Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-25
CHURCH CHALLENGED,
CAN IT MAKE GOOD?

true, it is quite apparent that there
is a steady decline of interest in
religious matters in the rural sections
of our country, which may not al
together be attributed to the loss of
population within these areas
Questions of Moment
THE per capita consumption of in
toxicating liquor has increased from
four gallons in 1850 to 90 gallons in
1911 In 1912 more intoxicating liquor
was produced than during any other
year in the history of this country.
The number of divorces granted has
increased from 1887 in 1867 to 72,062
in 1906, a period of forty years. The
number of divorces increased $50 per
cent, whereas the polulation during
the same period increased only 100
per cent In the United States there
is one divorce to every IL marriages,
although in some states there is one
divorce for every four marriages. In
Switzerland, it is one to every % mar
riages; In France, one to every 80;
in Germany, one to every A.; in Eng
land, one to every 400
Socialism has increased from 1000
votes In 1898 to / 100000 votes in 1912,
there being an increase OF nearly 100
per cent. in the past four years. 1t
is inevitable that the growing hatred
between capital and labor will result
in q tremendous crash before there
can be anything like a final adjust
ment between the two. The rise of
the Industrial Workers of the World
has arrested the attention of the
country.
by these facts and forces the
church is today being challenged,
Yet in the face of these growing
vii ic lf-n
among churchmen which is some
times distressing 1t is vehemently
declared that we are on the winning
side; the church of Christ will be
victorious You cannot argue against
such statements; ii would be regard
ed as sacrilegious, and there is a
measure of truth in them. The
church of Jesus Christ will undoubt-
eddy be victorious. but that doesn't
necessarily mean the Baptist church
or the Congregationalist church, or
the Presbyterian church. There is
no specific statement anywhere that
any of the UNCONVENTIONAL churches
are bound to win. Isn't 1T about time
that we faced all the facts? We need
to approach these questions scienti-
fically.
MANY of us are afraid of the word
science when applied to the work of
the church. We prefer to DO our work
'joyously' and spontaneously Some
of the great orators in the church
sneer at efficiency methods. They
scorn scientific principles, and by their
ridicule they frequently bring the
whole matter into disrepute among
some people. But this is cheap way
of evading the actual facts Even
God Himself never did a single thing
without applying to His work the
principles of science. Preachers talk
about the plan of salvation and the
laws of prayer Who has not been
charmed as he read Henry Dunn
mond's Natural Law in the Spiritual
World?'
ut is necessary to study the ten
denotes of the population through
scientific surveys. and our future
work must be based upon these find
ings. We should frankly study the
good things in Christian Science, in
Unitarianism, in Socialism, in the
saloon. If these PHILOSOPHERS or insti-
tutions are growing. it would seem to
be the part of wisdom to find out
why they are growing. In order to do
this and in order to set up construc-
tive program, the church needs expert
dia gnoSticians