Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25
AMER|CANSLEAD
UNG0DLY LIVES
Missionary So Declares in Gen.
suring Conditions in
Porto Rico.
"THROW CHRISTIANITY
OVERHEARD EN- ROUTE"
Miss Kura Dresser Causes Sensation
at Baptist Convention-Church
Membership Is Shown.

DETROIT. Mich. May 24-"Most of
to Rico live ungodly lives furnishing the
worst sort of moral example to the ma
tives. declared Miss Kura Dresser
Baptist missionary of Porto Rico to the
Northern Baptist convention here today
Her address was characterized as the
sensation of the convention. She as
serted that the Baptist work on that is
land has been crippled through lack of
financial aid from Americans, and said
that the missionaries in different parts
of Porto Rico are forced to tolerate
shocking conditions to carry out their
religious work. Referring to Americans
who have made their homes on the is
land. she grew bitter
Christianity Overheard.
These Americans furnish absolutely
no help to the missionaries" she said
Active Christians here at home. many
of these Americans, coming to Porto
Rico throw their Christianity overheard
somewhere between New York and San
Juan. Such grossly unsodlv lives do they
live after getting to Porto Rico that 1t Is
question If they will ever take up with
the religious life again.
The report of the committee on state
conventions, compiled from the conven-
ton reports of thirty-five northern states
ard including the District of Columbia,
which was submitted to the convention.
showed total church membership of
.:525, Sts1an increase of Al S75 The mis-
! sionary statistics gave the total number
of missionary churches and Out-stations
to be 2.614, with a membership Of
91,541.
'Doctrinal Unity Hopeless"
| DETROIT. Mich. May 24-"Doctrinal
unity is hopeless task in Professionalism;
the only doctrinaf unity l would stand for
| would have to be on the basis of the
doctrinal views l personally hold. and SO
| it is with most Protestants. l believe,
declared DR.. Smaller Matthews. dean of
/! the school of theology of the University
! of Chicago. and president Of the Federal
Council of Churches of Christ of America.
in an address before the Northern Baptist
convention today.
DR.. Matthews was discussing the move
ment toward unifcatton of all Protestant
denominations. IF the federal council
| attempted to compile creed that would
| embrace all denominations" he said. lit
would be a creed SO like the New Testa-
ment that it would be useless task to
compile 1t.
Business Before Convention.
Previous to DR.. Matthews address, the
convention had received the report of the
executive committee of the Federal Coun-
ell of Churches Of Christ of America and
had listened to remarks by Charles s.
Mcfarland. secretary of the council. The
secretary closed his talk with a recon-
mendatinn that the convention adopt
resolutions calling upon civil authorities
of San Francisco, the state of California
and officials of the Panama-Pacific expo
sition to keep the exposition free from
exploitation by cOmmercialized vice.
Resolutions to that effect were adopted.
Federal Councils Report. J.
The report Of the federal council
| showed that twenty-eight Protestant de-
nominations are now enrolled under its
| banner.
! The report of the committee on relations
with the Southern Baptists, scheduled
for presentation this forenoon, was put
over until next Tuesday. when it will be
| heard in connection with the report Of
| the American Baptist Home Mission So
cietv