The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-03-31
The Church and the People.

Il
1 Few generations have passed since
| the foundation of christianity thai
some prophet has not forecasted the
disintegration of the church as a re
lligious institution. About once every
generation OF so there comes a wave
of rebellion against the church and
the tide of]criticism rises and threat
ems to wreck the great structure. But
the church energies triumphant and
continues to thrive.
1t is only fair to assume that an In
stitution which, in spite OF the dark
spots in its earlier history and in
spite of this periodical opposition, can
endure for more than twenty centur'
lies and gain ground steadily, must
have some other than mere transit
tory purpose in the world.
The secret of its persistence can be
found in the fact that it is rooted deep
| ly in human necessity and because it
is the highest expression OF the aspi-
lations Of humanity that ever has
been devised.
1t is true that the church that
energies from these periodical upheav-
ais may not be exactly the same
church it was previously. 1t may be
so different from it's former self as to
appear new throughout, but at the
very bottom it is the same, founded
on the desire OF man to worship and
tthe necessity OF spiritual companion
ship.
No man of modern times, perhaps,
ever found church whose creed and
practice met his enthusiastic approx
al. Probably no church ever existed
whose membership always lived in
perfect accord with the confession OF
faith. Pulpit and pew alike often have
fallen from the high standards adopt
ed by the church as an organization.
But the church has continued to live
and flourish because it affords the
most perfect method of satisfying man
kinds religious nature.
1t is not necessary to assume that
church membership implies religion
or that non.nlembership implies the
lack of religion. Some of the most
amazing rascals in history have been
church members and some OF the
brightest lights in the armament OF
religious thought have been outside
church membership. But the undis.
putable fact remains that the church
is the natural focusing point of men
and women of religious turn and So
cial disposition. Man is inclined to
worship, he wants companionship,
progress demands organization. The
church is the result.
1t is true the church is not always
right, but it is right more often than
it is WRONG. While its membership
is not fiawless it averages higher than
does the non.membership. There are
hypocrites in the church, bat there
are many more outside.
Men fight the church bitterly, but
if they are frank with themselves they
will admit they would prefer to Il
and rear their children in commun-
ity where there are churches than in
one where there are not Any real
estate dealer who handles land in a
new country will tell you that about
the first question asked by every pros
pective purchaser is regarding the
churches and schools.
Cults and clubs and orders appeal
to the few; PHILOSOPHERS and isms
reach the elect; only the giants of
mind and soul are able to go through
life in spiritual isolation. For the
great masses of human beings who
hunger for religious expression and
thirst for social communion, no insti-
tuition can take the place OF the
church.
The church will endure until human
nature has outgrown the4need Of .wor-