The record-union., 1898-09-04
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.

The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.
When we entered on this war we
were sending food and clothing to our
starving nelghbOrs in Cuba, and this
seemed TO be in accordance with the
spirit ana preceptS of Christian char
ity, remarks the Presbyterian Banner
OF PlttsDurg; but, when war was de-
ciared, we blockaded the Cuban ports,
ana SO Iar as possible prevented all
vessels from entering these ports car
rylng 1000 for the starving Cubans and
the spanish soldiers. We have good
reason to believe that 10000 Cubans
! nave starved to death since the begin
| nlng or the war, and that we could
| easily nave prevented them from starv-
ing to death If We had expended half
as much money in the way of sending
/ them 1000, as we have done in the
way OF equlpping our army and navy
| Is it not just possible that the world
would have been better off if the peo-
| pie of the United States, instead of
! spending one of four hundred million
| dollars to equip its army and navy. so
| as to strike hard blows, compelling
Spain to evacuate Cuba, had spent ten
million dollars in the way of relieving
| Cuban sufferers, and exhibiting to the
world the spirit of Christian beneli-
cence? Is it not just possible that the
manifestation of self sacrifice for the
| good of others is in the line of tie
soundest philosophy, and that it would
| bring good government to the world
more promptly than all the great arm
| les and navies of the world? 1t seems
necessary in the present condition of
the world that there should be wars,
but is not the seeming necessity, after
all, the consequence of the lack Of
| faith? Will not Christian faith and
! Christian self-sacrifice on the part "f
nations, as we'll as on the part of in
| dividuals, accomplish more for the
temporal welfare of the world than all
our victories by land or by sea? These
are questions that Christians cannot
afford to answer in the negative
|
Discussing the religious work ahead
in Cuba and Porto Rico, the '1ndepen0-
| ent" New York, says: Our Protest
ant churches will have duty on those
| islands, and they will do it; but their
duty will not be as pressing as will be
| that of the American Catholics to take
| their part in the regeneration OF TINS
| newly opened territory. We hope that
| for very Shame'S sake the constituted
heads of the Catholic Church in this
country will make a most thorough
/ investigation, under authority fion
| the Holy See, of the condition OF thelr
church in Cuba, and will do their best
| to make missionary work by Protest
ants unnecessary, if they can do IT.
| This will be a great deal better than
denouncing Protestants who attempt to
do what they fail to do. The war opens
the territory taken from Spain no MOI e
| to American Protestants than it does
to American Catholics. Indeed, Cath
olics have much the better chance, and
we hope they will improve il"
| The fly in the ointment of peace re-
| joicing seen by the christian Intelli-
| gencer" Reformed Church, of New
| York. lis the failure to include among
| the colonial possessions to be surren-
dered to us, the Caroline Islands. They,
equally with the Sandwich Islands, be-
| long to us by virtue Of successful mis-
sonary work" it says. Every cons1d-
| Grafton of right and humanity demands
that Spain's rule in the CarolineS
should cease as certainly as IN Porto
| Rico or Cuba 1t WI. Ue a sad and
serious omission if the treaty of peace
does not provide for the liberation OF
the oppressed natives, and the re-
sumption Of missionary work in these
| islands"
| New advocates of a quiescent atti-
tude towards the base and debasing in
literature have lately arisen says the
| STANDARD" (Bapt) of Chicago. The
theory that this is the wise and proper
attitude makes many friends. both
among those temperately non-aggres-
sive and among those who seek practi-
cal ground for everything. Condemna-
ton of evil, say these latter, is the meat
| on which i grows great; is outside the
promise of criticism; is bad in its own
| influence, etc. Let us therefore, as a
clergyman writes in prominent relig-
ious Journal commend the wholesome
novel and be silent on the otherwise.
In our view the quiescent attitude en-
bodies unsound criticism and feeble
Christianity. Justice is the fundamen-
tai thing in criticism. Justice involves
telling the truth, and the whole truth.
FOR better, for worse When the critic
fails to transmit a complete, accurate,
and searching impression of book. he
does not exercise the cardinal virtue of
| Justice Why should he suppress Ger
! tain important aspects, use diplomatic
| Language, 'trim,' as the saying is, be-
cause he fears giving the undesirable
work publicity? We should like to see
it adequately proved that bad books
| profit by the censure of good men.
| What are few more Sales little
! more money in the authors pockets
what even, few more readers? The
receive it. The extra readers will
come in time in any case. Those who
are inclined to evil will find it. And
| the balancing facts are, that brave
men have spoken their minds and done
their duty, that good people have been
warned, that justice has been done.
These facts, we believe, outweigh the
/ others
I'm the Spanish colonies a free church
as never been Known says the Out
| look" of New York. "The church has
been recognized and supported by the
State. In territory under the United
States flag there can no longer be
State-supported church. Here, there
fore, is a field for the missionary activ-
| ity of the American Catholics. They
should aid with their contributions their