The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-11-20
CARDINAL GIBBONS ON
RELIGIOUS GERTRUDE

What Is the Matter With the
| Churches" is the title of a SYMPOSIUM
of prominent representatives of various
religious bodies in the United States,
begun in the Delineator's October num-
Der. Cardinal Gibbons speaks for the
Catholic Church. Among those repre-
senting the various non-Catholic bo-
dies are the Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst,
D. D., Presbyterian Emil G. Hirsch.
Reformed Hebrew; Josiah Strong, pres
ident American Institute of Socical Ser
vice; Charles T. Aked, Baptist The
pessimistic spirit of nearly all the dis
tlnctly Protestant writer's is startling
All admit that the church of their adj
hesion is human institution, and far
from perfect. DR.. Parkhurst pleads for
more spirituality, and a recognition of
the fact that organized religion is not
for the perfect, but for sinners seeking
to correct themselves.
DR.. Strong diagnoses the disease as
tagging behind the social spirit" DR..
Aked and several others share this idea.
DR.. Aked thinks that the doubling of the
ministers salaries would help toward
favorable change.
Gypsy Smith, national evangelist
and the Rev. L. G. Broughton, Baptist,
have more spiritual conception of the
causes of acknowledged religious de-
cadence. The one gropes for the
Christ spirit" the other for faith in
divine revelation.
The cross was never more welcome
as an adornment or less welcome as a
principle writes DR.. F. M. North. who
however, is more hopeful, believing that
the church will modify her organiza-
ton" and so adapt herself to the needs
of the world
'Denominational disunion" is one of
the chief obstacles to the progress of re-
lfgion, according to the Rev. w.
Rauschenbusch
These all speak for one form or an
other of organized Professionalism. Only
one of them has a fling at the Catholic
Chruch. He is our old-time antagonist
DR.. Josiah Strong, and in discussing
what the latest religious census shows,
he eliminates the Roman Catholic sta
tistics" as made up on an entirely diff
ferent basis from all the others" This
is an error on DR.. Strong's part. In the
United States census, the membership
of Catholics is estimated on the same
basis as that of Protestants-what the
latter call communicates" 1t is quite
true that we estimate on baptisms,
which would make our figures vastly
larger than they are. But even on the
same basis with the various non Cath
Ollie denominations, we are much more
than half, or 12,O79,142 to their 20. 2S7, 742 |
of all protesting Christians; and our
rate of increase is 1915. or more than
twice that of all the Protestant bodies |
combined.
We deplore our leakage" we de- |
plore our bad Catholics, of whom, how
ever, we don't despair: but still, COM
paratively, we have much to be thank
full for.
Cardinal Gibbons, in the symposium |
which we are discussing, shows his |
usual tenderness for our separated |
brethren, and declares his belief that |
the American people are at heart
religious people," He admits the ex-
istence of what must be to Protestants
a painful puzzle, church membership |
decreasing, and the moral and intel |
lectual greatness of many who never at
tend church. AS to the remedy for the
scant churchgoing, he says:
Editor the Delineator: What is the
matter with the churches? That there
is something amiss with them appears
to be suggested by this question. If we
take into consideration the great wealth
in church property, the apparent ac-
tivity of those engaged in church work,
the guilds, conventions and mission
airy unions, we may at first hastily form
the conclusion tnat the cnurcneS are DO
ing great work, and accomplishing all
that is to be expected of them.
But when, on the other hand, we fire.
luently read of church membership
decreasing and of the moral excellence
and intellectual greatness of the people
who never attend church, we begin to
lake the matter more seriously, giving
It closer and more earnest investiga-
ton. When we find that instead of ex-
the Word of God the clergy
nan discourses on almost every imag-
nable subject except religion, we ask
With some misgiving, Has religion lost
Ill attraction? Are the churches going
he right way about accomplishing the
md of their institution, which should
De to teach man his duty to God?
1t must be borne in mind that the
American people are at heart a relig-
Gus people. In few countries are re-
igion and religious men treated with
more consideration. Almost every pub
ic function is opened by an invocation
md closed by a benediction. Yet our
people are falling off in their attend