The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-20
HAS CHRISTIANITY
BROKEN DOWN.?
DR.. Randolph u. Mckim on wars Erect
on the Religion Of Christ.


well as laymen, who have been crying
out in the public press that Christianity
has broken down: that. in the presence
of this awful war It must be admitted
that the religion Of Christ is n failure.
one of these writers goes so far as to
say that IL the churches were honest
they would close their doors; they could
wind up their missionary societies and
give up their efforts to convert heather
peoples to the religion of Christ
| venture to challenge these state
ments as completely beside the mark
1t is not Christianity that has broken
down: 1t is not the religion Of Christ
that has failed IL is the cold mathe-
mntical godlcssness of militarIsm that
has broken down; IL IL the brutal and
cynical philosophy that might makes
right" that has failed. To use the Ian
guagc of the wan street Journal, "the
cause of this terrifying lapse from
Righteousness IL the negation of Chris
tianity. 1t is the dedication Of force"
We have seen the chief energies of a
great nation given up for two genera
tons TO the making of an immense
and resistlcss war machine. We have
heard the philosophy of brute force pro-
claimed. I, has entered into the soul
of the ruling classes If Germany and
largely crushed out the Christian idea
Instead Of the standards of Christian
morality Il has substituted the rigid
discipline Of the drill sergeant the regu-
lat.or Of the individual down TO one
common level. the gradual erection OF
a standard Of conduct. inferior in some
respects To that Of the Mohammedan
invaders oil tho Middle AHpG
The historian whom the Germans
idolizp is TreitsChke the APOSTLE NJ
"the rosnol of crushing" the advocate
Of duol,irg ,b. oro,v or tho ,dvo,ce ~
,,.,,,on H. h,,,ras, oxnaro,, - .bo
-, -, ,,,,t, -, t," ~,
u''u.ne tl"' '"IS"t 'iah'S !H"'. ny
ms sIde sthhds teneral berhharnl' eN-
ponent Of the most brutal views OF war,
as a moral and even n Christian neCes-
sity lie declares that aspirations for
peace poison the soul of the pcoplc.
Tho, arh,,r,,ion ,rea,iea arc In ,urious IN
49,, os,,i,.,,,r, ,,,o,Io. ,ha, a r.oaL ,o,i,,
-, -, fif 49, -, :, .,,,,,..,
nc ~ 'N~"' w nv ~ " ''
iul nation.
There is, moreover. another phlloso-
ply which has great vogue In Germany,
n"I'eiS' l"d, vi .Nc'~S'",. WIN "'"'"-
Jams o'a' the western "ur'u mas ""
cult "Christianlsm That II Is time to
evolve new religion, ana that inns
philosophy ~ prepared 10 present H.
very ahle writer. now deceased
Professor j. y. Crainh or queen '"l-
lege. London, thus described inns move
ment OF German thought IN - lectures
on Germany and England Delivered IN
the year 1918:
It ls reserved tor ne German. 70 resume In
thought that creative role In religion which
the whole Tentonic race abandoned fourteen
CENTURIES ago Judea ana "a'ie. 'aS' 'h"H
uteur' pc. 80 wv , ,,,,
w" N.Y.,
r.,,,,ry ana ~. r,o,. T.u,oplc n.,p,.
IN tn. af,h century made tho great error.
They conquered Rome but dl2zled ny
Homes authority. thev adopted the religion
and the culture % The 'anqulshed.
MUS Germany suomi 20 'His a'l"n 't"ed
'N'Nt" ,'"'" ''' az" '..,"' us' ~
IT o.. ,.,,.,a, ,,,,,,to,
a,I naror,,.1.
Thus while rren,rinr to found world
.mplr. Germany l. also preparing to Great.
a world religion
Tb,so o~,roc,s arc fr,-n "C;er,any
and IryI,rd" nayes ia ,1i and 11G
Nr Herman uf51or nno ~ .Ye mos,
,o,,s,,ic,,ors ,,a,,s ~ tho nrr. Gorp,ap
,amn.Iyr m America has recently do.