Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-08
BEST THOUGHT OF AMERICA
Digest of the Magazines

c. writes with unusual franlness or his
opinion Of the present relation Of his own
church to the development OF the arts and
TO progressive thought (6):
The fact is undeniable that In the new
vital development OF art in the 18th and 10Th
centuries, whether in literature or in paint
ing, the main stream has run outside the
church and has been but little Influenced
by Catholic life, The same must also be
sald OF philosophy, and to some extent Of
theology TO progressive thought tho
thought which creates new epochs in the
worlds history--the Catholic body has been
in the position either of n stranger or OF a
professed enemy. That the a irch has lost
something by this long atttuso of hostility
and suspicion 20 the worlds Thought and
art every one must admit who considers
the subject; on the other hand, but for this
attitude she might have lost more. Her au-
thority and existence an institution were
challenged on all sides. and she was forced
into an attitude essentially and almost ex-
clusively defensive.
scientist Doctor Meyrick Booth, has
made an interesting comparative study of
the productiveness OF Catholic and Prot
estant marriages, and he finds that part Of
Protestantism's decline in this country may
be attributed to its conspicuously falling
birth rate CD. incidentally, Doctor Booth
is himself Protestant. He gives figures
showing that in Indiana, Iowa, Maryland,
California and Kentucky, where foreigners
and Catholics are in a minority, the birth
rate averages 13 TO 16 per 100O whereas In
five other States, New York. Rhode Island.
Massachusetts, Michigan and Connecticut. In
which the Roman Catholics are in a ma
jority, the birth rate runs from 20 to 25 per
1000.
He concludes:
Modern Professionalism is now lin practice.
If not In theory virtually Identified with A
very extreme type of Malthusianism In con-
sequence of this state of affairs, 1t is being
hn in tsop III, A..
tres OF civilization both in the old world and
the new while the cream of it's human ma
terial is suffering gradual extinction. II
Protestant thinkers are alive to the gravity
of the situation, is 1t not time that they
should ask themselves very seriously the
question; Are we prepared to accept this
extreme Malthusianism this anxious and
drastic restriction of the family, as the true
ideal of Christian marriage?
Does Not Apply to BILLY" Sunday
Bruce Barton, who like Max Eastman. is
the son of a clergyman, and is in addition
the sales manager of large publishing
house, writes breeziIy on 1.-THE Tyranny Of
the Text (S). He evidences his confessed
newspaper training in his objection to what
ne considers the false psychology of the
minister's procedure in preaching sermon:
Ihere Is an almost breathless interest as
ne steps to the front of the platform. What
will he say? Surely a striking sentence tbaf
Wlll crystallize the attention into interest.
Any salesman will say that the first sentence
OF the canvass is worth all the other SEN
tences together. Any newspaper man knows
the story Is made or lost in the first half
dozen words So the audience leans for
ward little. the preacher opens his mouth
and says-what? Matthew, the sixth chap
ter and the 2Sth verse" (Pause) "Censider
the lilies of the field, how they grow They
toll not, neither do they spin. Matthew
sixth chapter and 2sth verse" Something
like deep sigh rises out of the audience
a rustic as of many souls taking leave of
their bodies at once. The whole crowd set
ties back dejectedly on its shoulder blades
Women glance at each others hats, men
drop into deep contemplation of their finger
nails The deed is done; interest has been
deliberately murdered on the altar; to re-
vive it now will require an almost super
human eXerton.