Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-13
NUMBER OF CONFLICTING RELIC
IONS IN THIS COUNTRY.


soME public Journals are expressing
surprise at the number Of organized
religious bodies In the unltei States,
as reported In the census u 1890. The
official announcement h that there are
one hundred and forty religious bodies
In the United Sta,cs,excluslvc u many
independent congregations. Probably
the surprise would be greater II
these "lndcpenient congrl IN Ions"
were numbered and aided to the
general sum.
All these different religious bodies
nrc conflicting. They are opposed to
zach other In essential points Of doc.
trlno and important rules OF discipline.
What Babel this makes Of what Is
supposed 10y millions Of people TO be
the Church Of Christi
IL must becvident 10 thinking people
that these organizations are merely
human Institutions. They have no
morn right to claim that Christ organ.
ized them than have the various cor.
porailons for business, or charitable, or
educational purposes. Tho fact that
the people who belong to them believe
In Christ, does not make either or all
Of them the Church Of Christ. 10 be
His Church, an organization must
have been effected under His direction
or sanction. without that, whatever
men may call IL, the church cannot he
Christ's Church.
II Ia prcposiefous 10 suppose that
Christ IL the author Of the confusion,
conflict aud yeritable bedlsm Of crecls
and authorities aud regulations foisted
upon His name. lie Is "thc way
the truth aud the liie," and these jang.
ling faiths and Iii-cordant scc,s are the
inventions OF men. They are the cause
Of most Of the lnfldelity NJ to religion
that is growing In the world.
Chfltta Church must Of necessity bs
one. II may have many branches
but they must oil be Joined TO or rathcl
spring from the one vine or tree, and
that must be Of His own planting or II
Is none Of His. A hundred aud forty
differing religious bodies, TO say moth
Ing OF the others not recognized, ma ke
up such sccihing mass Of incongrr
Gus human opinions, aud persons, and
pretended authorities, that II II really
astonishing any sane person could I'm
aginc II forms the Church Of the one,
interchangeable and immuiable God.
BY the by, We have often heard pub
lie speakers declare that the mystical
number Of the Apocalypsc-six hun
bred aud slxty-slx-was the number Of
religions Of the world. We Away,
doubted this. We have never been
able to iind proof Of its authenticity,
aud we think It Is not only mlstak,
but an cxaggeratlon OF the actual facts
Those who have entertained the Idea
that this il correct, will no doubt be n,
greatly surprised with the census re-
port rs TO the number Of religions IN
this country, as are the papcrs 10 which
we have referred. The difference,
however, will DO that our friends will
10 astonlshod that the number Ia sC
small.
The divisions that exist Ia the ro.
ligiols world are sufficiently numor,
Gus without being multiplied beyond
the facts, and the prospects for religious
unity, except on the basis OF new
revelation, are not very promising.
TIL. Church Of Christ has In truth
been set up again on earth by the sa
vior Himself. But for long time /,
come II Is not probable that more thar
few, comparatively, Of people call
Ing themselves Christians will recog
nlze the fact, or even believe II posi-
BILE that u Church OF Christ can be e.
tabllshed ON the earth under the lmme
dlate authority, direction and insplra
Of Christ. They will prefer to go on II
their own ways, make religions 10 sui
themselves, and hire preachers a
they would other servants, To do VIVA
they desire. "rhe unity Of faith" 4
n long way on In Chri-tendom.