Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-06
BY Bishop w. a. Gambler
Religious

Some time ago President W. II. P.
Faunce, of Brown University, sounded
this note OF warning concerning great
national danger: Here then. is our ma
tional peril: That the supremacy tmpor-
tant task of our generation Will faIl
between Church and state and be ignored
by both. The Church may say: 'Educa-
tion is no longer in our hands; the
State may say: ON all religious matters
we are silent Thus millions may grow
up-are actually growing up in Amerl-
ca today-without any genuinely rellg-
ious training"
This warning word from DR.. Faunce
is not a needless and groundless
alarm. In addition to the condltlon
which he points out, and making it even
more perilous, is the tendency to secu-
larize all higher education in the United
States.
This process of secularization has al
ready gone very much farther than many
people know. Great financial forces
are operating to make education In the
United States thoroughly Independent OF
both Church and State, and thoroughly
irresponsible to the people. In many
Of the so-called independent institutions
as we'll as in many state institutions
men occupy chairs who openly aVoW
ity.
Recently Professor James Henry Leu
ba. who occupies the chair of psychol-
ogy at Bryn MaWr, has been conduct
ing Investigations among professors aho
teachers in American institutions Oh
learning The method of his lnVesuga-
ton was to inquire directly OF these eu-
ucators concerning the matter OF thelr
religious faith. In the New YORK Ilmes
the results of his Investigations were
recently reported. He reports tnat more
than fifty per cent OF the most uiS'l
Cuished professors in American colleges
do not believe in God, and only twenty
seven per ceent believe in the existence
of God, and. only thirty-hve per cent
believe in the Immortality of the soul
These are most alarming figures, ana IN
view Of Professor Leuba's stanolng III
the academic world we are torceu 10
accent without question his statements.
These facts may not alarm a goou
many people; but intelligent mlnds WHO
reflect upon them will discern IN IheH
the greatest possible peril to the natlon.
They point to the infection OF the lie Oh
our people with every sort OF moral
Contagion.
The reservoir in which the water sup
nlv of a city is gathered may be remote
from the homes of the people, and as the
currents from this reservoir floW INTO
the homes of the people the water may
seem clear and wholesome. But II II
should contain the invisible germs or ty-
phoid fever or other pestilence death
and sorroy would soon cover the city
with a pail.
In like manner deadly moral con-
tagion may spread through the entlre
nation from the educational reservoirs
nd anniversaries.
ont from them go teachers for the
high schools and the common schools
and these schools vitality affect the
children and youth of the land. chill
dren are in contact during five days IN
the week with the instructors, VINO
come out OF the colleges and universe
Ties whereas they hear the preaching OF
the GOSPEL and attend Sunday scnooi
cnlv a few hours in each week. II the
teachers in the schools be skeptlcal or
irreligious the whole land will be IN
fected quickly with all sorts evil dls-
tempers.
Commenting upon the facts reported
bv Professor Leuba, the editor OF
Zion's Herald an able paper published
i'm Boston, Mass, says:
1--WE are vet to feel the full results
Of unbelief in our higher institutions
of learning We may point, however
20 conditions that have followed In
Germany upon the spiritual 'negatons
that have characterized the religious
teachings OF that country. Germany.
known for many years for its denlal OF
is people. and the disaster that has
come upon the world in these latter
6avs became inevitable. AS a nation
we may we'll ponder upon the facts CIV
en- us by Professor Leuba.
Of Herald discusses
the facts reported by Professor Leuba
in connection with statistics recently
gathered which reveal the appalling fact
that out of the 100, 900 who COM
pose the population OF the Onlteu
States. no less than 100000 reported
themselves to the men who took the
last census as having no connection
whatsoever with any church, either Ko-
man Catholic or Protestant. with rel-
erence to these startling statistics the
editor saws. LAS matter of fact Amer
lean christianity never faced as serl-
ous a situation as it confronts at the
nresent time" He then goes on to speak
as follows:
These startling facts may well cause
he tn pause, we say, and lead us to
plan constructively to change them. In
so far as the unchurched are concern
ed. there is a call upon every church 10
devote itself locally, to come into toucn
with those who live within Its COM
munity radius. One is we'll within the
facts in saying that the children ana
the young people among these are the
line of least resistance, the main ave
nue. Of approach. No church can afford
to leave anything undone to reach the
children and the young people, and the
older ones also, for that matter, when II
confronts the terrible fact OF 60.OOO,-
600 men and women in this country
who deliberately say, in answer to a
question asked them by the agents or
the government, that they have no
church connection. either Roman Cath
Ollie or Protestant
ION the other hand. there must also
be careful attention given to the matter
Of religious institutions The mission
of the church school and college was
never more important than today. The
utmost care must be given to the selec-
tion of teachers and professors. No