CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIALISM.
[TO THE EDITOR OP TUB "SPECTATOR."]
SlIti—I13 it not a fact that one of the chief causes, if not the sole cause, of the present tendency amongst earnest Christian people to confound Socialism with Christianity is based upon the erroneous belief that Individualism—the true antithesis of Socialism—is really neither more nor less than selfishness, and even then not always selfishness of the most enlightened kind P I venture to point out, however, that Egoism—which is, of course, pure selfishness—and Individualism are widely different; for while Egoism concerns itself solely with the "myself," and does so to the exclusion of every other self, Individualism, on the other hand, not only does not seek to advance unduly the interests of any one self, but actually postulates that the one paramount duty of society is to resist encroachment, from whatever quarter, upon the rights and liberties of each and every member. Moreover, it is only when we perceive this fundamental distinction that the true signifi- cance of Altruism can be properly appreciated, for Altruism is indeed the moral aspect of Individualism, that regard for the highest interest of every other individual that a man has for his own. In the incomparable words of Christ, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The social mission of Christianity seems to me to be to help others to help them- selves ; but Socialism, by destroying, or tending to destroy, the character and personality of the individual, would retard, and not advance, the amelioration of life.—I am, Sir, &c., GEO. H. STAMPE.
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