Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-03-24
RELIGIOUS JOURNALISM.

Round Table," in one of its recent numbers,
conceive, with equal justice on the low tone main
tanned by most of the 50 called religious newspa
pers" in our country, whether regard be had to
their moral or intellectual force. In its opinion,
the little religious writing in them" has come to
be "perfunctory, aimless, and inane," while their
writing upon political and social topics, if more
animated than the former, is yet not superior, in
general, to that Of the secular newspapers belong
ing to the second or still lower class.
There are, Of course, some exceptions to this
general criticism which will present
themselves to every reader Of the religious press
but that, in the main, it is just portraiture of
mych that passes for "relgious journalism" in the
United States will be admitted by ALL Nor is it
difficult to discern or state the causes of this mark
td deterioration.
Foremost among these causes We must assign
The large, and, in many cases, the paramount place
given in these papers to purely secular discussions.
And this substitution Of "profane'' for " sacred"
themes has naturally carried with it into the sphere
of such discussions the passions and tendencies
which are "of the earth, earthly" There was
time when the odium ,theologicum was proverb,
but if religious controversy then partook too largely
of acrmony, it is cnly just to say that this very
acrimony marked the presence of strong religious
convictions, asserting themselves with vehemence
because the men who cherished them were earnest
in the belief of their truth and Importance. If
the comparative absence of theological asperites
in the so-called "religious press" Of the present
day were accompanied by softened tone of dis
cussion on other topics of vivid interest," we night
wa, symptomatic of general improvement in the
ethics of debate But, unfortunately for this con-
soling deduction, We find that many Of these pa
pers, which are as vapd as dish water in their theo
logical disquisitons acid vitrio in their
political disputations. They make it plain that
on subjects where they feel keenly, and in which
they have something more than languid interest
they are as ready as ever to fight with trenchant
weapons instead of brandishing the foils which
they are content to WELD in the joust and tourney
of theological digladation.
The tIeologians of former period fed their
minds on imperial themes in the world Of pious
meditation or abstract speculation. The power Of
the present world was overshadowed by the powers
of the world to come. The line Of demarcation
between the secular and the sacred was distinctly
marked and recognised. Religious fellowship was
| then determined by community of religious faith,
and was not made to depend on community OF cre-
| dence in regard to matters of social reform or
political agitation. The church was not called to
| supplement its recognised creed with annual ode
liverances" on the predominant topics Of the hour
| in the political hustings, or on the rostrum OF
social reform. 1t was natural that, with the in
vasion Of secular or semisecular theses of discus
sion in the religious conventicle and in the re-
| ligious press, there should have come with them
litgious spirit Of controversy bearing fruit after
its kind. Hence the injurious personality and
political invectivs which disfgure so many of our
Dominally religious sheets. Tamc and spirtless in
their treatment Of themes which by their majestic
grandeur no less than their infinite moment de-
serve to fill the mind and fire the soul, they re-
their best zeal for the petty stres cngendereo
by the DoXious spirit of party in the dusty arena
of political life. Instead of needing the ipjunc
tion which bids us put away "a bitterness and
wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking
what journals are more ready than some of the so
called religious sheets to indulge in terms of re-
proach and calumny against men who, equally
vrtuous in the walks of private life~nd equally sin,
ccrc in the opinions they hold, differ from the con-
ductors of these sheets only in their consideration,
views of public policy
1t will readily occur to the thoughtful reader that
it is not affirmed by the drift of these remarks that
there are no occasions when religious journals not
only may properly but when they are in duty
bound to discuss the religious and moral aspects
of secular questions 1t is not affirmed that aues-
tions which are purely secular may not legitimate
ly occupy subordinate place in their columns.
But it is precisely because they have this liberty
that care should be taken lest it be made an occa
sion Of offence, aud lest in giving undue develop
ment to the spirit and temper Of secularity they
should seem to forfeit the distinctive character
under color of which they socit public patronage
We could cite the name of profc,sedly religious
journal, which, if We may Judge from the quality or
quantity Of their contents, are much more solicitor,
about the success Of certain political policies than
the cd6cation of the saints, and the conductors Of
which are evidently much more at home 10 the
t jargon Of Ashdod than in the speech Of Zion.