Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-05-18
ATLANTIC CITY IS SCENE OF ONE or
IMPORTANT CHURCH GATHER
lNGS OF THE YEAR.
EXECUTIVE COMMISSION REPORTS
WAR SHOWS STRENGTH or CHRIS
TlANITY, NOT IT'S FAILURE.

church IN the United States began it.
l3Sth annual meeting on the Steel Pier
here today with 4 program which will con
tinue through until Friday, May %. IL
l. one Of the important church gatherings
al the year and the reports that have been
prepared by various committees for con
sideration during the week reflect some
Of the new phases Of church problems and
particularly some OF the effects which the
great war in Europe has had on church
work.
These reports. compiled in q book OF
300 pages, which were placed in the
hands Of the delegates 10 the assembly
here today. include some optimistic views
as to the effects which the war ~ having
and will continue 10 have on religion.
The executive commission Of the Alliance
of the Reformed Churches throughout the
world reports:
"instead Of showing the failure If
Christianity, this war has revealed the
strength of Christianity, for Christianity
has been the only bond that has not
snapped because Of this war. Out Of the
present conditions in Europe three facts
iTF ffNtFEitAE AlAstt f'fF ti #kft ftllEADh~
situation. The first IS that religion over
there has become largely philanthropy.
The people have passed from faith to
work. All the countries are full ct char
liable efforts 90 relieve poverty and sur
fering.
'The second peculiarly is evangelical
ton. The $4,000. 600 men Of the differ
ent armies afford 4 grand opportunity
for the spread of the gospel. The 2.i00.-
600 prisoners in Germany. most III whom
are Russians. open q great field for the
evangelizaiion of Russia. IN the camps.
m the hospitals, IL the prison camps. ~
an open door 81 hope. tremendous and
mighty that will affect every church IN
Europe.
"The third feature il ner~onalmeS~. that
is. picty more than ever has become 4 per
Sonal thing. The war Il making Europe
learn that religion D. a personal matter
rather than \ formal one. The lnc- bel
tween denomination are largely broken
down IN armies and camps. Faith in
being purified. sham and unrcalitv are
burning ont. Men are thinking straight
and ccntering themselves on Jesus Christ.
These characteristics are not going to
pass entirely away for Europe has been
too deeply stirred She H. never GONG
back ia what she was before the war.
After the war. the report points ont.
there may ~ 4 great call for Americans
To take up the continuance Of English
church work on the continent of Europe.
particularly IL Germany and Australia.
\. .....l... .. .-lrs.t. ..., d.
fishers r%csuming their activities.
The divorce evil IN America receives
considerable attention hy the special com
mittec on Christian Life and Work which
points ont that the estimated average Of
divorce has reached the alarming ratio
of about one ~ every twelve marriages.
a. showing that + worse than that Of any
other civilized nation we must orga-
ME- the committee says. "a~ never
before. n campaign Of education a sacred
ness Of marriage and the evils of divorce"
The same committee discusses the ne III
the Bible IN the public schools and the
church H. urged a. work toward creating
= public sentiment that viii favor and even
demand such a course.
In discussing the observance of the
Sabbath another committee submits n
lengthy report covering many phases Of
the problem and deplorc~ among other
things that "in our national capitol there
are social functions 81 every description
on the Lords day"
Modern inventions such rs the auto
mobile and motion pictures are cited a.
adding \ tremendous influence a. the COM
hnasion of powers already at work T.
destroy the old fashioned Sabbath. ReSo-
buttons are proposed in protest against the
operation of moving picture theatres on
Sunday and also against the use ~ public
school buildings on that daN. The facul-
ties of colleges and ~eminaries. IL l. pro-
posed. should also be urged a. omit reel
~tationS on Monday mornings - ~ 10
leave the Sabbath free from the felt nee
cssitv Of some al the students to prepare
their lessons ON that day. Another reso-
lution condemns the sunday newspaper
and points oct that Canada. even an war
time. has found that the sunday paper Is
not n necessity. In comment on the work
ing of the Dominion Lords day act. the
report adds that 90 per cent or more Of
the SUNDAY newspapers published in the
United States for distribution in Canada
on Sunday had been pushed back over the
line. The report notes, however, that the
Sunday newspaper has made serious in
roads lately among the people Of Scotland.
which is the stronghold of Presbyter-