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Monday, May 2, 2022

Welfare Links Church and State, Says Lucius Ranson, May 2, 1922

Ministers Fail to Support Work. . . Welfare Superintendent Ranson Rebukes Preachers for Their Attitude

The Charlotte Ministerial Association has been more indifferent to the work of the welfare organization of the county than any other organization, declared Lucius Ranson, county superintendent of public welfare, speaking at the Villa Heights A.R.P. church Sunday night.

Mr. Ranson was speaking on “The Making of a Man” and was showing how, although the welfare program had come from the Christian church and had been made possible through the efforts of Christian people, the local Ministerial Association had given the least support.

It is the one organization which he has not been permitted to address on the welfare program, he said. Mr. Ranson said that many of the ministers of the city have given admirable assistance but his remarks about non-support were concerning the organization.

The text of Mr. Ranson’s discourse was from Luke 2:52, “And the child grew in stature, wisdom and in the favor of God and man.” At the outset Mr. Ranson said that the home is the foundation of civilization. The real home, he said is ruled by a queen, the mother, and he paid a tribute to womanhood and motherhood. The boy Christ had a four-fold development. He increased in stature, his physical body was developed. He increased in wisdom, he was educated. He grew in favor with men, he had a splendid social development. And he received the favor of God, and had religious development.

The welfare superintendent then declared that is the duty of parents to develop their children along the same four-fold plan. First comes a strong body, the child’s physical needs must be met and the health protected. He spoke of the agencies for a strong body such as athletics, play, playgrounds, Y.M.C.A., gymnasium, supervised activities, gardening and chores.

Next comes the trained mind. The mother is the natural teacher. The Jewish mother first trained the child and mothers are not doing their duty if they are not training their children. Care must be taken in the selection of teachers in schools and colleges and care must be exercised in the choosing of the books for the children to read.

He made a plea for teaching of the Bible in the public schools and said that the ministers of the city should be members of the schools’ faculty to teach the children, who should be given credit for the work in the Bible.

The child should be given a true understanding of the social relationships. The sacredness of the home and family should be early taught. He said that divorces have caused millions of children to become homeless, and he urged that fathers and mothers do all in their power to stop child marriages. When children become neglected, dependent and delinquent, the juvenile court of the welfare department steps in and functions.

Above all the child should be taught that religion is the moving force in all relationships, political, social, economical and educational, he declared.

The welfare organization is the missing link between the church and State. The church, with its spirit of service has evolved the welfare idea but is without the practical means of executing the program. Then it is that the welfare organization with its funds from the State, operates as the link between State and church.

From The Charlotte News, May 2, 1922

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