The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1911-10-27
Church Must
Disarm
Criticism

Nv. JAMES n. M'LAk
IN, pastor q ~ Csa-
sral Pssh Coasrssaaioeai
church. CAieago. -
? cssreA N Q rscsnt ~.
y moa that the church q
the present 10 the rscipient q nany
Just criticisms from msa u the world.
and Il would 10 veil % psodt ~
them.
"Ths church 10 ~ ssciest forms.
hss passed." sail Doctor McLArsn.
''and IL modern form b likewise poss-
ING away. Notice. ~ form. an1 TO
this ] would ed custom. Time 70 The
test n all things. To ~ infailibls
dscisioa must b subjected the things
Of science. government. religion and
al elss. Science proves and shs
disproves. But custom. clings.
Witness the passing Of old ma.
chinery, likewise Of old theories no
longer able to retain their place IN
any sound working philosophy Of life.
Witness also the passing Of ancient
forms In religion and theology.
THAT 10 not 10 say that some good
has NOT risen out Of this strange mass
Of curious forms and nov Impossible
beliefs. Quite often We and spirit
accompanying them utterly foreign to
the forms In which they are clothed
"A spirit which grapplsd with the
higher and the trusr. which n at times
beheld with singular clearness and
beauty. but which In lieu Of the times
and customs Il could neither unfold
nor retain.
The profound student can catch
even between the lines Of Calvinism
glimpsss which . future mind. equally
strong and more enlightened. will
formulate into . great working the
ol0gy which We do not bow possess.
lnAnitely trusr and swester than his
theology was the soul Of 81. Augustine.
and there was never . thso,ogiaa
whose heart was moro thoroughly a.
chorsd In the innnits. And this b
true Of many an ancient and modern
theologian and 'creed maker.
Wsrlt % presrsssinO.
~Out Of this ase Of absurdities the
world has passed Into another age Of
less absurdities and LEES cruelty. and
yet IN age whose religious effects
have panied and crippled the more en-
lightensd and hindereA the progress
Of the Kingdom of God.
II refer TO the age Of creed. class
and sect distinctions. The nrst hes
passed. the second 10 passing and ths
third b doomed TO die. The age Of
Christ and Christianity 10 coming. but
b not yet hsrs. All W have yst ~
csivs1 = fossglean. psophscy q
what b 30 T. -.
That Tie church a today dos ~
meet the demands II ths age = too
painfully evident to need comment
Certainly. the church Of today 10 not
without NJ magnificent EXAMPLES q
life character and gsnerosity: herein
from meeting the demands Of our ad-
vanced life and progress 10 true TO IN
extent that most people DO not real.
Ire.
"On one Of our chautauQua pro
grams this season, IN which the spsak.
or also had . part. one Of the greatest
was delivered By . brilliant young
lawyer Of the New York bar on "Ths
Trial Of Jesus From . lawyers
Standpoint From Renan 10 Chan.
ming Z more beautiful tribute to Jesus
had not been paid. And yet this high.
class lawyer and man. honoring and
worshiping the Christ q he seems to.
has no use for the church and doss
not attend Il.
"ine manager Of the platform. also
Q leading lawyer Of long experience
and one Of the finest citissns Of Iowa.
assumes . like position. while . lead.
ing physician In The audience declared
himself . member q the same big
church. Those are mot the coarssr
skeptical class. but men Of the higher
type.
cr,tlelsm o. the Church ottsN Just.
these gentlemen gave quite freely
their reasons for the position which
they take. which. By the way, are not
new. We have heard the al before
that the churches are still too narrow.
too ssctarian. too iutolerant. and that
churches specially In tho smaller
towns-ars % numerous and coafict.
Ing tsat they maintain only . msdi.
ocr6 ministry which doss not appeal
to the brains and heart OF the com.
muuity at oil. That the gsntlsmsn
referred TO have . niscoaception Of
the church b plain to b seen. but
that there b ground for their asssr.
tious and sometimes for their positioa
10 likewise unfortunately true.
ITO sst such criticism aside - IN.
worthy our attentioa we're utter folly
% our part. The true man 10 be who
viii listen 10 bic critics. u they are
Just. and strive 70 profit thereby. Ard
the church win % well 10 observe the
same rule.
.As . remedy Tor the defects cited.
Tie speaker developed ths following
points: 4 moro unitsl. q more Co.,
.>>h~~aavn Az 4 hnftnP w0ehinR ~.