British Socialism: An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical ProposalsBarker, J. Ellis
History
British Socialism: An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical Proposals
Barker, J. Ellis
Socialism; Socialism -- Great Britain
verily! 'I will not hear your prayers, your chants, your liturgies,
your praises; My soul hateth even your solemn meeting,' said the Lord
of Life, if thou wilt not see Me in these Human Ones as they struggle
for Bread, if thou wilt not make thy Bread-getting Just, and Holy, and
Good, and True.
"And now, O Capitalism, Thou art doomed! I am against thee, saith the
Spirit. O Capitalism, I have weighed thee in My balances--thou art
found wanting. O Capitalism, thou hast gambled with the Land that I
gave to all for Bread. O Capitalism, thou hast gambled with the great
machines that are for the bread-getting of the people. O Capitalism,
thou hast made Human need an asset of thy gains. Thy Purse is filled
with Bloody Coin. Thy Store-Houses burst where the many Hunger. The
Little Ones cry in the streets whilst thou hidest thy Plunder. I am
against thee, O Capitalism, I am against thee! Thou hast gambled with
the very Bodies and Souls of men in thy Mad Mammonism. Thy fierce
Profit-Hunger Hath rejoiced in the Hunger of Man. I am against thee, O
Capitalism!
"Behold! the Day Dawns! I see Justice arise. I see the Land redeemed!
I see the Titans of Iron, the machinery of shops, used for man! I see
the Toilers go forth to their labours and return with the product of
their toil! I see Capitalism lie prone! I see Mammonism fallen! I see
the Profit of the Many Arise! I see Freedom! I see Brotherhood! I see
the Socialist Age! I see the Commonwealth of Man! 'Tis the coming of
the Lord of Life."[1028]
Much of the foregoing is printed in half-inch letters. At the end of
these wild utterances we read in letters an inch tall: "Rally, Rally,
Rally! Great Social Crusade! Rally, Rally, Rally!"--which unpleasantly
reminds one of the shouting butcher's insistent cry, "Buy, Buy, Buy!"
to be heard in crowded thoroughfares on Saturday nights.
The moderate Christian Socialists cannot help opposing the most
important item in the Socialist programme. For example, "The Christian
Social Union asserts that it has not the slightest sympathy with
confiscation." In fact, "the whole question of expropriation is
tacitly ignored in the literature of Christian Socialism."[1029] "The
Christian who believes in the words: 'Take heed, and keep yourselves
from all covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth,' cannot easily be a
Socialist, and a Christian minister cannot easily approve of the
spoliation of the Church."[1030] Professor Flint stated quite
correctly: "What is called Christian Socialism will always be found to
be unchristian in so far as it is socialistic, or unsocialistic in so
far as it is truly and fully Christian."[1031]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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