Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-25

For Sunday Reading. ]
All Sorts of Opinions. :!
Observation-Disclosures:
RELIGION IN 1901.

The old saying that prosperity is
| bad for religion seems to be borne on,
in the year just closing. The three
| larger Baptist benevolent societies re-
port a decline in contributions. The
Congregationalists have held theli
own, but can report no great forward
movement. The Episcopal missionary
board faces a deficit of $4,000, all the
more embarrassing because 1t is ex-
| pandirg it's missionary effort. The
Methodists have done well in raising
| sic, 900, 900 as twentieth century fund
| but there are indications that 1T has
| been done at the expense of some 9TH
| err interests. The Presbyterians and
Roman Catholics appear to have done
well. In all these bodies there has
been a growth in membership, but the
denominational organs seem to think
that it onght to have been greater.
Evangelism has made an unsatisfac
tory showing. Various twentieth CEN
tury revival movements We're started
at the beginning of the year, but not
one of them fulfilled expectations.
Even church members appear to be
out of sympathy with the purely emo :
tional appeals to sinners that were
once so potent.
One of the most Important events of
the year affecting religion was the pas
sage of the Associations law by
France and the resulting expulsion or
about eleven thousand members OF
religious orders, few CT whom came
to this country. The Presbyterian
church decided to put forth a state
ment explaining but not superseding
its creed. The Baptist societies held
meetings largely devoted to the dis
cussion of ways and means The Epis-
copal general convention appointed
bishops for Porto Rico, and thePhilip-
pines, but otherwise took no action on
burning questions submitted to 1t.
The Roman Catholics have effected a
federation of their lay societies; but
the year has witnessed notable in
crease of Protestant missionary ac :
tivity In Cuba, Porto Rico, and the
Philippines at the expense of that
body. All the larger Protestant bodies
report the erection of churches and
their membership The fact has just
been announced that the Roman church
in this country is alive to the neel
sessions, and with that end in view
will train American priests to take
the place of native priests. AT a re-
cent conference ell the sects of tho
Quakcrs met and declared for arbi-
tration instead of war. The tendency
toward liturgical worship and cere-
monial has been developed in the nom
liturgical churches. Lent and Holy
Week are looming UP larger than the
Week of Prayer. and vested choirs
have increased among the Methodists.
on the other hand, extreme ritual
ism In the Anglican and Episcopal
churches has received distinct set
back, and it is believed that it will
soon cease to be a vital issue in these
churches.
While there have been no large bene
factions to religion during the year,
many millions OF dollars have been
given to secular objects. in some casea
by church members who declined to
give anything to meet the urgent needs
of their denomination. Hardly less
marked than the interest in education
has been the quickening of the
church's interest in social betterment.
which manifests itself sometimes in
the broadening OF parochial activities.
but quite as often in the creation o.
purely secular agencies. testifying to
the sense of sympathy and brother
hood. Whether or not this impulse Of
brotherhood was originally inspired by
religion, 1t is no longer coterminous
with religion. Many men and women
not religious feel the uplift of it's in
spiration, and labor with passionate
zeal for the regeneration of the down
most man.