The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-03-03
CHURCH PASSES UP
DEMOCRACY AND
SCIENCE
FAILURE TO PROPERLY REcoo.
ME- THESE GREAT FORCES IS
SOURCE OF WEAKNESS. DE-
cLAREs ANN ARsoR RECTOR.

The Rev. Henry Tatiock. ID. D., rec
tor OF St. Andrews Episcopal church
-ef AHH -Arber, read carefully pre-
pared paper on The most serious
question confronting the church to-
day." before the members OF the De.
troit Glorious. Monday. In the Episco-
pal rooms In the Campau building.
In introducing his subject, DR.. Tat
lock sketched the tendency OF certain
classes OF people throughout the var.
ious ages of the churcn's history TO
hold themselves aioof from the
churchs authority and teaching. This
tendency. he said. had certain checks
put upon II in some OF the earlier ages
when people stood In awe OF the
church's anathemas. They do not
stand In awe of these things today,
and the result is that there are large
classes OF people OF sincere and up
right lives and admirable characters,
who ara holding themselves aloof from
the church.
For example, the speaker pointed
out the laboring classes and large
number known as the intellectual
class. These two. In large measure
are not identified with the life OF the
church today.
AS an explanation OF this fact. DR.
Tatlock pointed out that there are TO
day two tremendous powers at work
In society to which the church has
not given SUFFICIENT recognition. These
two powers are the democratic spirit
and science.
In the opinion OF the speaker, sal
walton Is and always has been the Eu
preme doctrine OF the church. The
church, however. has devoted Itself
to an emphasis on salvation In the
rext world to the neglect OF q proper
emphasis on salvation In the present
world The church has made 1t hel
business TO try to get men into henv
en-; she should have made 1t her bus
mess to try to get heaven into men.
The church has attempted to estab
lish certain fxity of doctrine. where
as the doctrines OF religion must yield
to the growing knowledge at the dis
posal of the church. Some OF her doc
trines reflect the science of the fourth
century.
In his opinion. the speaker said
truth needs no organization to protect
it, and In the over-emphGsis on dogma
the church has put the emphasis on
the wrong thing. The emphasis should
be put on faith--a faith which finds
its exempliflcation In the democratic
spirit manifested In the life OF Jesus
As to what prospect there ia for thu
church taking this moro comprehon
sive position, the speaker gave as hi
opinion that the prospect Is a larg'
and growing .one. The church hal
come to realize that there Is no con
flict between science and religion. The
conflict il between science and the
ology. The church has already modi
fed and broadened her position as {
result of this modern scientific spirit
MS It has manifested itself In Biblica
study and criticism. This more com
prehensive position OF the church car
be seen In the growth OF the inst.tu
tional phase of church life--a keenel
conception of human brotherhood.
AS the church progresses alonl
these lines there will be fewer socia
and class distinctions which have NJ
place in the teaching OF Jesus ant
ought to have no place in the church