South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-13
FAITH BEING
PUT To TEST
Rev. Charles Decker Holds
War in Europe Not to Be
Judged Too Early.

The Mary Ann club and the Stude-
baker club attended the services at
the First Baptist church Sunday
morning. which is in accordance
with the established custom of the
clubs 70 attend a church service in
a body once a year.
Rev. Charles A. Decker spoke on
the subject The Trial OF Faith"
He called attention 20 the changes
that are taking place in every de-
partment OF thought and life.
These changes are due 20 the dis
turbances among the nations ne
said. The slaughter OF millions Of
men; the wasting OF billions in prop
erty value: the creation Of millions
OF orphans; the massacre Of whole
races. as IN Armenia, and the prob
lens Of our own country. All Of
these things have a tremendous in
fuence on our philosophy OF life and
religion. Changes in one depart
ment OF life cause corresponding
changes in every other phase Of life.
The result is that there has been a
complete revolution among the re-
IigiOus conceptions and ideals OF
many men. Some have lost faith
entirely. We have been led 20 ask
what sort OF a God it is at the cen
ter OF the universe7
I'm relief Of these doubts that
are so prevalent. attention is called
10 the need Of a perspective. Peo-
pie living amid changing conditions
cannot apprise them at their full
value. Nor can they judge as TO
their relation TO the whole course
Of history. We today look with
cOmplacenCy upon the movements
and events Of other times because
we understand their significance.
They Mt into a plan. They indicate
progress. When at the time they
may have seemed more like defeat.
Take as an illustration the persecu-
ton Of the early Christians. Hun
dreds OF thousands lost their lives.
But we have not let that destroy our
faith IN n good God. We see now
that by these sacrifices the truth was
advanced. Our own Civil war is an
instance OF this truth. At the time
it was q great calamity. But we
know now that II was necessary and
that its results were good.
ct is thus we are 10 interpret the
struggles and outrages OF the year
1915. What good, it may be asked.
Is TO come out of all these retro
grade movements? No one can tell.
Ii Is too early. We are IN the midst
Of them. The perspective will be
needed to give us the proper view.
But we are not going to give UP our
.
a good God simply because we can
not see the end from the beginning.
There has been no breaking
down OF Christianity and the Chris
tian ideals of peace. love and right
eOusness. Simply because these ideals
have never been set up at the center
Of the nations
This IS a world in which there is
a mixture OF good and evil. These
two forces are constantly coming in
10 contact and when they do there
is friction, cOmmOtion. confusion. AS
when two electrically charged mass
es OF air come together in the sky
there Is lightning and thunder. But
the result is a clarified atmosphere
SO il is in the struggles between good
and evil. The result in the end is
more sweetness, more light, more
love.
AT any rate we are in the di-
lemma in which the disciples found
themselves when many were turn
ing away from the Master. He ask.
ed them. wilt thou too go away d?
Their reply is ours, To whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words OF
eternal life"