New-York tribune., 1908-07-04

Now is the season of summer religious CONFER
| ences all over the country. and clerical workers
and thinkers gathering to thrash over together
] the problems that have come UP during the year
Perhaps none of those gatherings is more inter-
/ esting In its unusual catholicity than the para-
ment of religions to be held during the summer
months in Unity Church. Montcair n. j.. of which
brief mention has already been made in these col
umns. Practically all the great religions OF the
world represented at this conference
That very great interest has been aroused In
| this conference is manifested by the number OF
inquiries received by the committee from ministers
and laymen of all denominations.
| The following is the complete programme of the
| conference:
July s-''The Message of zoroastransn.' Ervad NJ N
July 1a-.The Message of Mahometanism.' MohaInmsd
July 2e-''The Message Of Bahaisrn." Mira Ali-Kuii
August 2-'The Message Buddhism" A. r. sarat
August e-''The Message Mormonism." Elder James
August 1e''The of sufeesm," Professor Mu-
august 2s.'The Message of Evangelical Christianity.
Professor Nathaniel schmid. s' OF A''efA'
September s-''The Message of Judaism Rabbi Sam
september 49, at m--'The Message Of confucian-
September 20 at $ p m.S'-The Message vedanta,' =
Swami Abedananda
OF very different nature is the summer as
| sembly of the New York State Baptist Young
Peoples Union, to be held at Hamilton. N Y, the
| seat of Colgate University. August to i3. 1t
| offers pleasant outing In one of the most de-
lghtful spots in the country and an opportunity to
help solve the problems that arise in the young
peoples work
The curriculum of the conference includes For
eign Missions Home Missions" Methods Of
Teaching, Work with Young People, Sunday
School Work and special work for pastors. In
addition there viii be series of evening lectures
The afternoons given entirely to recrea-
ton.
The convention Of the International Sunday
School Association. which has just closed in Louis
VILE is destined in the opinion Of Sunday school
leaders, to be remembered as the one in which the
association placed itself definitely on record as
favoring an advance in Sunday school methods
which its critics have been saying it would never
accept. Without dissenting voice in the dis
cussion the association drected its lesson commit
tee to prepare complete course of graded lessons
for in the schools.
It is over this matter that Sunday school forces
have been in lively discussion for years past. A
progressive element demanded graded lessons;
conservative element deemed the time hoaored
uniform lessons sufficient. The result was that
a number of series of graded lessons began 10 ap-
pear which were used in some schools, but did not
come into anything like general use because
large majority of the Sunday schools not only of
America but of the world use the lesson series
prepared by and published under the auspices OF
the international association.
In several international conventions the matter
has been discussed in one form or another and
strong opposition graded lessons has always ap-
peared At the convention next preceding the one
lust held in Louisville that at Toronto three years
ago the vote was almost equally divided on the
subject or at least upon one phase or II. But
leaders who had been most strenuous in their op-
positon came over to the support OF the progress
eive eIen,ent at Louisville, and It is now believed
that the matter is settled for all time.