The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-14
SOUNDS NOTE OF WARNING
DIR. PHILPUTT SEES DANGER IN THE
STRENUOUS LIFE.
Distant Mutterings of War Between
Capital and Labor Are Heard, He
Says-Science and Religion.

1.-THE Church and the Modern Spirit was
the subject of the Rev. Allan B. Philputt's
discourse last night at the Central Chris
tan Church. He said in part:
I'm these modern times the church has
had a foe of no mean parts, and yet but
for undue suspicious and hasty conclusions
this foe would have been a friend L re-
fer to the SCIENTIFIC temper of the age. 1t
is an old story now, but regretable haste
TO defend the Bible on the one hand and
to break ak, down religious dogma on the
science nor Christianity in their full i'm
port, has greatly retarded the advance of
both The warfare has been very foolish
one. We should all be lovers of truth
Ignorance and error never solved anything
or warded off any calamity. Truth is equal
ly precious to every one. Science has ac-
cuSed the church OF placing an embargo
on free investigation. The church has ac-
cused science of proclaiming improved
hypothesis with all the assurance of dem
spirit. There is some truth in both. The
church has made the mistake of challeng-
ing the method of science, a thing which
be right or wrong, but investigation and
deduction are as natural to the human
mind as as brea ni to the lungs or move.
science and even of the scientific method
that theologians should have insisted upon
and that science should have acknowledged.
EVOLUTION HAS NOT HELPED.
Some decades ago it was claimed that
evolution would thoroughly furnish US unto
all good works. 1t was to be not only a
working hypothesis for the religious world.
but was to be satisfactory religious phj-
losophy and a complete answer to all oues-
tions and longings springing out of the
soul OF man; In TINS evolution has not
little. A great blank is left Religion fills
that blank. The subsistence of opposition to
the church with it's heavenly mandates is
noticeable. The church has derived no
little advantage from the scientific temper
II she prove wise enough to use it, The
disposition to rely upon tradition and super
stition through the centuries has been all
too palpable. From these leading strings
the modern spirit is gradually compelling
severance, winch podes well for the fu-
ture. The church ought to be i'm the fore
front of those influences which make for
the guidance and culture of the race Sken
ticism- whether of the untaught people or
of the learned scholars, is marked by black
despair. 1t suggests no substitute for the
religion Ii discredits and seeks to DESTROY
II b n9S Of 5hs or that dSctrne but
mans religious nature unprovided for. and
hungry, thus tending always to defeat
itself Thus the church has a strong ally
itself for man Is incurably religious Az
another has said there should be no lines
OF Grshodoky INSIDE a the lines of truth-no
long as we can and then retreating to the
citadel We should be lovers of trIIth To
try to make others believe what we orr
selves question is not only untactful n "a
dishonest BY no means should the church
place herself in an attitude of hostility tn
the scientific temper, yea rather LET her
be the patron of science and all learning
1t is ever her duty, though, to point ont
the limitations OF scientific knowledge and
show how the fair throne of faith Is nm
moved. No power wage successfuI
war with human reason. Before II the
serried hosts of armies. the fading scepters
Of tyrants. the hoary dignity of creeds
and the feeble protests of custom will ali
go down. Christianity, like the north star
will remain unmoved for thousand mil,
leniums.
THE STRENUOUS LIFE.
There is another spirit abroad in our dav
with which the church must reckon-a
spirit which. unchecked by the holy infiu-
ence of religion, may work havoc with the
finer ideals of our country. When imperial
ism set I'm few years ago we all took a
much more practical, combative and ma
rerialistic view of life We are told TO get
rich. TO fight. to win the game. To be weak
means to be miserable to be poor failure
Competition rules everything--education
sport. industry, literature, even the church.
for read the other day In some minister's
sermon that the present divisions Of the