ist are directly opposed to the
practical teachings of Socialism: "Jesus said, 'Blessed are the poor.'
Socialism recognises that wealth is a good thing, and it exists for
the purpose of securing a better share of it for the 'blessed' poor.
Socialism declares that all ought to work; but Jesus did no manual
work after he was thirty years of age, and he encouraged his disciples
to leave their occupations, to wander about and to beg, and this last
feature of discipleship has in all ages been well maintained.
Socialism incites the workers of all countries to unite for the
prosecution of the class war; but Jesus approved of obedience,
contentment, and humility of spirit."[994]

Socialism has no use for Christianity. "To-day we have to settle down
to our primers and our programmes, our Blue-books and our social
experiments, just as if Jesus had never lived, or perhaps all the more
because he lived. We get no assistance from Him. His followers are our
enemies in every country which owns His influence--and the worst
enemies of all because ever professing friendship."[995]

Christianity is, according to Socialists, an outworn creed. "As Marx
says, 'The religious world is but the reflex of the real world.
Christianity, like all religions, is but an expression of material
conditions, a direct outcome of social relations, the unsubstantial
image of a world reflected in the muddy pool of human intellect. Jesus
varies with the ages. Redeemer of Roman slave; War-God of Crusader;
General Overseer of Manufacturing Capitalist."[996] Besides,
Socialists resent "the continual reference of ideal perfection to a
semi-mythical Syrian of the first century when they see higher types
even in some now walking this upper earth, but in vulgar flesh and
blood and without the atmosphere of nineteen centuries to lend
enchantment to them."[997]

Lastly, Christianity has been a failure: "The success of Christianity
as a moral force has been solely upon isolated individuals. In its
effects on societies at large it has signally and necessarily
failed."[998] "Holiness! Your religion does not make it. Its ethics
are too weak, its theories too unsound, its transcendentalism is too
thin. There ought to be no such thing as poverty in the world. The
earth is bounteous: the ingenuity of man is great. He who defends the
claims of the individual, or of a class, against the rights of the
human race is a criminal. A hungry man, an idle man, an ignorant man,
a des