Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-19
CHURCH BRCTHERHoODS'

CHURCH BRCTEERHoODS'
The need of church brotherhoods is
the best pledge for their growth and
usefulness. The movement within the
protestant and Catholic churches which
is resulting In the banding together Of
| the men of the church not only as
churchmen and for church purposes
| but for the betterment OF civic and So
| cial conditions is a sign OF church
awakening no more than it IS man
| festation of aroused citizenship and
practical patriotism. The brotherhoods
will grow and become effective because
the time needs and calls for them.
Heretofore the church has largely
contented itself with general stand
! in favor of righteousness as church.
II has proclaimed its tenets on Sunday
from the pulpit and prayed for better
civic and social conditions without
working. Today il is proposing 10 add
/ the strong element of works to the
! beauty of faith The promise IS that
the men Of the church are 10 stand on
the street and in the polling booth for
the things they have faith in ana pray
for. When they do & great many things
VIII come TO pass and q great many
Others VIII pass out OF the civic ard
social life OF the nation and the COM
n1unity.
Archbishop oConneI of Boston
made an address 10 convention of
Catholic laymen. WHO represented So
ciaties representing third of million
members within his archdiocese. in
which he outlined a plan of campaign
for this mighty membership He
pledged them to stand against the
condoning Of gross evils which affect
the communities in which they i've;
against subserviency TO wealth; against
the hypocrisy which trades on the
votes of the church or on race and re-
lisious affiliations: against the Jena
gogues WHO traffic with executive office
in order TO secure Office for them
selves and special privileges for those
who control and support them. The
archbishop warned his hearers TO make
good laws and enforce them, TO excuse
none from submission to the public
veal and Will and the great assemblage
took the pledge and went back 10 their
constituencies TO carry the plan of
( corapaign into local and concrete effect.
The Roman Catholic church as
church is aligned against the booze
traffic. the white slave traffic ard II is
asking and demanding that its COM
{ nunicants take their places as active.
militant and aggressive advocates for
7 decency in civic ana social affairs
The protestant churches are lining
up for aggressive work along similar
i lines and with similar purposes. There
are wide differences Of creed and mar
row differences of faith between the
great masses who make up the rank and
( file of professionalism and catholicism in
/ this country but there are no differ
ences as regards the platform laid
down by this good archbishop. There
] isn't an evangelical minister or layman
4 in professionalism who can not agree
with campaign programmed by O'Con-
nell There is q place in civic and So
cial life where the divergent lines of
the great opponents Of christianity run
/ together and differences vanish And
at this point the protestant brother
hoods ard the Catholic societies should
meet for concerted action and effect
I There is no place where the churches
and those who belong to the churches
! can be more effective for Christianity
( than along the firing lines of civic and
social righteousness. If they desire
membership and crave power they
/ must earn them by doing the things
the world demands from those who as
sumo to follow Christ This age is one
that demands results, Graves action. 1t
is for the doing Of these things that
the church has grown and spread and
multiplied. Let narrow differences of
creed be forgotten while the entire
mighty force of christion christendom
heaves at the wheels OF righteousness
| in the daily life and business of the
city. the state, the nation. and the
world. Nothing can withstand it.