Page 86 - TheGoldBug1967-68

PAGE 4 THE GOLD BUG APRIL 26, 1968 Somebody Up There ?{!j flfallwt f!I~~: A Lesson In Christian Economics Piety and Prejudice tffj by IRA ZEPP Richard Anderson because we have ignored the com- tion, according to Father Berrigan "Why not give Christianity a mon sense teachings of Jesus and is a major reason for the "state of Governor Lester Maddox at a press conference following his tnaugura- Trial? Thequestlonseemsahope- substituted a Bar abba.sque (Shaw) revolution" that exists in our ct- uon last March,assuredthepeopleofGeorgiathat he was "a very reUg- less one after 2000years of re- or aureacranc (Berrigan) mora- ties. toes man!' He went on to say that he would begin every day with prayer solute adherence to the old cry of my that is a cruel parody of the Because our foreign policy is a and that as long ashe was governor there would be no liquor served in the 'Not this man, but Barabbas!' Yet real Christianity. projection of our domestic poltcy, State House. It is beginning to look as if Sara- Like Shaw, Father Berrigan is Father Berrigan sees unjust cis- Have you ever noticed thatwhereyouhavethe most personal piety you bba s was a failure, in spite of his asking that we give Christianity a trtbutton of econcrnrc power as a often have the greatest amount oi'prejudIce?Nocountry in the world-has strong right hand, and his morali- trial, if only it is just to save pr-Imar-y reason for our foreign had more souls saved and more revival meetings than Amertca and yet ties and churches and political con- ourselves. The heart of Father problems. At thepresenttime,the we are among the most rac1st of eountrtas, stttuttons,« G. B. Shaw, "Preface Berrigan's argument is that we U. S. with a population which is -protestacts may have puttoomuchemphasisonfaith (God) and not en- on the Prospects of Christianity", have let private enterprise run about 6% of the world's total, con- o'lgh on love (neighbor). AndI must hasten to add, love In the form of jus- Androcles and the Lion. 1915. amok by not hampering its assualt trois over 50% of the world's tice. That is, wehavetendedtObeindividualistic, "personal-experience" On Sunday April21stl968, Father on humanity with a Christian me- wealth. These figures by them sel-. centered and not society and community oriented. Philip Berrigan presented a close raUty. ~ ves indicate an Intolerable stt- One critic put itthlsway."YouChrlstians seem to be more concerned paraphrase of Shaw, the only main According to Father Ber rtgar , uatton, but we greatly compound about getting people to stop smoking and drinking and to use Christianity difference being that Shaw was the root of U.s. power Is our cap- the injustice by our "economic to protect the status quo. When the Communists speak to us, they talk talking about the British Empire taust economy. The economic or- assault" on the rest of the about feeding the starving, teachIng the llUterate, putung an end to ex- & Father Berrigan about the U. der , as he sees it,is able to co..trot world where we are driven by the ploitation and Injustice." It does not behooveusto talk about Communist S. Empire. This ts not to imply the political order of this country profit motive to control th~eco.n- motives and integrity. To theextentthis criticlsm Is true, we Christians that Father Berrigan is an UDOrl- because of the influence wealth has. mies of foreIgn countries. Father are not true to Christ's gospel. ginal radical, but rather that des- ThIs means that instead of echoing Berrigan pointed to the_ Middle 'ibis ~ why many Christians find themselves In concert with atheists pite Shaw's warning over half a the values of the people, our nation- East, Africa, and south Amertca as and h)lmanists'wbose primary concern is the alleviation of human need century ago, the hold of Barabbas al policies are based on the antt- just a few examplesofareaswhere and not where their souls are going to spend eternity. The above, crit- is, if anything, stronger. Christian morality of capitalIsm- the U. S. takes too mUch profit out Icism also points out why fundamentalist churches (and many standard To both Shaw and Berrigan, the greed. The third member of the of foreign countries, keeping them brands--CathoUc and Protestant), with their eyes on heaven, play right moneyed, respectable, and capable trrumvrrare presently ruling the in poverty, into the hands oltha CommuniSts, whom they depise, but who nevertheless Western world has been in Immin- U. S. is the mlutaryestablishment Because our prosperity de- take advantage of their inhuman other-worldlness. ent danger of collapsing and Is at which has been created by the ct- pends on our overseas Invest- Carl Mlchalson once said, "Only one thing is more embarrassing to ::~:~eF:~:~o:~r:r:;::1tt::: Christendom than the spectacle of a major churchtocuslng Its enormous :)~~:~ntw~:;c:~~~:g ~~oi':~~~) ~~a~f ~~I~~~~:~~ro~~~~t!~~~= ~:a~~~~:~~~~~I;~d;;o~ ~~=: the concern for the minor vices of others Is a camouflage for some major Vietnam: :;~~o:V;I~~~O:c:~~~:Ca:~I!II':~ enegles upon minor vices. Thatistheembarrassmentol discovering that vice of one's own." insurgency. This military estab- He illustrates thIs by a reference to the Christian program of evange- An Objective View oU~e results of IetUng our coun- lishment Is not used in the inter- Usm to the slaves in whIch the black men's souls were won for ChrIst. try be ruled by a Barabbesque mo- est of justice or national seU-de- Holy Thursday in Vietnam. Apla- And yet there was a general accomodaUon by most churches to the in- toon moves out on a search &clear rality has been the creation of a termination, but rather in our own stitution of slavery. operation. The platoon leader is a system of distribution thatlswlld- economic interest. Father Berrig- Today a Similar irony exists. Churches which would hardly dare cir- ly unjust. Domestically, says Fa- an feels that this is the real reason Negro 2nd lleutenent. He's been in culate a commitment card on behalf of legislation tor open housing, be- the Army 14 years, starting out as ther Berrigan, the U. S. refuses to for our Involvement in Vietnam and cause that would be interfering with the sodal structure, are the same an enlisted man then going toOSC. tax Itself sufficiently to take care in view of this, we have no rightto churches that would getacertainfeeUngofpride out of circulating cards of Its 40 million poor. Thissltua- be there. His radioman Is a 20 year old COl- for commItment tototal abstinence, because in the process they are chal- lege graduate, who volunteered to lenging private tastes. come to Vietnam. He took language So Michalsonconcludes,"part.ofthepredicamentofthe church as theo· logical conscience tor the world is learning to distinguIsh between what courses, & wants to be an inter- preter & work with the people. The is legitimately a matter of private taste and what Is a matter of social point manlsasmalldarkHawallan, justice •••To legislate pubUcly for something that is really a matter of private taste is one of the quickest routes to injustice. Nazism's legalized with only6monthstogoIntheArmy. anU-semitism is history's cruellst instance. The prohlbUion amend- In the Hnes moves an 18 year old ment is one of history's more comic Instances." enlistee. He comes to Vietnam Justice transcends all forms of religious expression and experience looking for maturity & adventure. and is that bywhich the latter are judged. Justice also, thereby, dethrones They move through the rice pad- the private tastes of prejudice. dies. It's hot, & everyone sweats until their clothes are soaked. They Christian Bailey;. lug machine guns, rocket launchers, Frothing At Wimps grenades, M-16's &lots claymores, of ammo. They each carry 30 to 50 Mike Herr The West Va. Tradition lbs of equIpment, & the harness good advice, and was harder to get. But as hamburgers became simpler There was a time in this fare land when a hamburger cost more than Walt Michaels straps bite Into their shoulders as to buy and to make, advice moved from its seat in the barrooms and pool- they slosh through the knee deep Alone on a gray· front porch, n1ng moonshIne, and probably gloat- water. . rooms of America and Is currently couched behInd doors marked M,D.; William Christian Bailey sits In ed over their duty well-done. But Ahead of them, a Vietnamese and it isn't simple or cheap. a red wooden chair. His agile the banjo man, remembering his watches. In his hand Isa detonator, However, there remains a deep well of common sense hIdden beneath the hands callousedandwrinJeledtrom mountains that echoed his songs, strung to an artillary round. He harried frown of Intelllgent people, justwaiUngtobe brought to the sur- 67 ye~s of llvin hold a black picked his way through two prison watChes the radioman as he comes face. An ideal of this common sense unmysteriously· appeared to Clyde pen lallfe and alo;;blockOfcherry years, and returned, unmarred, to near the mine. But he waits. He Pfarphdorfer in a sleep-Induced dream. Ashe tumbled through the sluice wood. Slowly, the block assumes a the hills which had born him. wants the leader. The radio rings of life he noticed that only those who can swim rise to the top. This obser- distinct form. At last the old man People, faces, machines, - all & the radioman answers & hands 'vaUon led to the hypothesis that the lame (in a clear cut case of over- admires a perfectly ~arved banjo change with t~me. In the Appala- it to the lieutenent. The little man compensation) are the people -whostrive harder .Success is an indication neck. His spirited hands and chian mountams, there Is some- pushed the detonator. The officer is of Illness. Upon awaking, Pfarphdorfer challenged the_f1rst tycoon that he eyes caresstheneck-aneckform- thing that does not change. Per- blown back, his arm gone from met. The tycoon opened by nashing anepigram. Clyde parried with a swift ed by the flawless lathe which only haps it is a spirit of some sort, just below the elbow, & his body kick to the crutch andthetycoonfellin a heap of naked reality, thus Clyde an old man's hands can be. Chris·- a mood, a song. A song which peppered with steel. The radio- proved his hypothesis. man's body absorbs dozens of ple- He then took his problem to Bock, the first prophet. Bock pondered for !aenms:~:~h~~i!h~r:::~~i~i:: ::~~~:a~o:~~:: ::~Imas~~:~~ ces of hot steel, as he staggers & a minute and then the solution came to him like a fish In the night; "It sucks. I like the other point of view besides that of the nitwIts on this fickle spring wind eases through dcr;~~~e ~~~~;s;re meant to list- falls. All hell breaks loose. Snip- campus. They ought to burnthat whole room upstairs with them (the gods) the crowded trunks and branches of en, others to play and sing. From ers open up. The Hawaiian turns in It." Pfarphdorfer left the abode of Bock content in the knowledge that & a bullet rips between his legs, :~~er:"~om:t;:; ~~d!h~t~ed: ~i:ile~~ic::~~~.:::e~~h7~i~~: tearing oif his testicles. He ,he was a miserable failure. He also realized that everything that he had worked for, equality, peace, and a really good American beer were also ~~~.have lived as Children of na- up the song which is Appalachia. screams & faUs backward. The 18 progressing very slowly. ThIs assured that they were healthy move- year old turns & a bullet rips into Christian's mind wanders back his stomach just below his armor ments. to when he was a young man. He vest. He drops without a sound. While we're on the topic ot equaUty, consider the pUght of the Calif- was full of the things which push Everyone else is down. All are fir- ornia Condor, an oppressed minority group whose number comprises a an eager mind and body to explore- ing, but it soon stops. fraction of a per cent of the buzzard population In America. They have barring nightfall, sunrise, man's ·'ilIe officer Is alive, but his arm been forced (by civUlzaUon) to lIve in the very remote regions of Calif- blasphemous time schedule. His will come oll. The RTO (Radio- ornia, and although theyarethelargestolall vultures, they eat less than mind wanders back to the many telephone operator) is torn In many of their cousIns In other areas. nights when he and his buddies dozens of places. As this Is wrIt- The Common Turkey vulture, although merely half the size of ~he great wOllld kindle their fires, tap thum- ten, IUs life hangs by a thread. The Condor manages to eat 1.4 pounds more carrion per week as is engorged per kegs, watch the fine, clear li- HawaIIan lives, but his manhood is by the Condor. The California Condor is In serious trouble. NOW IS THE quid run, and finally, lean back gone forever. The young kid dies TIME FORALLGOODMENTOCOMETOTHE AID OF THEIR CONOOR! and revel In Us spirits. The spi- on the helicopter. This is a golden opportunity for all true humanitarians to act. When you rits would bring out songs. Some It all took less than 1 minute. No know your time Isdue, commit your corpse to the lonely mountain slopes would sing - others would pick enemy Is ever seen. Whether you of Calaveras county California. "One corpse saves many Condors." banjos and guitars. condemn the man who pulled the But this article deals not with noble causes. It is an explanation of a But there were men then,as trIgger, or the man who told them game known as Frothing. FrothIng is an old Western Maryland sport there are now, who could not ap- to bethere,ortheworldthatmakes that began as a quiet match game but which has recently developed Into of three separate units, grilling, frilling, a team sport· which consists preciate the mellow notes of free these things happen, thIs Istheway and spilling, but the description myst end here or there will be a Dean's men's minds. The FedsgotChrls- it is. Inquiry and uniforms will be requIred. .." Han, put him in the pen for-rllfi- -