Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-19

il is close akin to a vicious seltishness.
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler has
coined an apt phrase for the character
station Of this spurious internationalism.
He calls IL ''colloidal internationalism."
and says ii would proceed by denounc-
ing all national and patriotic feeling
whatsoever in order 10 exalt the super
national brotherhood of man, and to lay
stress upon a worldwide community
without national ties or national ambi-
ton. To use a figure drawn from chem
istry, this might be called coqoidal In
ternationalism. 1t is hopelessly imprac-
teal as an ideal and hopeleSsly unsound
and unstable as a public policy, whether
for individuals or nations" In oppost-
ton to this 'eouoidal International
ISM" he contends for a saner type
which would strengthen and develop ma
tionalistlc and patriotic sentiments and
aims, IN order that when so strength
ened, they may be used without ampair-
ment or weakening as elements in a
larger human undertaking Of which each
nation should be an independent and in
tegraI part Pursuing the same figure
this might be called crystalline interna-
tionalism. The strength and beauty Of
the whole international structure when
complete would then depend upon and
reflect the strength and beauty Of each
of its national elements. The colloidal
nationalism of the type of person
who insists that he knows no country
but humanity, and thatp he is a citizen
of no state but only Of the world, is
hopeless nonsense. 1t prevents the de-
velopment of true internationalism by
affronting common sense"
The "colloidal fnternationalism" which
Dr. Butler condemns so Justly has it's
counterpart in a colloidal Christianity
which some are beginning to profess and
proclaim. They talk in great swelling
words about "a world church." in which
there should be no creed and no forms
of worship. They declare that one
Church is as good as another; and that
all denominations should be swallowed
up by some vast organization which
should include men of all beliefs and no
beliefs.
This pretentious program appeals to
the Imagination of men who worship
mere bulk, but it is the veriest nom
sense.
When men have ceased to have creeds
they will have ceased to think on re-
ligious subjects, and when they have
ceased to think on religious subjects
they will cease to feel any interest
whatsoever in religious efforts and en-
terprises-
the work of the world. A vicious senti-
mentality, or a paste of religious emo
ton, may spread over much surface, but
it has not enough body to be very poten-
tiaL A colloidal Christianity will never
be effective for the cleansing of man
kind from sin and corruption.
A man who loves not his own country
never loves very intensely the whole
world. The purest patriots are the men
who most ardently love all mankind.
In like manner the man who loves his
own church most truly cares for all
churches most sincerely and earnestly.
True catholicity is not colloidal COM
pound.
The syndicate methods of modern COM
MERGE are so attractive to certain types
of men that they are ready to import
these methods into the sphere of Chris
tan enterprises. They can not see why
if several commercial corporations can
be merged any number of churches also
may not be merged into one. They fail
to see that no conscientious convictions
are involved in making a commercial
merger; their only thought is to reduce
expenses, increase income, and multiply
profits. The persons interested might
be Christians, Buddhists and Mohamme-
dams, and the merger would not be him
surely religious principles are not so
easily accommodated as are matters OF
profit and loss.
The German kaiser, who is a Buth-
eran; the Austrian emperor, who is
Roman Catholic; the Bulgarian king,
who is of the Greek church, and the
sultan OF Turkey, who is a Mussulman.
have formed an alliance in the present
war TO secure political objects. How
absurd would it be to expect them to
come into the same religious organiza-
ton so easily.
This merger idea of a colloidal Chris
tianity has been promptly accepted by
young Mr.. Rockefeller, who has publish
ed recently an article advocating ii. His
piece reveals his utter incapacity for so
much as understanding, to say nothing
Of expounding, the subject He would
have a huge obese church without
creed, or ritual, or ceremony; but in
what he says Of the significance of bap-
tism he assumes credal principals from
which most Christian people dissent. In
arguing for a creedless church he thus
sets up a creed.
Mr.. Rockefeller intimates that such
church might be conducted by laymen,
and a ministry be omitted from it's plan
Of operation. This view also reveals
his folly, and his unscripturalness.
Evidently he thinks the merger prin-
ciple employed in the organization of
the Standard Oil company is perfectly
applicable to the organization of Gods
church in the world. But Standard Oil
is one thing, and Christian life is quite
another thing. Christ has founded and
is building His church, and that, too,
not according to the pattern shown in
the Office of the Standard Oil company.
. Young Mr.. Rockefeller may be very
clever sort of young man in the com
mercial world, but he manifests no spe.
ciaI qualifications for the reorganiza-
ton of the Christian church. THE
church of the future" which he de-
scribSss will have no more existence in
he years to come than it has had in
the centuries past. The religious re-
suits which have been achieved in the
ages gone have been accomplished by
men who had deep and definite convic-
tions, and such will ever be the case.
A colloidal coalescence of conviction
less men viii never issue in any sub
stantial good. Virtue is not a product
Of vagueness Virility of life and labor
is in exact proportion to vigor Of faith.
Ii is nothing to the purpose to say
that Christianity consists in right liV-
ing. OF course, a good life is the fruit
Of faith; but il is equally true that faith
is the root from which n good life
springs. and we can not have the fruit
without the root. When men cease TO
believe strongly they will cease to live