the midst of plenty. Whilst some of the leading lights of
the churches and their rich supporters are engaged in the mad or
blind race for the supremacy of creeds. Giving garden parties and
feeding the rich whilst the unemployed outside the gates of the
wealthy are wanting the common necessaries of life, and falling into
the ditch of poverty, pauperism and misery. Is a foul cesspit thickly
impregnated with the germs of typhoid less dangerous because it does
not overflow and cause wholesale pestilence and death? Are our
social, commercial, and political cesspits and sweating dens less
dangerous because the unemployed starving millions do not break out
in open revolt? Let the causes and the consequences of the French
revolution answer. Can anyone for a moment think that if the
principal actors in the churches were not blind to the fact that
their lives in relation to the poverty and needless misery around
them were a true picture of the parable of the “rich man and
Lazarus,” that they would not remain one day longer in the false
position of being the “Blind Leaders of the Blind.”
They are slaves who fear to speak
For the helpless and the weak,
They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three.
W. GAISFORD, Warwick.
[N.B. - It must not be thought from the above that I
condemn the whole of the clergy as indifferent to and neglectful of
the sufferings of the poor. I am acquainted with several
self-sacrificing and benevolent ministers of the gospel whose
endeavours to sincerest admirations. W.G.]
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