Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-01-02
The Growing Democracy OF h.
Church.

Many q man, remembering the faith
of his mother, has q certain sense OF
disappointment upon entering the av-
erage city church He cannot but feel
that there is something lacking. But,
remembering the faith of his mother,
he looks hopefully for signs Of change
The title of this sketch might be
construed as a reproaeh: Why should
the early ''cradIe of democracy" be
only growing into democracy. instead
of being the leader of democ racyl
Tracing its lineage to the Great
Democrat, why should it not be still
the cradle of democracy?
Defendingly. we may say that the
Church has a special function to per-
form, the Spiritual function. but
can we say it with a straight face? In.
our hearts we know that the real
function OF the Church is TO tighten the
burden of those ..who labor and are
heavy lsden"-lighten it not at one
particular point. nor even where it
bears heaviest, but tighten it Is it
doing so?
Why not? Why is the Church only
growing into democracy? The reason
is essentially the same reason that the
world at large is only growing into
democracy. l. Is that democracy has
been dwarfed at tn. ro''s. AID the
rule of a limited few established; it is
tritely, the lack of democracy
The general conferences of the
Prot estant Churches. and the like, have
been dom mated by tn. clergy. self
chosen clergy; for, while individual
church organizations have chosen their
own pastors, they have been limited in
their choice to self chosen group Of
ministers. In the Roman Catholic
Church, authority has been much m IRE
highly centralized. There can be no
doubt that these men, in entering the
ministry. have been animated by high
ideals of service to humanity, hut they
have been preachers of The Truth,
rather than seekers after the truth.
Like the ''bench and BAR" like men in
all walks of life, they have been bound
down by accepted beliefs that have
been pronounced Truth Thousands of
men and women of character and of
interest in the public welfare, feeling
the inadequacy Of the Church, and
seeing no way themselves to better
conditions, have drifted away from
these organizations.
Now, however, the rising sun, Of
democracy is rising in the west, and,
just as it is shedding its light on bench
and bar, and into every corner OF the
earth, SO also is the Church becoming
i Illuminated.
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has
caught
The Sultan's Turret in Moose of 4
Light.
Here and there Crapsey or Bige'
low springs up; everywhere the
Churches are adopting new lines OF
activity, widening their sphere of ser
vice to mankind. Only recently. upon
the occasion of civic uprising, !
heard the minister of one of our city
churches arguing vallantly that lit is
perfectly proper for Christian men ard
women to vcte," for, said he, if you
will go to the voting places, the polls
where they vote. there you will see
every bum and promoter of vice voting
when ever they get the chance. !" Smile
| if you will, but these are signs OF
change, in the right direction.
There is another reason why the
Church will again become an active fact
or of democracy, namely, the character
Of the church buildings neighborhood
auditorlums, ideally apapted to demo
cratic gatherings and discussions.
When the Church has again entered in
to the life of the anhole people, by
adapting itself to their needs and as
pirations, the churches will become the
gathering places, cradles of democracy.
Harry W. Olney.