Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-03
The Religion of the AVERAGE Man.

Three articles, submitted indepen-
IDENTIFY to the New York Outlook, and
each discussing from a slightly differ
ent point of view the religion of the
average man, are published by that
paper as a sign of The times. These
articles are by Charles Francis Nesbit,
Henry Goodwin Smith, and Ralph p.
Swofford. Mr.. Nesbit suggests that, as
faith by the light OF Henry Georges
theory of single tax, so the modern
world will enter upon an era of true
Christian faith only on it's achieve
ment of industrial and economic lib
erty. And the average man, he asserts,
is the priest Of this new movement. Mr..
Smith maintains that the average man,
who thinks a good deal more of the
Gospels than he does Of the creeds, and
is impatient of all the ecclesiastical
impedimenta," of faith, has on his side,
tho he little knows it, the forces Of
scientific and progressive theology. Mr..
Swofford believes that the average man
today looks to Christ for his philoso-
ply and his inspiration" and makes
his aim 1.-The spiritual life here and
now without worrying too much
about the details of d life, to come. To
quote from Mr.. Nesbit's contribution:
Our best people and preachers have
prayed for a great spiritual awaken
ing; and 10! the Kingdom of God is
coming upon them as thief in the
night. But the evangelists of the new
life are not the conventional priests or
clergymen, but men Of daily life, news
paper reporters, magazine writer's, So
>cial settlement workers, political agi-
tators-many of them lowly working
men Truth and justice are each
essential to spiritual life, so that our
first concern must be economic and
ethical truth and justice, and we must
become as radical, as revolutionary as
Moses and as Jesus. Nothing less Will
save us as individuals; nothing else
will save us as a nation. know today
among my personal friends none whom
I believe Has a satisfying or saving
spiritual life save those who are rad
zeal and fundamental in their democ-
racy, their economics, and their ethics.
Says Mr.. Smith, in part:
"The average man has two opinions
about his own theology. One is that 1t
Is thoroughly comm on sense and prac-
ticable. a good working theory, for he
finds that it works passably well IN
his own case. The other opinion is
that his own theology is more or less at
variance with the minister's, He may
himself be veritable pillar OF the
church, or he may never enter the
church DOORS but he is as likely in the
one case as the other to consider that
his theology is somewhat simpler.
briefer, he might say even saner, than
that which emanates from the pulpit.
scientific theology emphasizes just
those few fundamental spiritual truths
that the average man depends on for
his religious light and guidance, and
scientific theology is criticising, dispar-
aging or dissolving those complicat-
ed. uncertain, historical and philo-
sophical theologumena which are meat
and drink to the dogmatist, but to the
average man are as sawdust.
Turning to Mr.. Swofford's paper we
quote the following typical para
graphs:
Religion for the average man is be-
coming too real and vital a feeling to
admit Of any further discussion re-
garding a hell Of fire and birthstone, a
heaven of golden streets and harps,
predestination. or any Of those things
that formerly occasioned much waste
Of mental effort. They are all beside
the issue, which is, Shall we live the
spiritual life here and now, finding
within ourselves our greatest reward,
or shall we ignore the call of the best
within us and punish ourselves by a
living unrest?"