The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-09
PROF. DYKES PAPER READ
BEFORE MINISTERIAL UNION

other hand rarely does youth in his
period of "Sturm und Dang" escape a
season of religious doubt. This may
be temporary phase, aggravated by
the great influx of new and unassimi-
lated ideas coming with the new meth
DDS and subject matter Of science. 1t
was in this belief that the study pre-
sented today was undertaken. The
small number of students examined
makes it, of course, valueless as proof,
but it offers evidence that may be of
some interest, as to the correctness
OF my proposition; that the pursuit of
| the physical sciences is conducive, in
the long run, to spiritual growth.
The study is the result of personal
interviews with forty-fiVe freshmen
and the same number of seniors. Such
a study to be complete would involve
much experience and an interview with
every member of all university classes
and alumni for a number of years.
There is a possibility also that the
students interviewed may not fairly
represent their class, but conscious
selection was avoided by approaching
members of the classes with whom the
writer had little or no personal ac-
quaintance.
Table l shows that while 81 per cent
/ of the freshmen interviewed were
church members, IS per cent of the
! seniors We're such So far as nonli-
nal church connection is concerned,
then, it has not been broken by four
years of the study of science. It is
certain that more students having re-
llgIous convictions and ideals are like
, ~ to complete their university courses
than those who have no such persist
ent force in their lives. 1t seems a
fair conclusion from the figures that
larger proportion of the seniors than
Of the freshmen are church members
Table II shows. however, that the
church attendance of the seniors has
largely decreased.
We find sc per cent of the freshmen
who are church members attended
church at least once on Sunday the
year before entering the university,
while only 73 per cent of the church
members of the senior class attend re-
liSious worship at all regularly, and
very few attend Sunday school or
young peoples meetings. This is due
to the change that has taken place in
their motives for church attendance,
to the lack of home influences, to the
greater demand that students make
upon the church in order that it may
attract them, and to the increased de-
mand that other things make upon their
time and strength. Among those who
give reason for not attending church
only four freshmen mention study,
while fourteen seniors are kept from
church attendance by study.
The change in motives for church at
tendance is very marked. Worship or
good to be received is mentioned by
80 per cent of the freshmen, and 49
per cent of the seniors, showing a great
increase in the strongest motive that
influences the world to religion. The
number who attend for intellectual
pleasure has doubled during the uni
Versity course. No important increase
in any other motive is shown. Duty
as a motive for church attendance has
decreased from q per cent among the
freshmen to per cent among the SEN
iors, ard social pleasure from II per
cent TO 8 per cent. Worship and in
tti.ectu2l Pleasure have largely taken
the place OF duty ANA social pleasure.
Social pleasure is satisfied at the uni
versity by various formal and informal
social functions. The student has
translated duty into worship and
thought. He has changed What I
ought to Do to what l like TO do"
That means that religion has become
a vital instead of a formal element in
the lives of many students during their
university course.
In the senior class there is a greater
AGH lOI IeIiSIOL. d ueSpSE. dp-
probation of the value of religion in
society, and more religious liberation
than in the freshman class. Undoubt-
eddy there is q reaction against the
church prevalent among the freshmen.
1t is evidenced by such remarks as
these in reply to my questions: II
don't approve of going to church; don't
approve of the church system" II do
not approve of the teachings nor the
methods of work of the churches" Il
do not attend church because L am not
Christian; don't believe in churches" !
They have done good, but they are
doing no good now; we are too far ad
vanced;" Il did not attend church be-
cause no young ladies came that |
cared for" The spirit of the university
has broadened the vision of the out
going class into a deeper realization
of religious life as an element Of social
wen-being. 1t is worthy of note, as
shown in Table II. that a larger pro-
portion of the senior non-church mem
bers attend church than of freshmen
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