El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-18
CALLOF RELIGION Of PRESENT
AND FUTURE IS THE CALL SOCIAL
Rabbi Martin zelonka Speaks in the First Methodist
Church Sunday on the Reinterpretation of Re
igion and Says World Conditions Are a
Direct Challenge To All Religions.

"AKING for his subject The Cal
Social" Rabbi Martin Zielonks
- pastor OF Temple Mt Sinai. oc-
cupied the pulpit OF the First Meth
odist Episcopal church Sunday morn
ing and spoke Of the reinterpretation
of religion. and of a call social" in
the world that we must heed and IN
cerstand."
Conditions in the world are a
direct challenge to all religions. Tur-
mol and strife, bIoodshed and slaugh-
ter. are a direct Indictment of the re-
ligions Of the day" said Rabbi Ziel-
onka. For centuries religion has
taught the fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man: in this strife
each nation calls, as it were, upon a
national deity and not on the Father
Of All, and brotherhood is interpre-
ted in a very limited sense.
Something is radically wrong
when conditions such as these can ex-
list; something is radically wrong
when the religious impulse Of cen
turtles could not avert such a hOlo-
caust. and when the common faith Of
the majority OF the combatants can
not use its influence to bring peace.
Is Religion Bankrupt:
Is religion bankrupt The ques-
ton has been seriously asked and
often seriously answered since the
world war began Is religion simply
a splendid anesthetic for world woes
in times Of peace, but inadequate
when the real tests Gomez This has
been the answer Of some Is religion
simply a false hope extended TO the
suffering and oppressed and does It
lose its value when vital problems are
placed in the cauldron of strife? This
also has been asserted
But such absolute replies, denying
both the need and efficiency or re-
ligion. do not appeal to US. AS relig-
ionists. differ as we may in creeds.
We believe that religion ought to
function in society; il has so func-
toned in the past and nothing has
happened in the present world
struggle to read it out of the affairs
OF men The real thinkers of the
warning factions, in reducing cause
and effect, are seeking more and more
a religious answer TO their questions, |
are formulating their thoughts not in
terms material but in terms religious. /
And rightfully do they do so. Man
is gifted with five senses and a mind. l
After using these to the fullest eX-
tent, thinking men realize that there /
are some things in life higher than |
reach the real heart of things: these 1
do not pierce the great unknown The |
religious man groups some truths in /
a way that cannot be reached other 1
wise Outside Of the five senses and /
the mind. there is that indefinite 4
something which we may call the --e- /
ligous' sense and which is practically 1
working in even the most impractical /
man.
But in posting such a power nee
assary for the welfare Of mankind |
We must not neglect facts in hand.
4 this necessary mystic sense has
been functioning all the time, why
he present conditions in the world.
md why this turmoil and this strife2
Il il is 10 continue to function. it must
ustify itself before the tribunal of
he world. Either il is worth while
n useless. II il is useless. let US
Orget il, If il is worth while. then
{ has functiOned either inadequateIy
y adversely and needs readjustment {
Must BE Reinferpreted.
And hecanse ] feel II is an essen