Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-02-13
rs RELIGIOUS INTERESTS
CHRISTIAN CHURCH ENTERING
ON NEW PERIOD OF ACTIVITY
Characteristics of Forward Mo yemsntntve Effort of the
Masses of People for Spiritual Freedom

The Christian Church as q whole
may be said 20 have fairly entered
new period Of activity and on
general forward movement. The
European war while checking at the
first church plans and work Is fore
ing increased interest IN religion
which will be recognized when the
war is over. Human folly will be
brought into strong contrast with
divine wisdom. The general reae-
tion will bring a period Of humil a.
ton, more felt than expressed. over
the moral loss. The war has for the
time severed international ties This
is true Of the Christian Endeavor
societies and peace organizations, the
worlds Christian student body and
the international missionary move
nent which received such an i'm
petus at the Edinburgh conference a
few years ago Besides, there are
MANY denominational international
alliances that are disrupted. The
feeling Of enm'ty and partisan biz
terness aroused by the war for a
but the recovery will be rapid, The
actual interest in religion will react
on church work and life.
Attacks on Evils.
When once more the spirit OF IN
ternationalism shall man fest Itself
the advance of religious ideas and
ideals will be of a character to make
more certain than ever it has been
that not again shall Christian ma
tions seek in deadly conflict TO DIS
nature OF the work that Christ an
churches in the new period will un-
dertake may be expressed by two
words-assimilation and militancv.
Attacks viii not be on the weak
nesses and work Of one another. but
on the evils of life: on sins as mu"h
as on sin in the abstracts; on the
concrete violations OF the laws Of
God and man by individuals and ma
tions. There will be greater CO.
operative undertakings and in gen.
eral forward movement the Chris
tan church will advance on the very
citadel whore are ent-enched vari-
Gus organized evils that threaten the
integrity of Christian institutions.
The Christian church has never so
f1ourished as when II has been chal-
lenged. In times past Z has strrg-
gled over doctrinal questions. The
contentious have been sharp and the
most doughty contestants have en-
tered the fray and there have been
beaten out as fine gold ideas, belieFs
and convictions that have taken
hold Of the thought and imaRinat on
Of masses OF people and increased
interest In religion.
TODAY the challenge TO the Chris
tian church Is of a different sort
Subtle materlalistic ideas have for
some time been tending to undermine
Christian thinking There is also a
lessening OF reverence IN religious
feeling that is unfavorable to Chris
tian progress. Christian convictions
lack the positiveness and soliditv that
are necessary TO carry through the
newer PURPOSES that form themselves
in the interest Of spiritual welfare.
| There are all sorts of movements
that are ainstinctively irving TO meet
| the situation and to determine proper
and right direction as demanded by
| the spirit Of this age. Professionalism
is inclined to recognize most OF these
various movements as indicative of
the working OF divine energy in
human consciousness, seeking for
adequate expression.
Dinicuity Of IndivieuaI.
While assimilating the good in al
movements as rapidly as they prove
! their worth and integrity OF spirit
and purpose. the militant character
J OF the churches will be asserted CO.
! operatively against all evils that are
making II difficult for the individual
| to be all that he ought to be and
may be In moral and spiritual man
hood. The various branches of