The Profits of Religion, Fifth EditionSinclair, Upton
Religion
The Profits of Religion, Fifth Edition
Sinclair, Upton
Christianity -- Controversial literature
The business man puts up the money to build the church, he puts up the
money to keep it going; and the first rule of a business man is that
when he puts up the money for a thing he "runs" that thing. Of course
he sees that it spreads his own views of life, it helps to maintain
his tradition. In the days of Anu and Baal we heard the proclamation
of the divine right of Kings; in these days of Mammon we hear the
proclamation of the divine right of Merchants. Some fifteen years ago
the head of our Coal Trust announced during a great strike that the
question would be settled "by the Christian men to whom God in His
Infinite Wisdom has given control of the property interests of this
country". And on that declaration all pious merchants stand; whatever
their denominations, Catholic, Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist,
Presbyterian or Hebrew, their Sabbath doctrines are alike, as their
week-day practices are alike; whether it is Rockefeller shooting his
Bayonne oil-workers and burning alive the little children of his
miners; or smooth John Wanamaker, paying starvation wages to
department-store girls and driving them to the streets; or that
clergyman who, at a gathering of society ladies, members of the "Law
and Order League" of Denver, declared in my hearing that if he could
have his way he would blow up the home of every coal-striker with
dynamite; or the Rev. R.A. Torrey, Dean of the Bible institute of Los
Angeles, who refused to employ union labor on the million dollar
building of the Institute, declaring that "the Church cannot afford to
have any dealings with a band of fire-bugs and murderers!"
#"Herr Beeble"#
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account