South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-06
URGES MEN To
TEST RELIGION
Rev. Decker Declares No One
Can Know Good Until
Il is Given Trial.

There is rightness and n
wrongness in religion as there is in
every other walk OF life and thought.
IN a world where there are many re-
lIgious systems some Of them surely
must be wrong and it Is an important
matter that we are not fooled and
led TO follow some of the by-paths
that look like the right road but lead
far from God and truth" said Rev.
Charles a. Decker. pastor Of the
First Baptist church sunday evening
in his sermon on the subject Find
ing the Right Road 10 Religion"
This sermon was the first of a
special series Of three sunday even
ing addresses to be given by the pas
tor The other two topics for the
following Sunday evenings are: In
LIES Occupation, and I'm the
Tangle OF Modern Escpedients."
Right Road To- Religion.
He based his sermon on the
thought OF how we are 20 find the
right road 10 religion saying in part;
How are we 70 find the right
road amid the multitude Of systems
that claim attention We must APP
proach this matter as any honest
seeker for truth approaches his task
j mention three things necessary q
proper solution Of our problem.
First. we must acknowledge that
there is a right road. And there
must be q steadfast purpose 70 walk
therein when it is found. No mere
curiosity monger VIII be likely TO
discover the truth This is to give
a place for religion i'm our program
Of life. We won't get very far in the
inquiry unless we nj least Gcknowl-
edge that there is a right end in life
and a right way to attain IL.
The second thing necessary is to
investigate. Like the scientist we
must come with an open mind old
n avs mayl be good New ways may
he better. But the earnest seeker will
follow the old simply because ii is
old. nor will ne reject the new sim
ply because il Is new. Not all Of
Gods truth was revealed yesterday
ror is the revelation Of yesterday
wholly out OF date in our modern
times.
Must Think and Investigate.
"Iut the seeker for the right way
in religion must think and he must
investigate. We do not swallow our
religion whole any more than we do
cur potatoes. or watermeIOns If we
did the result would be about as dis
astrous in one case as n the other.
Take the religious books OF the Diff
ferent systems and compare them.
investigate the accomplishments Of
the different systems and let them
tell their own story.
Another thing necessary in TINS
undertaking is experiment. This IS
IS necessary in religion as it is in
science. II is experiment that has
Welded nearly all the progress of
the past hundred years. Theories
get nowhere unless they are tried.
md theology gets nowhere without
experiment. A belief becomes con-
viction. and thus a part Of ones life.
only when We are willing to risk
everything upon II.
Test your religion. How does it
work2 What does IL accomplish
Does IL comfort you in trial and sor-
row? Does IT give you the victory
ever the defeats and failures of life'
Does Il cheer those who believe il
IN the hour Of death? Does it give
confidence 20 the soul when IL takes
up its journey toward the unknown
country
Now what viii be the result Of
such a procedure? l have no fear.
offer the way Of Christ as the only
proper way in religion. And l be-
l.eve that ever earnest, sensible man
Will take this way. But there are
three things that must be brought
TO this task OF seeking the right
way in religion. They are sympathy.
honesty and patience. With an
earnest heart tempered by these Nir-
tues Christ will triumph over all
competitors in the life and thought
OF one who is seeking the right road
A religion"
There has been ASiatic cholera in