The Washington herald., 1915-07-25

IN THE REALM OF RELIGION


a million new members for the Peace
Union.
The convention in its aim and methods
we'll illustrates the new day in convention
holding. Twenty years ago conventions
were held annually and $1,000 people pres
ent was not aP unusual number. This
convention had 10000 registered delegates
and as many more people attended the
public meetings. The delegates did not
come to go sightseeing and shopping, in
stead they came to learn how to make
Christian Endeavor effective in the work
Of the Kingdom. Formerly a convention
was a gathering for the purpose of lis
tening to great speeches. In this con-
vention the meetings at noon and night
were given to great addresses, the fore
moons and and afternoons to conferences
at which the problems facing each State
or local field were discussed.
The editor of the Outlook, in his re-
view of a recent article by Viscount
Bryce on THE Immediate Duty Of Chris
tian Men," says:
There arc evidences in many partsof
the world of a revival of interest in the
authority of religion; not in ecclesias tical
forms or theological phrases. but in the
deepening feeling that men cannot live
without God and that without religion
rules Of morality have no vital power.
Thoughtful men in all parts Of the East
are looking with apprehension at the de-
cay of the ethnic religions; unless some
religion can take their place. they fear
that the bonds which keep society to-
gether will be loosened.
In Europe the great tragedy is driving
oil - IL. 81
tons of life and compelling them to ask
whether. in the vast destruction of COM
fort. wealth. and art. and the appalling
waste of life. humanity must not again
take refuge in faith and widen its con-
ception of life to include its infinite is
sues. Viscount Bryce has not been a re-
ligious teacher. though he has been in
a very real sense a man of religious
spirit. He has been a publicist and a
statesman, with a peculiarly clear and
vigorous intelligence. His testimony to
the need of religion has. therefore. a
weight which does not usually attach to
the words of professionally religious peo-
pie.
Man is incurably religious, and the
nations of the world cannot escape the
challenge of Christianity, for it is Chris
tianity which is challenging rather than
being challenged. Having tried force.
wealth. comfort. scientific achievements,
and been overtaken with bankruptcy.
Christianity now challenges the world to
test its teaching and practice its precepts.
There never has been but one Saviour
of the world. and against the blackness
Of the darkness today he stands. the hope
and light of the world
Following its twelfth annual convention
just held in st. Paul, the Catholic Edu-
cational Association has issued. with the
approval of archbishops and bishops OF
the church. an address to Catholics OF
America in which some important sug-
gestions are urged. All Of the suGges-
tons relate to education not altogether
of the youth of tine church. Some matters
are urged upon parents and all Catholics.
The association mentions the fact that
in all Catholic history few things paral-
lei the liberality of Catholics of America
in their gifts to parochial schools and
colleges
The association urges upon all Catholics
the practice of informing themselves con-
corning the work done by the brother
hoods and sisterhoods, with the aim OF
increasing the numbers to enter upon
such lives of sacrifice. 1t urges the in
struction of children in the Catholic lit
urgy and especially in given number or
standard hymns that will not only in
crease religious devotion, but serve to
bind together the many-tongued Cathol-
icism of America. Finally the associa-
ton, while rejoicing in higher education
and urging parents to do what they can
that their children may secure it, recalls
the fact that the greatest essential Is that
all men and women be given training in
the common grades before a few are
given training in the higher ones.
The convention just held took an initial
step toward providing a section Of the as
ISOLATION for Catholic colleges for wom-
en-. The important work of the associa-
ton was shown to be the steady progress
making to coordinate courses of instruc-
ton from the lowest grades in paroch-
ial schools upward to the Catholic Uni
versty at Brookland.