Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-11

teries, by emphasizing fear and au-
thority so that people will be kept in
| a state of awe and subsection.
Along this same line It Is also as
| serted as a matter of course that as
the child grows up to manhood and
becomes educated, and as the race be-
comes enlightened. they will reach
state when they no longer believe any
of the teachings about mysteries. dew
| lis. torments burning lakes of fire;
then we shall no longer need religion;
we shall have outgrown it; in fact
man is fast outgrowing it. A few years
ago Professor Max Nordeau wrote
large book entitled THE Irreligion OF
the Future" This book had large
sale and a very wide reading; 1T was
the serious work of prominent Euro
| pean scholar.
Now this is just the issue before US:
Is religion necessary only in certain
lower stages of human progress? is
il true that if one needs religion and
finds 1t supplying need, then 1t Is
snre sign that he is in a lower stage
of intelligence, culture and civiliza-
ton? Is it also true that to the cul-
tured man and woman religion is
mere useless survival of a former ana
undeveloped stage?
The first step in meeting this issue
is to face squarely the present-day
situation. 1t is a fact not to be denied
that there is a widespread indiHer-
ence toward organized religion, to-
ward the church and church attend
ance. The further fact is that this IN
difference is not confined to any one
class or rank of society. The great
masses of the less cultivated, the more
ignorant, are perhaps farthest away
from the church of all-the class 10
whom fear is apt to make its appear
ance Some years ago / heard Canop
Farrar, on an important occasion IN
Westminster Abbey. use these telling
words: 1.-The Church of England does
not touch South London" l had peeh
engaged in sociological study in East
London and the thought came with
| great force, no church touches East
London. In every great city there are
| large sections of the masses scarce
| ly reached by any church. The labor
| ing classes in Germany and England
are becoming antagon1stic TO the
| church: and it is becoming more anu
more SO in the United States. the IA
| Dor leaders are very o1tter against
| the church and organized religion. 1
have heard them in great gatherings
hiss at the name of church, but APP
plaud at the mention of the name OF
Jesus.
IT must also be remembered that
the more prosperous people are CIV
ing more and more time to recreation
and less and less time to church go
ing. This is so true that men OF
judicial turn of mind, men not given
easily to alarm, men like our Pres
! ident. Mr.. Taft who recently said IN
a public address that because of the
lack of interest in the church and the
neglect in attendance upon divine wor-
shin. he was fearful of the future OF
| our moral and political standards.
brief discussion opened by Rev.
| Lewis G. Wilson, Boston, secretary OF
the American Unitarian Association
/ followed, and the afternoon session
| came to a close.
Evening Session
The conference was closed with a
public religious service in the eve
| ming and in spite of the fact that
many Of the delegates had left the
| city during the afternoon the church
was we'll filed.
The sermon was preceded by Scrip
ture lessons by Rev. Charles Larrabee
Joy of Portland. Rev. Paul Revere
| rockingham, minister of the Airing
| ton Street churh, Boston, delivered the
sermon and held the close attention of