The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-19
BY w. 4 EllicA

certain, the churches of America have
been long in catching the meaning of
the world war to them. For two years
the church, as a whole, was practically
silent upon the great issue. except for
the noisy pacifists who mistakenly nro.
fessed to speak for the whole bodv
Great ecclesiastical assemblies met and
adjourned without an ADEQUATE word
concerning the crisis.
In truth, the situation has not bitten
In. Vaguely, everybody knew that the
greatest human tragedy Of time was
being enacted. Ministers talked of the
waste and wickedness and woe OF war
Yet 1t was all far off in Europe and
as remote and almost as unreal as the
Armenian massacres Favorable re.
ports that the war had meant a revival
or religion were seized upon; and not
few pulpits and religious papers ech.
oed the idea that a return to the relig.
ious usages and conceptions of yester-
day was to follow the war. ONLY an
occasional prophetic voice was lifted
to declare that this upheayal means a
readjustment Of all Of life, religious as
we'll as secular.
An Experience as an Education.
What falling in love has done for
countless young women. and becoming
converted has effected for myriads of
all ages, this war seems destined to ac
complish for society as a whole-sud-
denly lift II to a new and nobler plane
of life. Psychologists well know the
phenomena Of single great experience
accomplishing more for a person than
long years Of routine education. This
has often been true also of history in
general-the Crusades, the Reforma-
tion, the Revolution in England the
Civil War in America, wrought quickly
and torrentially upon the course Of hu.
man events.
Now with America well entered into !
the great war it has at length come to
be rather generally understood that
this cataclysm is to have a transform |
ing effect upon the churches The old |
complacency has been Jared and the |
ancient inertia stirred.
Only In the light of wars red glare |
have some persons been able 20 discern /
how utterly convenuonalized and ira.
diitonalized the methods of church work |
had become. The load Of merely insti- |
tutionalized and perfuuctory usages /
which religion has been carrying is
seen 20 be staggering. Instead Of VI |
tai service, and Of direct living pulsing |
ministry 10 the present needs Of real |
men and women many churches have |
been taken up altogether with mechan- |
ical routine, and Of effort 90 get people |
10 attend meetings from which even the |
promoters derive no real spiritual ben |
eft The speech Of religion has been |
the Language Of Canaan" instead Of |
the vocabulary Of twentieth century |
America.
In short, the church Is now in a mood |
20 confess 10 a woful mass Of unreality |
and ineffectiyeness and waste and fail |
ure 90 connect with the innermost YER
ities OF life There is a deal more of I
ecclesiastical heartsearching going on
than the public knows. Churchmen are |
sloughing off their former disposition |
TO content themselves with the adven- |
titious aid Of movements and cam |
paigns" and other highly organized |
and expensive simulations OF vitality. |
A relentless facing OF conditions is be
ing brought TO pass by the war.
The Scrap Heap for Ecclesiasticiscm
How petty and puny and piffiing is
much that the churches have counted
important only now is beginning to ap-
pear a deadly accretiOn Of ecclesias-
ticsm has overlaid the denominatiOnal
life Of North America. The big men OF
the churches are not the eminent saints
and prophets-of whom there Is n
dearth so manifest that one shrinks
from touching upon it-but the holders
Of ecclesiastical office, the seekers after
place and the dispensers Of power Most
general religious gatherings give five
fold the attention to ecclesiastcism
than they do TO religion. Sometimes
the proceedings are Of nature TO nll
Tammany Hall with envy.
Even when minister lifts his head
above the level OF the commonplace
he is quickly put into a salaried occle'
siastical position. 50 that the church
loses a prophet and secures one more
placoholder. Even the best informed
churchmen would have difficulty in
naming six salaried ecclesiastical ON
GERS who are really leaders In the re-
pgious life Of the continent The met
amorphosis Of a flaming preacher OF
Righteousness into conservative
secretary, busy about the affairs OF
place and politics and solIcitous for his
own COB. is one OF the commonest tras'
edies OF general church life.
II | mistake not there has come
with the awakening to the wars real
meaning, a widespread revulsion among
pastors and church members against
professional eccleciasticism IL All
seems cheap and artificial and SAVIOR
thy, In the light OF humanity's present
Ge,hsemane. Free and living religion
is hindered by it. The professional &c
clesiastic Is. all unintentionally, great
or foe OF religion than the unbeheNeI'
Cor he makes the warm glowing sen
sacrificing gospel OF Jesus appear 10
be an unreal thing.
Turning Religion Red.
Attached front. flank and rear py
Indifference and materialism ana agnos'
tlclsm. the churches may fairy De eN
pected TO experience rebirth real'
itv Religion IL being reduced to lts
simplest terms In the cruciole oi p,t
NsHn