Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-02
RELIGION

DELIGION has been the subject of more
1N magazine articles in the last three months
than in any twelve months for several years
past. Reference to Poole's Index shows that
il Of our representative magaznes--not in
Guiding fiction magaZines-have printed only
&c articles on religious topics in the last four
years-an average of considerably less than
one u year These same magazines have
printed IL religious articles already this year,
exceeding their usual years average in the
first three months.
The reason for this is undoubtedly the war.
Many of the articles concerned with
arguments as to the responsibility of Christi
anlty for the war, defending or attacking the
church the case may be. BILLY" Sunday,
the sensational revivallst, has also been the
occasion of several articles in the March
and April magazines.
a composite of the opinions of 5203 readers
of Everybody's Magazine on the question
what is Christian" is printed by that
magazine this month G). Commenting on
this mass of answers to it's question, which
was printed in recent issue, with request
for expressions of opinion, the magazine
says:
The great mass of letters were from the
plain people, more than two-thirds from men,
not more than hundred or so from clergy
men, Inc greater proportion were run llS
small towns and country, more from the
South and West than from the North and
East Nearly all the letters agree that
man must do believe or he something before
he can he called real Christian
The point Of view most often and most
strongly emphasized was that: You may be
a good member of society ana beheVe I'm what
Christ stood for and still not be a Christian.
because you are at heart selfish, self-centered
and jealous of your personality. You have
to be turned inside out. Not until trouble
or nj n n
be Christian. There must be genuine emo
tion a spark OF the divine behind your acts
and beliefs or they worth nothing. This
is the essence of Christ, and If you are like
Him, in that you are Christian.
Unity Among the Trinities
Church unity, the dream and hope of many
Christians for many years, has been under
process OF definite organization and advance
ment since 1910. Newman Smyth an ardent
advocate of the movement. writes of it's
progress in the Yale Review (2):
The Episcopal General Convention (of 1910
appointed a commission to carry out the pro-
posal for a World Conference which their
Morgan who was present at the convention,
at once offered to initiate the financing of
the undertaking by gift of 100000.
As a result of the initial work. over 40
Christian bodies from all quarters of the
world are now officially engaged in this Joint
enterprise, and favorable responses from
others soon expected. Ihe ideal of unity
must include all branches Of the Church OF
Christ, the East and the West, the Roman
well as the Protestant world. The method
TO be followed has already cleared itself up
it might be called a reassessment of the
Christian values held by the several churches
No single form of ecclesiastical polity is
sufficient for the work TO be done, What is
demanded Is religious statesmanship broad
enough, high enough, human enough to find
or to make the way out to bring men who
hold opposite opinions together as fellow
Christians on the common ground OF work.
ing agreement
In the Forum 80, Henry Wright, profess
sor of philosophy in Lake Forest College.
undertakes to describe the religion of the
future
The religion of democracy, which is des-
tined, we believe, to be the religion OF the
future. viii be an ethical, social religion.
1t must teach
/, An Immortality of the human person con-
dtinned by his devotion TO inclusive social
ends and consequent Identification with the
life Of spiritual community.
2. The existence of a spiritual community
made up Of those persons who, during the
period OF their earthly existence labored
faithfully for the universal human good and
who, after death has removed them from
the earthly scene, constantly inspire men TO
deeds Of herolsm and self-sacrihee In service
of society.
3. The immanence and efficacy of God as
the guiding spirit In social progress the
leader In the work of human bettermant who
strives and suffers with US In the cause OF
evolution,
An Episcopal minister, the Rev p. g.
Duffy writes with unusual frankness as TO
the present status Of the Church. ana his
hopes for the future. "a the Century (O;
more and more afse'y q matter of feminine