New Britain herald., 1917-04-02
RELlGION'S GROWTH
 HIS FAREWELL TOPIC
ReV. E. I. Thenes Breaches at
 the Center Church


 Rev. E. T. Thienss, for the past three years and ten months religious director at the First Congregational church. preached his farewell sermon before a large congregation yesterday morning. MT. Thienes has accepted similar place with the North Wood ward Avenue Congregational church, Detroit, and will leave after Easter. Since coming to New Britain he has been a strong favorite with the younger element and sis one of tho most popular ministers in the city. He was connected with the Boy Scouts in the capacity of commissioner and he also has been associated with many civic societies. Mr. Thienes was in- terestsd In Y. M. c. A. work and con- ducted Bible class at the associa- ton.
 The North Woodward Avenue church to which MT. Thienes h going .is in enc of the most exclusive sec tions of Detroit and while the congre- gation is not much larger than that of the First church here 1t is much better equipped for the work. There Is . large gymnasium connected with the church and also other amusement features for the convenience of tho young people.
 In opening his farewell remarks MT. Thienes said that 1t had been an- uounced that he was to deliver . fare- we'll address but outaide of . few words of appreciation he intended to speak on tho significance Of the, Modern Trend of Religious Educa. tion.'' He stated that both he and his wife appreciated the way that they had been received &iAce coming hero and that they both regretted go- ing away and leaving 70 many friends behind. He w4shed to expre9s hls personal thanks to the people for tho pleasant stay they had had in the city of Now Britain.
 The religious education and the church school of today nesd mon to devote their whole time to tho train- ing, he stated. Many of the people fail to understand what has boon at work during the past ten years to bring about the great changes In re- ligious work. Tho old type wa0 not genuine and not thorough but there is now . new conception of the sig nincance of religious work. Many have only . faint idea of what revo- lution has gone on In religion. he said. Among the colleges and schools the now idea has taken hold and the movement Is indted striking.
 There are number of things that are Of the post, he stated and among those are the ritual. creed. pisty. sell fish salvation and any number ef others. There is very little stress on the creeds at the present time and as for piety there is a line of distinc- ton between the pious and the re- ligious., A person does not have to be religious because he Is pious. In the case of the selfish salvation there arc some who consider that this is the only way that they can reach the other sade.
 The idea that religion is . human invention and Is created in mems minds Is passing away. said Mr. Thienes. This idea of religion being an external thing that is applied from tho outside is al4o of the past. Religion. instead of being on the out side, Is within every individual. In a the study of tho races this has been ~AsSW AA OAsSVAAo StAV AVWOOS <yVSOV w0SEn goes to show that the lack of re. ligious development h not due to the fact that . person is irrsligious.
 Man is a vital thing in the develop- ment of the human race as hs is the product of untold ages. Man was de- \ veloped by degrees from what wu know not and to what heights he will go is also unknown. He has passed through stage after stage of develop- ment which have led to various levels. Today man may be called phystcally perfect but there was a time when this could not be said stated Mr. ! Thienes. The grip of habit h upon Us but we are not conscious of such habits as breathing or the action of the heart. We are going on and up the scale. The stage is moving toward Q religious level of life.
 The functions of religious educa- ton are understanding. purpose, and thoroughness, said MT. Thienes. The work has not been perfect nor thorough but 1t is being carried on along those lines. In the case of un- derstanding it is impossible to teach unless you understand the child and as the child is tho key to the race of the future we must succeed In de- veloping 1t 50 that the whole level of human, life can be raised to the next plane. People are controlled by emotions but each one has g different feeling for the same thing. This actton is controlled not by what we think about but by what we feel.
 With regard to the feeling of Rur- pose MT. Thienes said that 1t was . strange fact that people were SO one- sided. They were developed along ono line or another and yet were on theI1 children's level By graded inptruc7 ton in the Sunday school there is | tendency toward thoroughness. All work that is bound together is done in