The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-26
ARE GERnIANs RELIGIOUS.
What is True Religion and How the German
Nature Responds to 1t.

Are the Germans religious people9 What do
we mean by religion and how are we to test it,
Do we mean punctual performance of outward
forms of devotion and a definite scheme of the
ologyg In that case | fear must say that the
generality of the people are deficient But if we
mean childike dependence on our Heavenly
Father, whom they call ''der hebe Gotts low
ing simple trust in ''das Christkindlein," a
straightforward endeavor to live according to
their conception of plain daily duty, then
should say the average German is religious be-
ing We hear much of infdehty, and among
ministers of religion ESPECIALLY the GalvinIstic
or Reformirte clergy and in university cliques
it is friGhtfelly common; but among the mass
of the people, including the army l should say
indifference rather than ratonalism is the pre-
vailing danger. Many circumstances have
tended to make the people, especially the Pro
testants, careless of religious observance. The
prayers in church too often formal, elaborate
addresses to an abstract deity which do not touch
the warm hearts of simple people, the average
preaching, even when untainted by rationalism
is dry and hard, decidedly inferior to the ser
mons to be heard in Presbyterian places of wer-
ship in Scotland where large congregations of
hard headed. hair splitting, butkeenly interested
men and women are attracted weekly by the
prospect of an intellectual exercise dear
to an intelligent and critical audi
ence The one part of the service which
speaks to the hearts of the German people is
the singing. This lifts them out of the visible
into communion with the unseen. | think one
can hear large body of voices rolling out some
grand choral and watch how familiar are the
words of Klopstoek's or Paul Gerhardts hymns
without feeling that warm words of personal de-
votion do find ready response. There is
large body of so-called Pietsten, but they belong
chiefly to the middle class and by their rigid
withdrawal from ordinary social intercourse
have no great effect on the mass of the people.
Then many really religious people shrink from
attendance at churches where Socinianism is
openly preached. In one town where the Stadt
PfaIrer is railroads.&c. the English chaplain
lends his church once a month for an Evangel-
seh Lutherisch service, and this is always
crowded The usual hour for the Sunday serv-
ice precludes the working classes, the women, at
any rate, from frequent attendance.
Morning service is usually at $50, and the
afternoon service consists of Christenlehre, or
catechising, which does not attract grown-up
people Preparation for confirmation is carried
out most carefully. The usual course of pre-
quite matter of course among the Lutherans
that all who have been confirmed should make
their first communion. One day in the year is
strictly and religiously observed by Germans of
all denominations, and that is All Saints day.
The Romansts after mass 50 in solemn process
sion to the cemetery to lay flowers on the graves
of their dear ones and prayers are said by the
priest The Protestants observe the day no less
carefully They too stand by the graves of
their dead, and pray Water unser." Possibly
the human element in this observance touches
them more than the divine; but is it not true of
us all that in many ways God draws with
the cords of a mani"