Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-09
EVEN AMERICA is
OPEN TO CENSURE
Dr. schmauk. IN Opening Sermon at
General Council. Discusses Var
and Christianify.
IDEALS ARE ABANDONED HERE
Teachings of Christ, ii Followed,
Would Make the Present Gaia
ciysm Impossible.

DIR T. T. seHmauk president Of the
Lutheran general council. in his open
ine sermou tala morning at the First
Lutheran church. Moline. condemned
the departure 5ram Christian teachings
that has made tae present var Ia Eu
rope possible Egeu America. he said,
has abandoned the altrustic for the
material His topic was Jesus and
Jerusalem fae Lord and Ills Church"
After referring 70 salvation as the
only balm Of Gilead that the church
has To- offer for rao hurt Of the daugb-
ter OF Judah, ur. SehmaHk continued.
1t jig true that tde learned men in
Harvard, Chicago. Leland Stanford,
and many state universities, holding
theories of life. biology, society and
theology. whose principle is reason,
and VINO preach progress through Gull
ture ard development, rather than jus
tifc8tioa through Christ and regenera-
ton through The Holy Spirit. have re-
tired this he m 10 tbeir back shelf But
il Is also true that their new theories
Of civilization. which regard Christian
modeTnist Interpretation Of Christian
Ity as superior 90 that Of the reforma-
tion or that o. prophet and apostle,
have been given great jolt by the
terrible commentary on twentieth cen
fury civilization painted in flames Of
Ere, by the point Of the sword, on the
map OF Europe ard on the screen Of
European history.-with lurid Ameri-
can. English, irish and German side
lights embracing scenes Of m0bs.
Ivnchiues. strikes. civic laxities, revel-
lious luxury female miiitancy and So
ciaI democracy.
America Has Fallen.
America regarding herself as the
exalted and benedcent patron Of hu-
mainly with a broad mission TO apply
the ethical uplift and the law OF q per
fected human brotherhood as devei-
oped at the Hague ia the interests of
world peace to the malignant cancers
OF Europe haas been sounding the call
of great world movements to teach all
peoples. aua 10 Chrisljanize the Orient
in this new light
But America exalted aItrujsm has
taken q drop. Ii has come down sud-
denly to the vale 0f enlightened and
even commercial seIf-interest The
aeroplane in the clouds has veered
away from the heavenly ideal and
plunged with an unexpected header to
earth
While Russia never professed altru-
istic ideals and England stands re-
CARELESS of humanity to seize and to
search whatever traverses the seas
and Germany seeks to make good her
place IN the sun, America, with tears
for Belgium in her eyes, and a tale OF
high morality on her tongue. has raised
her hand TO flaming insistenCe on
her own commercial rights.
at needs ne keen eve 10 see that
when a nation exchanges the position
of broad humanity for the position
of national rights, it has changed the
principle OF altruism TO that of egoism.
This then is the striking sum, at the
hour of test. of the worlds ethical ad-
vance. in the day Of philosophy and
theology. Even America goes back
from the humanitarian to the CONNER
cial, to the materialistic point Of view.
1T is the Son of Man in sacrifice and
not civilization in development, that
saves. England is filed with broadcast
culture. Is England regenerate2 Ger
many is advanced in ligio-histortcal
theory Is Germany, with Treitzsche.
regenerate2 Italy is largely Hberate
from Rome Is Italy regenerate?
Lacking the Faith.
ais our American craftsmanship re
generate, though il be less brutal than
that Of bigoted Russia. or fatalisuC
Turkey BY their fruits ye shall
know them Have these nations the
spirit of Jesus. the faith of Jesus. the
salvation of Jesus? IF they had. would
not the war be a different kind of war,
the craftsmanship back of ii a different
kind Of craftsmanship?
The world still needs regeneration,
more than culture. The one steadfast
imperative and trying duty of our
church to the world and to America, in