The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-11

! jority of the American people are
churchless seldom or never attend
/ ing any form of public worship, re-
ceiving no instruction in religion,
seemingly caring nothing about things
supernatural Their outward attitude
lis a meaningful token of their inner
sentiments: religion is of no concern
to them. A recent report sets at mil
lions the children of the United States
who are outside the reach of the Sun
day school, Those children grow up
absolutely without religious training.
The schools they frequent six days of
the week tell exclusively of the things
of earth: they are by law silent as
to all matters belonging to the super
natural What shall the future be?
4 Assuredly, so far as appearances
show, the prediction of DR.. Eliot will
have come true: in the religion Of the
/ future there will be no supernatural
element. The men and women of to-
day are to some degree held back
from formal unbelief by the traditions
of Christian parentage and of prayer
full homes; but that those traditions
will be lacking in the men and women
of tomorrow is only too clear from the
total elimination of the supernatural
i from the system of education to which
the children of the present generation
are subjected.
So far has unbelief in the Super
natural progressed that churches call
ing themselves Christian, bound by
their name to be the bulwarks Of the
faith of Christendom, are yielding to
it's insidious influences, and, in fact.
turning themselves into non-Christian
propagandists. No longer do their
pulpits proclaim the vital truths of
revealed religion-that Jesus is God
Incarnate, the Redeemer Of mankind,
before whom every knee should bend,
the conscious neglect of whom is
heinous offence against the Infinite.
His name is still venerated, His moral
preachments still honored: but the
Supernatural in Him is cast into the
background; His miracles are CLOSED
over or explained away, the divine in
Him, when the divine is still predi-
Gated of Him is merely the synonym
of more than ordinary humanity.
What are many so-called Christian
churches of today? Mere schools OF
ethical culture-an appellation which
some avowedly assume. The most
conservative of churches, outside the
Catholic, are giving way before the
: incoming tide. Teachers there are
in them who still hold fast to olden
mornings, the divinity of Jesus, the
inspiration of the Bible, the doctrines
of redemption and salvation: but
teachers there are in them who doubt
. those vital dogmas, if they do not
: openly deny them. And within them
: no supreme authority resides, ready
to speak, able to repress error, and
: impress upon the whole body the
truths once delivered to the Saints
Only a few weeks ago Bishop in the
, Episcopal Church of America ven
tured to say that certain important
teachings of Scripture belonged to the
infancy of the human race, and when
presented to the enlightened man Of
today, should be put into forms more
/
: thought.
: Yes, unbelief is widespread: it is
J bold and defiant. Unbelief is bent
r on owning the future. It has its
$ schools and lecture halls. Wherevel
t the opportunity is given, it organizes
: it's armies of destruction. In many
= lands it controls the law-making pow
f er and in others works steadily tt
4 control it. Unbelief nearly the worlt
t over DEGREES the exclusion of religion!
: instruction from schools: unbelief en-
e acts in France laws of persecution
e against the Church and it's religious
J. orders: and unbelief it is that inspires
t and perpetrates in Portugal those
t cruelties against defenceless mel
4 and women by which at the presen
4 time a self-installed government 81
: shamefully dishonors the sacred name
l. of Republic. why have the Gentile
e ragged and the people devised vail
J, things? The kings of the earth stoot
: up, and the princes met together
e against the Lord, and against Hi
d Christ" It is because of the bolt
y plottings of unbelief, because of it
e limplacable hatred of God the Creator
q of Jesus the Redeemer.
! The Defence of the Supernatural.
q To your arms, anointed heralds o
d the Supernatural, bishops and priest
IS of the Church of the Supernatural, tn
d Church to which nineteen hundre
S years ago the commission was given
IS Teach all nations, teaching them t
n observe all things whatsoever I hav
IS commanded you" Preach, preach tn
e Supernatural, the Gospel of the Mas
a. ter: preach it in all patience and dot
s. trine, in season and out of season, no
y dropping one jot or title, preachin
d it in it's fullness as Christ preache
g it. Preach the Supernatural: hav
t no fear, truth is with you. God
III with Won