Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-29
SPEAKS BEFORE
FFDFRATlONISTS
BISHOP BELL ADDRESSES
CLUBMEN
DUTY OF PULPIT AND PRESS
is SPEAKERS THEME
Before Luncheon Club churchman
Urges Importance of Two Cor
related Factors of Modern
Civilization and Progress

"The pulpit and press are called upon
to promote the same essential objeetives
of an abiding civilization. Both oi
these agencies are responsible to the
same high moral IDEALS is the opinion
of Bishop William NJ. Bell of the United
Brethren church, delivered yesterday
noon at the Federation club luncheon.
Bishop Bell spoke on the subject The
Pulpit and the Press" He said:
"These are great days in the history
of civilization. Not the days only but
even the hours are pregnant with po-
tentialities beyond the ken of prohetical
insight The very air is vibrant with
the burdens and spirit of achievement.
Each age has expressed with more or
less fidelity it's own definition OF the
term civilization" In actual history
1t has been a continuous process, a
growing fabric Of law and order. For
a long period of time the might OF the
individual or of aggregated individuals
determined what was right and such a
definition went unchallenged. Now the
law outlines the boundaries of our
freedom and the law abiding welcome
these boundaries.
'True religion has always been the
handspring of civilization. Conscience
is the great constructive factor in
civilization. The age needs a message
that shall grip the conscience. with
the most virile and dominant nations
Christianity has become the national
ideal percentage of population some-
times large may withhold formal iden-
tiffcation with Christ and his standards
of life and action. Nevertheless ciVili-
zation would be a failure without
Christ. 1t follows that the religious
responsibility in civilization is always
a large and serious one. Whenever,
therefore, there is a forced or un-
natural effort to dissociate, SWIM
pathetically, church and state, pulpit
and press, the progress of the race Is
hindered.
Are Enemies of Evil
"The pulpit nor the press has right
to lapse from the great fundamentals
of constructive civilization. Both pull
pit and press have produced great men.
Both are under the most serious moral
responsibility to the public. We need
sermons and editorials atiame with
righteousness and instinct with pas
sion for the universal good. From
neither pulpit or newspaper office may
any man throw bombs at passersby or
forget his obligation to the commpn
people. Both pulpit and press are to
be the enemy of every evil thing.
"As sectarianism is an evolutionary
form of Christianity so political organ
ization is an evolutionary form of gov
ernment and civilization. Both pulpit
above the eVanescent and the eX-
pedient. From neither pulpit or press
may the sense of individual responsible
ity be allowed to fade. No man I'm the
pulpit has the right to commercialize
his message and no man in the control
of a newspaper has the right to COM
mercialize his paper either by selling
his editorial opinions or, for gain Civ
ing G. certain color to his news columns.
Both pulpit and press are in peril of
blindness to opportunity; to sluggish
ness in reading the signs Of the times
My plea is for less separateness for
conference, for frankness for conf
dence, for sympathetic cooperation, for
cordiality, for forbearance. Let us be
alert, statesmanlike, hospitable to the
cause of common people, keenly and
effectually articulated with current
need and struggle. Unitedly let us seize
the world for righteousness equity
humaneness and the well being of all
the people. Irreligious civilization is
menace portending disaster Our civil
ization must be vitalized by religion of
the thorough and genuine type. Amer
lea is in crisis and we must unite to
beat down her giant foes and eXalt her
distinguishing ideals and opportunl-
ties"