Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-15
/ For Sunday Reading. !
: All Sorts Of Opinions. !
Observation-Disclosures i.i-i-s-iils'l
Tho Y. M. c. A. Under Criticism.
Literary Digest.1

| Literary Digest.]
| The conference OF employed officers
of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
| citation, held recently at Niagara, took
what President G.. Stanley Hill (of
| Clarke University, Worcester, Mass.)
characterizes as a magnificent new
step" when it not only opened it's plat
| form to, but invited frank criticism
| from men of expert training and abil-
| ity The criticisms offered, as we'll as
| the discussions which followed are
published in Association Men (New
| York; JULY. From this source we
learn that President Hail. already
| quoted, recalls the days when the
pure culture of personal piety was rel
atively a far larger part of the assoc
cations activities than 1t is now and
admonishes its officers not to "let the
strong, short circuit current between
the individual and Jesus be weakened
by the multiplication of long circuit
activities" President Henry c. King,
of Oberlin College, indicated tenden-
cy on the part of the Y. M. c. A. to
/, bring to the Bible "a practically full
| nedged dognlatic theology-not very
Icarefully thought thru---in consequence
of the influence of good deal of the
earlier literature of the association
movement" But the most drastic crit
icislns uttered We're those of Mr.. Ear
I est Hamlin Abbott, of the New York
| Outlook The employed officer, said
MIR. Abbott, is the controlling force in
| the Young Mems Christian Association
| today-"his hope, his faith; his char
| ity. his thoughts, his beliefs, his con-
| duct. his manner. his appearance con-
| stitute the traits which first are at
| tributed to the association and then
are fixed upon it," Yet these men, he
continued, are as a rule intellectually
| ill-equipped for their work.
To obtain still further the benefit of
outside criticism, the committee sent
letters to one hundred ministers of
seven denominations who were UNDER
stood to hold critical attitude toward
the association, asking for frank COM
ment upon the associations work.
From the answers to these letters we
gather the following charges: 1T
may have been an assistant to the
| church, but today it is competitor.
1T is reaching the class that needs it
| the least; those who need it the most
/ can not afford the price. 1T tends
| to develop brotherhood outside of the
| church." "The institution has q
!! 'goody -goody' atmosphere which it not
! a genuine spiritual atmosphere" In
connection with the charge that the as
ISOLATION is today a competitor of the
| church, it is interesting to note the fol-
! flowing words of DR.. Gulick,f man for
fifteen years prominently connected
,, with association work. lie said, at the
recent conveation: lit is pretty clear
| to me that no Association officer has
right to publicly connect himself with
/; any wing of the church. He belongs
ito the body"
! DR.. Buckley, reviewing the whole
discussion editorially in The Christian
Advocate (Meth.. New York;, reaches
the following conclusions:
1.-THE Young Mems Christian Assoc
citation is entitled to credit for the fol-
lowing achievements:
IL 1t brought young men to their
proper place in the vanguard of Chris
tan work.
so. 1t contributed greatly to the
spirit of unity among the denomina-
lions in this country.
49, 1t is doing the same now in all
the countries of the world.
"a 1t difTuses turnout the world the
spirit of American enterprise in relig-
ious and social work.
IS IT'S railroad work is worthy OF
all praise, and alone Justif1es its ex-
i istence.
"Self-criticism, the welcoming of
honest friendly criticism, the serious
consideration of the attacks of enc
mics. the recognition of the fact that
from such organizations and oppor-
tunities may reasonably be expected
the faithful uncompromising adher-
ence to evangelical truth, and the