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What caused poverty according to Rauschenbusch?

What caused poverty according to Rauschenbusch?

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According to reading, What caused poverty according to Rauschenbusch?

Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel (1912) Source: Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianizing the Social Order (New York, 1912, pp. 41-44 The Baptist clergyman Walter Rauschenbusch, who began preachingin New York City in 1886, was a bridge between the Gilded Age and the Pro- gressive era oftheearly twentieth century. Appalled by the low wages anddire living conditions of his poor parishioners, Rauschenbusch rejected the idea, common among the era's Protestant preachers, that povertyarosefrom individual sinslikedrinkingandsabbathbreaking. In sermonsand, in theearlytwentiethcentury,inwidelyread books, he devel- oped whatcameto becalled the Social Gospel. Rauschenbuschinsisted that devout Christiansrediscover the "social wealth ofthe Bible," andespecially Jesus'concern forthe poor. Freedom and spiritualself development, he argued, requiredanequalization of wealth and powerandunbridledcom- petition mocked the Christian idealofbrotherhood, The Social Gospel movement originatedasan effort to reform Protes- tantchurches byexpanding theirappealin poor urban neighborhoods and making them more attentive to the era'ssocial ills. Its adherents established missions and reliefprogramsin urban areas that attempted to alleviate poverty,combat child labor, andencourage the construction of better working-class housing. THE CHIEF PURPOSE of the Christian Church in the past has been the salvation of individuals. But the most pressing task ofthe pres- ent is not individualistic. Our business is to make over an anti- quated and immoral economic system; to get rid of laws, customs, maxims, and philosophies inherited from an eviland despotic past; to create just and brotherly relations between great groups and classes of society; and thus to lay a social foundation on which modern men individually can live and work in a fashion that will not outrage allthe better elements in them. Ourinherited Christian faith dealt with individuals, our present task deals with society,
Transcribed Image Text:Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel (1912) Source: Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianizing the Social Order (New York, 1912, pp. 41-44 The Baptist clergyman Walter Rauschenbusch, who began preachingin New York City in 1886, was a bridge between the Gilded Age and the Pro- gressive era oftheearly twentieth century. Appalled by the low wages anddire living conditions of his poor parishioners, Rauschenbusch rejected the idea, common among the era's Protestant preachers, that povertyarosefrom individual sinslikedrinkingandsabbathbreaking. In sermonsand, in theearlytwentiethcentury,inwidelyread books, he devel- oped whatcameto becalled the Social Gospel. Rauschenbuschinsisted that devout Christiansrediscover the "social wealth ofthe Bible," andespecially Jesus'concern forthe poor. Freedom and spiritualself development, he argued, requiredanequalization of wealth and powerandunbridledcom- petition mocked the Christian idealofbrotherhood, The Social Gospel movement originatedasan effort to reform Protes- tantchurches byexpanding theirappealin poor urban neighborhoods and making them more attentive to the era'ssocial ills. Its adherents established missions and reliefprogramsin urban areas that attempted to alleviate poverty,combat child labor, andencourage the construction of better working-class housing. THE CHIEF PURPOSE of the Christian Church in the past has been the salvation of individuals. But the most pressing task ofthe pres- ent is not individualistic. Our business is to make over an anti- quated and immoral economic system; to get rid of laws, customs, maxims, and philosophies inherited from an eviland despotic past; to create just and brotherly relations between great groups and classes of society; and thus to lay a social foundation on which modern men individually can live and work in a fashion that will not outrage allthe better elements in them. Ourinherited Christian faith dealt with individuals, our present task deals with society,
Page 2 many a time. It is indeed love that we want, but it is socialized love. Blessed be thelove that holds the cup of water to thirsty lips. We can The Christian Church in the past hastaught us to do our work with our eyes fixed on another world and a life to come. But the business before us is concerned with refashioning this present world, mak- ing this earth clean and sweet and habitable.... Twenty-five years ago the social wealth of the Bible was almost undiscovered to most of us. We used to plow it six inches deep for never do without the plain affection of man to man. But what we most need todayis not the love that willbreak its back drawing water for agrowing factory town froma well that was meant to supplya vil- lage, but a love so large and intelligent that it will persuade an igno- rant people to build a system of waterworks up in the hills, and that will get after the thoughtless farmers who contaminate the brooks with typhoid bacilli, and after the lumber concern that is denuding crops and never dreamed that mines of anthracite were hidden down below. Even Jesus talked like an individualist in those days and seemed to repudiate the social interest when we interrogated him. He said his kingdom was not of this world; thethingsof God had nothing to do with the things of Caesar; the poor we would always have with us, and his ministers must not be judges and dividers when Labor argued with Capital about the division of the inheritance. To- day he has resumed the spiritual leadership of social Christianity, of which he was the founder, It is a new tribute to his mastership that the watershed of its fOrests. We want a new avatar of love. Eric Foner, "Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel (1912)," Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History, v. 2 ed. 5, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 49-51. Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianizing the Social Order (New York 1912), pp. 41-44. the social message of Jesus was the first great possession which social Christianity rediscovered... With true Christian instinct men have turned to the Christian law of love as the key to the situation. If we all loved our neighbor, we should "treat him right," pay him a living wage, give sixteen ounces to the pound, and not charge so much for beef. But this appeal assumes that we are still living in the simple personal relations ofthe good old times, and that every man can do the right thing when he wants to do it. But suppose a business man would be glad indeed to pay his living, but all his competitors are paying from $7 down to $s. Shall he love himselfinto bankruptcy?In a time of industrial depression shall young women the S12 a week which they need for a decent he employ men whom he does not need? And if he does, will his five loaves feed the five thousand unemployed that break his heart with their hungry eyes?If a man owns a hundred shares of stock in a great corporation, how can his love influence its wage scale with that puny stick? The old advice of love breaks down before the hugeness of modern relations. We might as well try to start a stranded ocean liner with the oar which poled our old dory from the mud banks
Transcribed Image Text:Page 2 many a time. It is indeed love that we want, but it is socialized love. Blessed be thelove that holds the cup of water to thirsty lips. We can The Christian Church in the past hastaught us to do our work with our eyes fixed on another world and a life to come. But the business before us is concerned with refashioning this present world, mak- ing this earth clean and sweet and habitable.... Twenty-five years ago the social wealth of the Bible was almost undiscovered to most of us. We used to plow it six inches deep for never do without the plain affection of man to man. But what we most need todayis not the love that willbreak its back drawing water for agrowing factory town froma well that was meant to supplya vil- lage, but a love so large and intelligent that it will persuade an igno- rant people to build a system of waterworks up in the hills, and that will get after the thoughtless farmers who contaminate the brooks with typhoid bacilli, and after the lumber concern that is denuding crops and never dreamed that mines of anthracite were hidden down below. Even Jesus talked like an individualist in those days and seemed to repudiate the social interest when we interrogated him. He said his kingdom was not of this world; thethingsof God had nothing to do with the things of Caesar; the poor we would always have with us, and his ministers must not be judges and dividers when Labor argued with Capital about the division of the inheritance. To- day he has resumed the spiritual leadership of social Christianity, of which he was the founder, It is a new tribute to his mastership that the watershed of its fOrests. We want a new avatar of love. Eric Foner, "Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel (1912)," Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History, v. 2 ed. 5, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 49-51. Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianizing the Social Order (New York 1912), pp. 41-44. the social message of Jesus was the first great possession which social Christianity rediscovered... With true Christian instinct men have turned to the Christian law of love as the key to the situation. If we all loved our neighbor, we should "treat him right," pay him a living wage, give sixteen ounces to the pound, and not charge so much for beef. But this appeal assumes that we are still living in the simple personal relations ofthe good old times, and that every man can do the right thing when he wants to do it. But suppose a business man would be glad indeed to pay his living, but all his competitors are paying from $7 down to $s. Shall he love himselfinto bankruptcy?In a time of industrial depression shall young women the S12 a week which they need for a decent he employ men whom he does not need? And if he does, will his five loaves feed the five thousand unemployed that break his heart with their hungry eyes?If a man owns a hundred shares of stock in a great corporation, how can his love influence its wage scale with that puny stick? The old advice of love breaks down before the hugeness of modern relations. We might as well try to start a stranded ocean liner with the oar which poled our old dory from the mud banks
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