Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1895-07-06
a REPUBLIC OF CHURCHES.

a REPUBLIC OF CHURCHES.
The constitution of the United States
while distinctly ordaining . separation
of church and state, quite As distinctly
recognizes the Christian religion. But
it recognizes no state church or any re-
Iigious qualification for political Office
or position. 1t says: mo religious test
shall ever be required IS qualification
to any Office or public trust under the
United States," and that Congress
shall make no law respecting An estab-
lishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof" These provis-
lens relate only to the federal govern
ment, but they are substantially adopt
ed by the several states, and therefore
religious liberty is guaranteed in all the
states, though in few states . belief
in Supreme being is required to OBJ
tain politicsl position. In discussing
the wisdom OF these provisions Mr..
rU Alng giveS Some s.>atine
Iladsl to show that religion in the
Units 2stes stands all the frmer be-
cause, bus left to stand alone. He
ut 10 is easy to see in reading the
history of our country that religion and
conscience have been an active and po-
tent influence in the work of national
conquest and progress. The religious
element of the population is the one
that chiefly controls the drift of public
opinion and the settlement of vital
questions. 1t does not represent ma
jority of the votes, but it does repre-
sent prepondersnce of intelligence
and virtue. The latest volume of the
census statistics of 1890 shows the pro-
portions and the distribution of this
element, and the extent of the instru-
mentalities with which it works, in a
most interesting and instructive man
ner. There are in the country, it sp-
pears, 43 distin ct religious denomina-
tons, besides Independent, unassociated
and miscellaneous societies and congre- |
cations. The total of communicates
of all denominations is 20,612, SOC, who |
belong to 165, 177 organizations. These
have 1852 edifces,
which have sittings for 43, sd, 1853 per-
sons, or more than twice the total menu
bership, and are valued, with their
sites and furniture at $679 $40, 139,
equal to about S33 per capita for the
whole number of communicates. In
addition to these edifces 1884 halls,
chool houses and private residences
re used as places of worship, and
rave a seating capacity of 2,450, S5S,
making the aggregate of sittings 49,
1871. There are Ill, 036 regular
minister's, not including lay preachers.
The Roman Catholic Church leads
II the others in the number Of commu-
231 ,417-followed by the
Iethodist Episcopal with $3.50, $50,
he Baptist with 1850 ,0al the colored
i i.h'iw#ii Wifi Se7. 9i5, the disciples Of
jhrist with GIL ,051, the Protestant
Episcopal with 532,O54, and the Con-
with 512,771. These in
lude all that have over 100000 COM
aunicants. There are twenty-six
7hich have 100000 and upward, and
hirty- seven which have over $4,000.
he FIVE largest denomina-
IONS represent q total of over
2, 310,602, or nearly 80 per cent. Of
he whole number, and the ten largest |
], 5S4 .927, or over 75 per cent. The f
7enty-six denominations highest on
,e list have Is, 957 ,944 communicates, =
: nearly 90 per cent. OF the total num- f
er, and the remaining III denomina- d
ons, together with the independent Ii
have l ,654 ,S62, or q lit 7
e more than s per cent. In the num- n
n OF organizations, the Methodist
piscopal church stands first, though
cond in the number of communicates; 9,
Id the Roman church, which is first b
the number of communicants, is fifth g
the number of organizations. !
But this strong array of church mem -
'rship is only the leaven which leav- t,
eth the whole people. The churches fe
not contain the whole people, but te
ey directly influence all the people, "
d while We have no national religion,
, have nation upholding and honor
g Christianity. A foreign writer says: W
he influence of Christianity seems to il
, if we look not merely to the num- m
RS, but also to the intelligence of the ir
rsons influenced, greater and more OF
despread in the United States than in :,
: part of Western Continental vi
rope, and think greater than in he
gland. Thus. while we have at tn
apted by state authority to build up
single church or form of religious
iei, We have, by giving perfect liberty co
all, aided all in securing larger p'
with and larger influence. We have on
this means built up not Christian wi
ne