Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/642

 622 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

in question. The most general is that the laboring man believes there is an alliance between the rich man, who oppresses him, and the church. Some comipents touching this point are worth noticing :

Mr. Gompers. — My associates have come to look upon the church and the ministry as the apologists and defenders of the wrong committed against the interests of the people, simply because the perpetrators are possessors of

wealth whose real God is the almighty dollar, and who contribute

a few of their idols to suborn the intellect and eloquence of the divines, and make even their otherwise generous hearts callous to the sufferings of the poor and struggling workers, so that they may use their exalted positions to discourage and discountenance all practical efforts of the toilers to lift them- selves out of the slough of despondency and despair.

Mr. Lennon. — Workmen stay away from the church because their employers attend and control the church, and in their daily life, in shop and factory, the workman receives but little of Christian treatment from the employers.

Mr. Garland. — Workingmen find much difficulty in reconciling the religious fervor of the wealthy while at church with their attitude to their fellows in actual life.

Mr. O'Sullivan. — Believing, as I do, that employers are not all worth praying for, and disliking to pray for the prosperity of a " sweater," I do not go to church, even if I had the time to do so.

Rev. Herbert M. Casson. — The men who grind them in business are the ones whom they recognize in the front pews.

Miss Nason. — The churches are not built by them, nor for them, but with money taken from them to be used against them.

The other causes, with explanatory extracts, follow :

There is plenty of ecclesiasticism in the churches, but there is little Christianity.

Mr. Casson. — Workingmen are understanding better the teaching of Christ, and do not see any similarity between Christ and the church.

Miss Nason. — Workingmen understand that Christianity is only another name for justice, love, and truth, and that churchianity is only another name for wrong, injustice, oppression, misery, and want. Then they take the two apart, and cheer the name of Jesus Christ and hiss the church, separating Christianity from churchianity ; honormg the one, scoutmg the other.

The church is wrong in trying to reconcile present industrial circumstances with a normal and just theory of life:

Miss Nason. — The cornerer, the syndicate, the trust, hold back the riches of earth, sea, and sky from their fellows who famish and freeze in the