New-York tribune., 1899-01-15
TIE RELIGIOUS PRESS.

In spite Of the secular tendency OF the age
the religious press Is still n force In the commu
nity and In many respects deservedly so. Inc
more important religious Journals do not now
confine themselves to denominational news and
views but discuss the great questions and
movements of the secular world with ability
and intelligence. Indeed, The Independent
and The Outlook" no longer appear as av0wcd-
ly religious papers. but as weekly magazines.
and even so conservative Il journal as The
Churchman' describes itself on its title-pa as
IAN illustrated weekly news-magazine." AT the
same time these and other journals that exhibit
the same tendency are probably doing much
more for the promotion of religion In its widest
meaning than they ever did when they were
purely denominatonal papers. For they are
able to speak to Il large number of people who
care nothing for scctarian religion. and who
would refuse TO read purely sectarian Journal.
Nevertheless there is complaint on the part
of some religious journals that the Christian
public does not adequately support them. so
far as this complaint is we'll founded II seems
to be due in n measure to the religious jour
nails themselves in failing. as some of them
do. TO face the real facts Of life, and in ass,im'
ing that all those who cannot pronounce their
rant 4 religious journal Of this city. for in
stance, not long ago sneered Extensively at the
secular press for presumng to discuss religious
questions, implying that the writer's are not only
uniformed, but hostile to religion. Now, every
intelligent layman who read this knew that 1t
was not true of the vast majority Of secular
Journals and the inevitable tendency of such
an unfounded assertion IS to weaken the intiu-
/. and ctrp ifs
ing constituency to the hidebound members OF
its own denomination. This Is a misfortune for
the paper IN question. but even more it is a mis-
| fortune for the cause of religion in general
which Is forced into the attitude of nrrogantly
| condemnng all outside discussion Of its tenden-
cies, however legitimate and honest such discus
sion NAV be- In point of fact the widespread
recognition Of religion as live topic for discus
sion in the secular press is an admission Of its
| importance that should crafty all Christians.
Secular editors are more nfallible than re-
lgous editors in discussing questions of reg
| ion. but at least they do not make the mistake
of exaltlng trivlalites 10 place of supreme inn
| portancc, as some Of the old-tlme religious pa
pers do They strive, with such ability and
knowledge as they possess, to disclose the real
| tendencies Of present-day Christianity and lay
DeIOre tnelT rpauerS Tue Will principles tudt dc
| involved In the creeds Of the churches. That Is
| the policy Of every reputable secular journal
| bur, they have no patent on It. The religious pa
| pers can adopt the same course. as the majority
| OF them are coming to do TO their great adyan-
| age and that OF religion The time has gone by
| when Christian laymen can be made TO take any
| interest In merely speculative questions or pet
crotchcts. For example, large number Of
| good men have been for years intensely inter
| ested In the question whether the wine men
| toned In the Bible was or was not intoxicating
and much space has been given to the discussion
| I'm religious Journals We believe that no decision
on this question has ever been reached. But even
| IL the question was proved one way or the other
IL would be of no practical Importance to the
modern world to know how the ancient He
hrews regarded intoxicating liquors. 1t is a
matter that must be decided to-day on its own
merits. Doubtless the dietary regulations Of the
| Hebrews were wise for them. but they are not
| necessarily wise for the nineteenth century.
| And Christian men lose their influence when
they turn aside from the vital problems OF the
! present and waste so much time and energy on
such academic questions, the interest Of which Is
entirely literary and scholastic We mention
this simply as an illustration Of the way in
which religious journals sometimes lose the
substance Of religion In grasplng at the shadow
The Christian duty Of temperance would not be
| impaired in the slightest degree even II II were
absolutely proved that the wine mentioned in
| the Bible was in every case intoxicating.