Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-31

,
u widespread revival we will not lon
maintain the Increase In or collections
We have been assured that glvin
e money generously would result in I;
deepening spiritual life in the church
Alas Such has not been the case"
If the situation in the religious worl'
were thoroughly analysed the cause o
the trouble would be found to be com
In the first place, religion has not be.
come reality to many of its profes
sors. and. therefore, they are not
religious force in the community. Busi-
ness is n reality to some: politics lc
others. Some devote all their time tc
moncy-mnking. They study money
making. They measure success by
moncy-makinE. They have no eye for
any other BLESSINGS" than those that
can be secured by money. Others are
| politicians. They are giving their very
! soul, and their energy to politics. Re
! ligion Is to them only n side Issue. II
they attend church they do so to keep
UP an appearance OF rcspectability but
their thoughts are elsewhere. No man
can successfully divide himself between
two interests that each claims all his
energy. No man can serve two mas
tiers. That Is evident in the churches.
In the second place, the pulpit has
caught the same spirit of Mammon-
service to n large extent. Many min
listers are In the pulpit only for the
salary. They have no particular spir-
itunl ideals. and If they have, they do
not dare to follow them They have,
probably. family to support, and for
the sake of the family they must keep
their places and look for Advancement
AS consequence they cannot be OVER
scrupuous as to whether they speak
the truth, or not, II the truth is dis
tasteful to those who pay them. And
so we find ministers sacrificing truth
to popularity. Initiating the yellow
press" they make their pulpits as yell
low rs possible: or. they will, If they
have the necessary education and train
ing. preach philosophy. or astronomy.
or anything but the gospel of Jesus. to
be we'll spoken OF, They dare not re-
buke the sins of the rich for fear of
losing patronage. They dare not take
the lead in reform, for fear of becom-
ing unpopular.
vi tate years, what is known as
higher criticism" has become fad
with many ministers. With parrot-likc
nonchnlance they repeat the one sided
conclusions of I'LL the negative critics,
from Spinoza and Astrllc to Eichhorn,
Davidson, and Briggs, hoping to make
an Impression by a display of "ad-
Vanced learning" But souls are not |
rescued from error, nor from sin by |
the criticism that consigns tho Bible |
to the class of Greek or Roman legends, |
or Scandinavian myths It used to be
accepted as an indisputabe truth that
what is prohibited in the Bible, is
wrong, and that what is commanded is
right. But as far as the influence OF
higher criticism goes. this is ~
longer so. The Bible may brand steal
Ing, lying. killing. rs sin. -but under
the rules of that criticism" who knows
but that the portions of the Bible con-
tanning commandments relating to
hose crimes. are forgeries? Every text
must be inspected. analysed. dissected
Is to it's date authorship, and clrcum-
stances under which it was written
md If it does not stand the scrutiny
IF the rationalistic school of critics. 1t
must be rejected. Is it to be expected
hat ministry that glorics in such
can havo spiritual lnhu-
,ncc? The Master spoke with authority
md not as the scribcs and Pharisccs.
Many Of His professcd followers in
'ur age speak as scribcs ana Pharisees
nd not as the Master. They have even |
,iven up what littlo authority their
used to derive from the
Bible.
The churches very largely miss the
mark. Our age is witnessing n gigantic
truSgle between different classes of |
he human family. for tho equitable
istribution OF the common resources
Is witnessing gigantic reform
lovcment for the tightening of eco
omic burdens, through the limitation
f armaments and the eventual cessa-
ion of all wars and the establishment
{ peace on earth. 1t Is witnessing a
trusgle against the wave of immoral {
y that threatens many modern cities
18th the fate of the antediluvian
'orld. Are the churches leaders In
lesc movements? Hardly. They have
Kissed the mark. Christianity, when
first appeared, came as new force
IL freedom and bcttermcnt OF human
as we'll as Il spiritual sys-
IN of truth. In fact the spiritual :
fe it impaired to its followers mani
'Bted itself In an entirely new view ]
life, Through Christianity men be-
lmo brethren, though before they had c
zen strangers and enemies. Through {
the slave was elevated to /!
lo level of the master, and woman
as recognized in hor sacred mission Q
mother companion friend. Through /
democracy conquered i'm !
.rialism. Christianity. in one word, Q
came a regcnerating force in tho t
orld. Even in the so-called dark ages. c
lie dominant church tried to direct the >
ursc of events, to some little extent, {
to the channels OF bettcrmcnt. II be- o
\, n