Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-10
CHURCHES FAILING.

CHURCHES FAILING.
The New York Herald has taken
pains to gather statistics showing the
percentage Of the so-called Christian"
and non Christian" population OF the
city OF New York. The figures are
somewhat startling. even when It is
known that the influence Of the various
churches is declining.
According to an estimated census OF
1896, out OF total population Of S'lo9'-
ga, there were 255,el7 Protestant
church members, or about per cent;
Catholics, Jews. ETC.. constituted about
n per cent and the remaining SO per
cent OF the population, or l3'2,O0O, were
"non.religlous" people, not connected
with any church.
Toxic is the second largest heather
city OF the world, but It's population IS
placed at 100000 as compared to New
York's i,372,0OO non-church goers.
The Herald further points out that
IN lsl5 the evangelical church member
ship was 1875 per cent Of the people,while
IN 1890 this had dwindled to SIS. And
this condition seems 10 be general. In
San Francisco the Protestant popula-
ton is estimated at 5.s per cent In
one ward IN Brooklyn with popua-
tlon Of $4,000, there is no Protestant
church. In South Dakota. the Pro-
testants number TO 232; In Indian
Territory to 297; in Alaska to S,isl.
II would Of course, be unjust TO con-
clude that all who are not registered In
a church record are agnostics. There
probably Is an ever increasing number
who refuse TO subscribe TO any Of the
antiquated creeds and ceremonies, and
yet believe In and practice some OF the
Fundamental principles OF Christianity.
Yet. there can be no doubt Of It, inh-
deity il on the increase, fostered by
the aggressive work Of higher criticism
and it's numerous allies no less than by
the ever increasing love for things be-
longing to this world, coupled with In
difference TO that which Is Of eternal
value
a careful study of the religious sta
tistics. as gathered by the New York
Independent OF Jan. 4, shows that
nearly the entire religious force has
suffered a collapse. The average in
crease during the past two years Is
given as one per cent, while the popula-
tion probably increased nearly two per
cent. And, remarkably enough, most Of
the gain has been among the oolored
churches Of the South, and with the
small denominations.
The larger ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Meth
odists Baptists. Presbyterians and Con-
gregatlonalIsts. seem TO have lost their
vitality. The Methodists show most
marked spiritual decline. The follow
ing, which is from an article by cler-
gyman In the Christian Cynosure gives
fair idea OF the situation:
Il quote from the Presbyterian re-
port: The gain for the year ending
April !, 1899, was about 5000, while for
the year ending April /. 1894. II was ~, :
900. Many reasons have been given for
this check In the increase Of men,
bers.'"
This is the report Of the Congrega-
tionalists;
1.-THE latest statistics are for the year
1898. They show that the denomination
is making little progress temporarily.
and in some respects is retrogradlng.
This is quite apparent when we see that
the increase was but three-tenths Of
one per cent. that the Christian En-
deavorers had fallen off 1900 and their
benevolent contributions Sj52. 4O5-about
thirty-three per cent"
OF the Baptists the writer in the
Cynosure says:
''Of the Baptlsts. the growth OF the
whole Is about equal TO that Of the pop
ulatlon, but as the colored Baptlsts Of
the South seem 10 have had a large in
crease in ministers and churches there
Is reason to think that the white Bap-
lists Of the North have but little more
than held their own. Like their breth-
rem, they have participated In the gen.
eral decline. The United Brethren
(Liberals) report falling of Of about
seven per cent"
We need not speculate upon the
causes Of this decline so noticeable at
the end Of a century that has been
marked by numerous religious 'reviy-
ais" There are many apparent causes.
The fact Is not TO be hidden, and II Is
difficult not TO reflect upon It in con-
nection with the great pretense TO
Christian" morality set up by those
who signally fail to attract the people
by their ethical standards. The leaders
OF the Jews were never more clamorous
for the maintenance OF their whted
sepulchres than shortly before the
earthquake that ended the old dispen-
sation. Is history merely repeating It.
self? Have we merely heard a noise in
dicatng that the building is falling?