Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-14
International Sunday.School Lessons.
NOT DYING OUT.

Superficial observers of anti-religious
tendencies and Christians inclined to
pessimism have talked much about the
decadence of the Christian religion in
this country. The former, with few
local or partial statistics, or their own
imaginings as basis. write persuasive
ly 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 suiting
themselves to the world at the cost of
their spiritual power.
If 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 ehurch-buildingS, 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 n 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.
Go over the country and you shall
find 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 our dccaying Christian churchesP
Hinduism and Buddhism are dying re-
ligions, and their deserted temples are
turned to other and sometimes less
sacred uses; but only the movement of
population causes Christian congrega-
ton to surrender. in order that they
may build another, a co1iSeCrated edifice
for business purposes.
If the anti-religious prophets of Chris
tianity's doom want intelligent people
to believe their statements and prophe-
cics, 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 Ecen-
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. 1t said
that the great bulk of those who cele-
brated on that day the four hundredth
anniversary of Luther's birth "have no
more faith in his doctrines than he put
in Tetzers, and care no more for his
Bible than he cared for the Missal." 1t
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 coun-
tries, we readily grant, to Indifference
in religious matters, is misrepresented
| by the Post. Where is the best Biblical
and theological literature produced, if
not in 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 lreconcilable with the
! Posts statement.
If 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 in utter unbelief-are anxious to
get for the first time, perhaps, glimpse
of the task they. have assumed with
such benefcent purpose, in all its mag
nitude, we offer them the following
table for close study. If those who
think we can not sleep with good
Christian conscience until God is recog-
nized by name in the Constitution of the
United States wish for a comforting
thought against the day of their final
disappointment, 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
like Eli, are trembling for the safety Of
the ark may be treasured and may thanE
God and take courage from these figure:
extracted from four pages of statistic:
carefully prepared for the ''Independen
Almanac, which is shortly to appear
GENERAL SUMMARY