Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-03
For Sunday Reading
All Sorts ofObini;ons
Racial Unity in the Church.

More discussion Is expected to arise
in this country than in England over
the recommendation of the Lambeth
Conference in London for union of all
races in one church body. as the race
problem" exists here to a degree I'm
known in Europe. The conference In
Guided representatives of the Church
Of England from the home country,
America, and the colonies, but Its pro-
nouncement on this question is mere
ly advisory, and has no mandatory
power. The paragraph adopted reads
as follows:
"All races and peoples, whatever
their language and conditions, must be
welded into one body, and the organi-
cation OF different races living side by
side into separate or independent
churches on the basis of race or color
is inconsistent with the vital and es-
sential principle of the unity of Christ's
church"
The New York Sun refers to the
well-known fact that in our southern
states the Write and colored members
of the Episcopal church will not wor-
ship together, and the same thing may
be said of nearly every other Protest
ant sect in the country south of the
Potomac and Ohio. In many of the
northern states also membership in the
same denomination does not bring the
white and colored races together in the
same congregations. The Sun in its
editorial capacity further observes:
There is no likelihood that this
custom will be modified by the exhor-
tation Of the Lambeth conference. It
is we'll known also that in British In
dia, altho a good many native converts
to Christianity have been made, their
places of worship are not frequented
as rule by white peoples In the
Australian colonies and in British COL
umbia christian missionaries have or
ganized not few Chinese and Jap
anese into religious societies, but pub
lie opinion constrains these to Wor-
ship apart from the dominant white
element of the community. So far,
then, as Greater Britain and the
United States are concerned, this par
ticular resolution OF the Lambeth con-
ference must be regarded as merely
a pious wish or counsel of perfection.
This seems to be recognized by the
archbishop of Canterbury himself, who
in the eneyclical admits that the So
luton of racial problems is the despair
of statesmen, while at the same time
he deems it the duty of the church to
face the perplexities which daunt civil
rulers"
The Tribune, New York, practically
concurs in this view, while admitting
that nothing seems more clear than
the New Testament teaching of unity
and equality among all men IN Spirit
ual affairs Further:
yet it seems equally certain that
practically, on social or other grounds,
there is widespread opposition to such
disregard of racial distinctions and
that it exists on both sides of the line
of demarcation 1t is quite true that
racial discrimination is not prescribed
or authorized in the creeds or rules OF
order of the churches. 1t is also true
that in many it is not practiced. In
some large and fashionable churches
in this city-and, of course, far more
nunerously in country churches-Cau-
casion and Ethiopian and Monaghan
worshipers sit side by side and receive
the sacraments side by side without
the least distinction. But IN many
churches there is an unWrltten law
which practically excludes non-Cauca-
slams. and among worshipers OF At
rican origin there is pretty general
preference for churches OF their own
rather than for mingling with their
white fellow Christians. Yet the
bishops' encyclical appears to condemn