The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-09-10
A NATIONS WELFARE
President Roosevelt on Essen
tial Need Of Religion.
CONDEMNS RELIGIOUS HYpOCRlTES.
"NothinE," lie says, ~ Abhor More
Than the Telling of an untruthI
Pat Riches Deiow Things
OF the soul"

OYSTER BAY. n. Y. Sept i0-In o
half hours address az the blcentenary
celebration OF the Christ Episcopal
church here President Roosevelt talk.
ed OF the necessity OF religion and
clean living for welfare OF the nation.
Il cannot understand any American
citizen" he said. who has the faint.
est feeling OF patriotism aud devotion
10 his country failing 10 appreciate the
absolute essential need Of religion In
lis broadcast sense 10 the welfare OF
this country.
III II were not for the fact that In
our villages and towns as they have
grown up churches have grown up In
them aud In the churches men whose
work Is not for the things Of the body
but for the welfare OF the soul, II
would not be a nation today. because
this nation would not be iit abode FOR
civilized man"
lie said that our material foundation
Of wealth was but a base FOR the splr.
itual growth OF the nation. and. while
the material ought not 10 be- Disregard
ed. It's real object ought not TO be lost
sight Of.
The mission OF the church. he said
was not 90 work In the interest Of one
sect. but for humanity ms a whole. In
this connection. he said. he had been
struck by the prediction Of Bishop Bur.
CESS OF Long Island. who had just said
that In two or three generations there
would be but one church In this coun-
try.
II wish 10 emphasize" said the pres.
ldent, the vital Importance 10 this ma
ton Of our people being taught 10 real
lie that Christianity manifests itself
In the conduct OF It's most humble pro
fessOr."
The president took issues with for.
mer speakers who had said that the
dominant tendencies In the nation to
day were evil rather than good
1T Is perfectly true" he said. that
in many things as people the tenden-
cies at work among us today are evil.
but Il Is perfectly true also that there
are plenty Of other tendencies AT work
among us which are good
lie spoke OF the necessity Of mem
bers Of Christian churches condemning
vigorously those who take religion as
a cloak for their evil deeds. On the
subject OF riches the president said:
There Is nothing | abhor more than
the telling Of an untruth. whether
conventional untruth or not, and
would on no account be Understood as
affecting To depreeats material well
being. To tell men TO disregard riches
entirely is TO preach TO them not only
doctrine which II is impossible for
them TO live up 10, hut which the
preacher knows perfectly well they
will not try 10 live up 10. But put
riches below the things OF the soul
Give TO the body what the body is en-
titled 10. The multimillionaire Is not a
harm but a good to the community II
he appreciates that he Is only trus-
tee for that wealth; that he is trus
tee for the cause Of goodness"
The president emphasized the neces
slty of every man being thoroughly
self supporting rs basis Cor spiritual
life. lie concluded with the sentiment
that the only life really worth living
was one that made others better be-
cause II had been lived.