Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-31
NEWS OF CHURCH YORK AND OF RELIGIOUS LIE =
CONSTRUCTIVE CHARACTER OF
SOCIAL SERVICE MOVEMENT
Better Society Grows Out of Truer Moral Spiritual Life
Special Function of Church.

The phrase Social service" is
good one with which to conjure. It
has been for some time made promi-
nent in speeches and articles as
though Ii embodied an entirely I'M
known and new proposition. Those
who have come to the end of their re-
sources in the conduct of church
work on purely indIvdualistic lines
have made use of this convenient
phrase to stir new interest and arouse
latent energy. 1t gives new hope and
promises a course of activity attrac-
tive and perhaps lucrative. Social
service" Is thus far gaining expression
in surveys of various sorts and in col
umns of social service counsel.
There has been developed the social
service expert who is prepared to talk
learnedly and to undertake In the field
of any church or In any city a survey
of religion or of vice conditions. He
will show any pastor why 1t is his
church is not growing and what he
may do to get results. He will show
any city just how bad 1t Is and fur
diagrams in colors and of attractive
design which point out In a most in
tricate and elaborate scheme of de-
duction Just what almost every citizen
OF discerning intelligence already
knew. The social service expert will
make clear what Is TO be done, except
the really essential thlng-how to have
a genuine awakening of righteousness
and how to develop the social con-
science so that it may become the
controlling centre of community, or
how to put in effect his own advice.
Constitutional Difficulties.
Nevertheless. there is a social field
distinguished from the solely individn-
alistic point OF view. But not every
body who has most recently attained
the social point of view Is qualified to
be q social service expert. Many of
those who have given the most pub
LEFTY to themselves and TO their claims
are of this class. They have not had
u thorough systematic training In So
siology and some may not be able to
define sociology. The treatment of
symptoms of social maladies and the
fostering of fayorite movements of
some kind appear to be the method OF
various social service experts. The
result in simply awakening general
public interest Is good. To get at the
constitutional difficulties of society
and to do the necessary constructive
labor calls for n very different type
Of mind, including scentlfiec know
ledge, from that displayed by most of
the social servise experts. symptom
attic treatment and panaceas to tide
over various social distresses are not
enough. Social work must be of a
kind that goes to the root of matters
and that may be as we'll expressed in
terms of regeneration as in any other.
It Is q work that calls out a higher
type of life.
AS far as religion Is concerned and
the Christian church also, is the re-
ligious man individually or the
church collectively ready TO assume
responsibility for social justice,
economic reconstruction on the
ground of the moral and spiritual
verities? A man may have deep piety
and know the Significance of re-
| ligious life, and yet not be able "a
think in terms of social Christianity
He may realize the necessity of
curbing this evil and that or of
observing some menacing condition,
but does not observe the related
order of evil and the necessity Of
social regeneration as fundamental.
To attack specific evils when the life
from which they come are defective
Is frequently abortive In results The