The Jewish outlook., 1908-05-01
1t is not at all out Of
place for Jewish pa
pers to chronicle and
Church
Union, &c.

discuss phases or the Christian Sltua-
ton, since it is most essential for us
Jews to be fully and intelligently ac-
quainted with what is going on in the
Church world about us And this is
especially valuable in order to note
similarities, parallels, comparisons,
and contracts. The desire on some
part of the Protestant Church for a
full Church union of all ChristendOm
is meeting with opposition because of
the desire of ritualists for ecclesias-
teal tOggery and furnishings. The
fear is expressed of being submerged
by Rome, and that the great and per-
ilous work of centuries will be thereby
undOne. Here, indeed, do religious,
or rather theologies and their accom-
panying impedimenta and impOssi-
bilities, divide men. What an oppor-
tunity for religion to exert noble
sway over the hearts of man? Church
union is grand and noble dream, but
VII" utNcT ~ ICSlILVN W uliC pSoplV
will persist in fighting over insignifi-
cant details. The SaviOurs do indeed
delay coming upon Mount SER in Oh
der to judge the Mount of Esau. so
that the kingdom be truly Gods. \
universal Church union will be non
realizable as long as each Church will
claim the monopoly of truth and sal
vation. The case with us Jews is not
so alarming or strenuous. 1t is pure
ly Il matter of view point. We can
not. however. be so optimistic as the
editor of "Thc INTERNATIONAL who
disccrns tendencies towards future
religion. We scarcely can make out
the outlines at present, il any outlines
there even be. True, the educated
classes are gradually leaving Rome
behind them and have even drifted
into nothingarianism and atheism. be-
cause no more digcstiblc religious food
was offered than modern science has
proven the utter impossibility and
unnatiiralncss of certain dogmatic re-
ligio,is conventions which have. up till
now been unqucstioningly all-Suffic-
ing. And this has not been withou:
effect upon the various divisions of
the church itself. Both disintcgrat-
ing and assimilating process is dis
ccrnablc. Modern and scientific
ideas are being absorbed into old his
toric dogmas. as sterilizing them.
oxygcnating them. and making them
adaptable to modern needs and re-
quircmcnts. The editor i'm question
sees an advance among every religious
thought system and even among ag-
nostic and frccthinking circles. where
by scientific religion will be cman-
ated. drawing closer the progressive
elements of all the older bodies to Il
point where they shall meet. where
the future of religion lies. and where
the religion of the future shall hav.
its source. We do not even see II
church union here. The process would
be biological as well as psychologist
and physiologic. and would take thou
sands of years To bring to fruition. In
the meanwhile. some other contingent
cy or cvcnt,Iality may arise which
might change the course of the stream.
a future religion is certainly not yet.
nor ever likely to be, Judging by pres
cnt conditions and progress: the I'M
ion of all men and women in univer-
sal church is diametrical and utopian
while the least vestige of theologic
and crrp1al distinctions oxiufv w.