Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-17
LoNDoN's CHURCH GoERs,

some time ago New York, Chicago
and some other American cities we're
subjected TO the church-golng test 10
ascertain whether they are Christian
or not. The result was astonishing II
proved that the largest proportion OF
the population In those cities was not
Interested In the divine services OF mod
ern style. The same test has now been
applied TO London with similar results
The census embraced 2,53s places OF
'Sorship. practically all the assemblages
Of people for religious purposes to De
found IN the length and breadth OF Lon
don: Protestant. Roman Catholic, Jew
Ish Greek es well as the companies
gathered In Salvation Army barracks
or mission halls or social settlements
The six hundred enumerators made a
remarkably careful count. Every SER
vice from six In the morning Until mid
day IN Roman Catholic churches was
registered, and the evening as well as
morning congregations at all other
places OF worship we're Included the
figures arrived at proved that of Lon
dons. say 100000 inhabitants, only
s.l.0oO, in round numbers. are church
goers. OF course. allowance must be
made for children, aged persons, In
vaids, and so on, but there are sun
If, in the neighborhood OF 100000 In
that great metropolis that ought 20 be
regular attendants at he services but
who are not.
The satisfies further prove that the
attendance at the places OF worship OF
the established church Is much smaller
than might be expected. That church
has its famous cathedrals and great
stats Of clerical workers Yet the
investigation showed that on an aver
age Sunday only 4SO, iS3'Sorshippers are
10 be round In all the Anglican
churches, whether the type Of church
manship is high, low or m9d erate' IN
1856 5S5,Il5 worshippegs we're found IN
the various rhurohes, or over one nun
Gred thousand more than today This
decrease in the face OF the fact that the
population OF London in these seven
teen years has increased at ieast hair g
million would seem to indicate that
the established church Is fast losing
ground
Tho ,on. Conformst churches ana
chapels have gained very much since
1855. the attendance now amounting
20 1925. The Roman Catholics are
not so numerous as might have been
expected the attendance being only a
t,ihe over 10000.
What proportion Of the congregations
ere men, and what women? Is another
question the stotistlcs endcavored TO
ascertain. and II was found that the
proportion Of men among the iree
church congregations was considerably
larger IMAM IN INV tnNANiioh'' N''N'
while In the latter the proportion oil
women was much The lorger. Evi-
IDENTIFY the ritualistlo form OF worship
still appeals more strongly to the
feminine mind and heart than to the
masculine.
This kind OF census.taklng may not
be strictly accurate, but it is near
enough correct TO prove the general
~ that the religions Of the world are
loslrg their hold upof the most en-
frightened nations. Tolstol has recently
said that America needs a great re-
liglous movement That Is true OF all
the nations They need ar awakening
to truth-that truth which alone can
nuke them free And perhaps the draw
ing away from the churches is a good
preparation for that moment Of a
general waking up.