Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-17
A Gloomy Religious Outlook.

| Rev. George Campbell Morgan, Mr.
| Moody's successor, says ut is incontro-
vertible that there has been for many
years a religious declension in the
United States. This declenSion has COW
cred both faith and practice" He is
specific in naming Presbyterian. Bap-
list, Congregational, Roman Catholic,
and Hebrew denominations of religion,
and includes all others with these in a
general statement of decline. In ex-
planning the causes of this universal de-
cline he fixes, first, upon what is called
| cline he fixes. first, upon what he calls
"Ritschlianisn.' after Professor Al
brecht Ritscnl, of Germany. This 1bale-
full tendency is charged with invading
religion and undermining it. Along
with this cause for decay Mr.. Morgan
says that Indifference is widespread as
the result of the fact that "the world is
science-craZy and money-craZy." Be
ginning with the first and most import
ant reason in the mind of Mr.. Morgan,
we discover that we have an explana-
ton which does not explain. The Ro-
man Catholics and Hebrews are includ-
ed in the decline. The Hebrews never
did believe in Mr.. Morgan's system
the Roman Catholics have never doubt
ed it, The Hebrews are, and always
have been, more radical than Ritschl,
and the Roman Catholics are more con-
sentative than Mr.. Morgan, yet both are
involved in the decline of religion. In
these two instances Ritschlianism ex-
plains nothing. therefore we may doubt
If it explains any more anywhere else.
IF our critic of Ritschl had gone a lit
tie deeper, perhaps he would have dis
covered that what at first seemed a
cause was in truth symptom of a
deeper and farther reaching cause.
Perhaps he might have learned that the
System" was already crumbling and
Rftschl was trying to save from the
flood-tide the things which seemed to
him supremely important and eternal
in the revelation OF Jesus.
Science and commerce are the
sources of the heresies which Mr.. Nor
gan fears. To these we may trace
those ''baleful perversions'' which have
upset his system" Ritschl was one of
many inevitable results of the new con-
ception of nature and man which ex-
banding science and commerce have
forced upon the attention of the human
mind. These opinions about the pre-
existence. miraculous birth. and deity
of Jesus must give account of them
selves before a radically new concept
ion of our relations to the cosmic order
of nature. The atonement OF Christ as
condition of salvation must justify it
self before a vital consciousness of the
moral and spiritual solidarity of the
whole family of mankind.
One ray of light pierces Mr.. Morgan's
gloom He hopes for a Worldwide re-
ligious awakening, not whiS less pro-
found than Mr. Moody's revival, tho
perhaps on entirely different lines"
This perhaps is the clue. If Mr. Nor
gan will follow II he will get out of the
thicket of Ritschlianism and away from
the shadow of baleful heresy. In this
world-awakening these notions about
pre-existence and miraculous BIRTH and
the deity of Jesus will be obscured by
other motive thoughts, and his atone
ment" will not be recognized by those
who believed in the old blood guilt
ness of man.