Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
IS CHRISTIANITY DYING IN OUR
LAND?

oo'oSA VSAS III 1OuS
tendencies and Christians inclined to
pessimism have talked much about the
decadence of the Christian religion in
this country. The former, with a few
local or partial statistics, or their own
imaginings as a basis, write persuasive
~ of the failing influence of the
Churches. The latter. regarding the
days of the fathers as better than these,
can not too loudly bcmoan the accomo-
dating spirit of the Churches in suAing
themselves to the world at the cost Of
their spiritual power.
II the Churches were really failing in
spirituality, in genuine religion, the re-
suits must soon become manifest in de-
creasing membership, in the breaking
up of congregations, and in many other
ways. If, on the contrary, they are
steadily increasing in communicates,
in Observation-Disclosures, in contributions
for church>and benevolent purposes, the
conclusion is inevitable that they are
gaining in spiritual power; for if men
lose confidence in Christianity they will
inevitably fall away from its support.
The statistics of all our Churches, with
only a few insignificant exceptions,
easily explained, exhibit a steady
growth. either by years or decades.
They never did so much for foreign
missions as in the past year; they never
had so many members, ministers and
churches.
20 over the country and you shall
lind halls, formerly occupied by nom
religious societies of one kind or
another, now put to other use. One
organization after another in secular
societies has risen and fallen; but where
are u decaying Christian churches?
Hinduism and Buddhism are diving re-
ligions, and their deserted temples are
turned to other and sometimes less
sacred uses; but only the movement of
population causes a Christian congrega-
ton to surrender, in order that they
may build another. a c~onsecrated editice
for business purposes.
II the anti-religious prophets of Chris
tlanity's doom want intelligent people
to believe their statements and prophe-
clcs, they must get at the census re-
ports, they must examine the Church
year books, and give the statistical
grounds of their conclusions. AS it is,
their conclusions are like Mohammed's
coffin; they hang between heaven and
earth, resting on nothing. The Ereu-
ing Post, of this city, furnished an illus
tration OF this sort of reasoning in its
remarks last Saturday about the Prot
estantism of Germany, which, we feel
sure, it would have no little trouble to
support with the hard facts. It said
that the great bulk of those who cele-
DRAFTED on that day the four hundredth
anniversary of Luther's birth shave no
more faith in his doctrines than he put
IN IetZels, and care no more for his
Bible thar he cared for the Missal." It
added that 'there is now but little re-
ligious belief of any kind to be found
among the educated classes of Protestant
Germany" We can give what is to us
conclusive proof that Germany, the
most inclined of all Protestant
tries, we readily grant, to indifference
IN religious matters, is misrepresented
by the Post. Where is the best Biblical
n Theological literature produced, if
not i n Germany? Where are the best
theological schools, if not in Germany?
Are these not by and for the educated
classes? If our present purpose war
ranted it, we could give many facts
Which are not reconcilable with the
AOSG j statement.
II those who are devoting themselves
to the abolition of religious belief as an
enslavement of the human mind-which
reaches, they would have us believe, its
truest nobility and its highest develop
ment j n utter unbelief-are anxious to
get for the first time, perhaps, a glimpse
OF the task they have assumed with
such beneficent purpose, in all it's mag
nltude, we offer them the following
table for close study. If those who
think we can not sleep with a rood
Christian conscience until God is recoo-
nlzed by name in the Constitution of The
United States wish for a comforting
thought against the day of their final
alsappolntment, we give them this
table with the suggestion that it shows
that Gods name is intellectually written
IN the heart of the people. Those who.
nke Ell, are trembling for the safety of
the ark may be treasured and nav thank
10 and take courage from these figures
extracted from four pages of statistics
carefully prepared for the ''%Independent
Almanac" which is shortly to appear: