Life, 1907-02-28 · page 11 of 28
Life — February 28, 1907 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical cartoons critiquing American materialism and religious hypocrisy. The top panels mock various forms of ego and self-importance: "The Ego" shows vanity; another depicts greed ("The Almighty $"); "The Latest" ridicules fashionable trends "with all its faults." The central text, "The Foundations of Faith," satirizes the "Layman's Missionary Movement"—a wealthy businessmen's initiative to evangelize globally within 25 years. The author (Agnes Repplier) argues that while millionaires fund religious campaigns claiming charitable motives, true Christianity requires spiritual commitment beyond financial donation. She suggests wealthy donors use charity to avoid deeper moral obligations, ending pessimistically: "It will, alas! It will." The satire targets disconnect between capitalist wealth accumulation and Christian values.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
fworn ALL ITS FAULTS ? WORSHIP The Foundations of Faith b THE cheering news that the world is to be I evangelized in twenty-five years, “or, at i the longest, within a generation,” has been announced by a Philadelphia newspaper, and has brought sincere pleasure to many hearts. After nearly twenty centuries of partial failure, the “Laymen’s Missionary Movement” is at last to register a complete success by the employment of intelligent and representative methods, The whole scheme is to rest on a sound financial basis. ‘‘Money,” we are assured, “will not be spared,” and what cannot money do? ‘Several millionaires and scores of prominent business men are interested,” and to millionaires and prominent business men Heaven is not likely to refuse its aid. ‘Wealthy laymen will devote a portion of their time, while traveling next year, to the concerns of Christi- anity,” and wealth has never failed to spiritualize the aspiring human soul. “Influential Philadelphians” have given a dinner ata prominent hotel to set the matter going, and it has always been through the medium of dinners that the world has been, converted to light. The records of history show how full of promise is this busi- nesslike scheme of evangelization. It was the assured wealth, the sound financial standing of the Apostl ich gave them their astonishing success; and ¢ religious movement the world has witnessed since has rested on the same secure foundation. The acute business sense, the admirable acquisi- tiveness of St. Francis of Assisi quickencd the hearts of men. Charles Wesley was enabled by the aid of millionaires and public dinners to evangelize the length and breadth of Eng- land. There can be no reasonable doubt that the “‘Laymen’s Missionary Movement,” if strongly financed, will at least, as its stockholders claim, give to the people of all lands “an oppor- tunity of knowing what Christianity stands for.” Te will, alas! It will. Agnes Repplier. comicbooks.com