El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-11-09

I OF PRAYER. here water to a feveret
brow and there bandage Tor
wounded limb: here a cake OF choco-
/ late to refresh the body and there a
smoke to revive the spirit
And these men are the representa-
tives of the great religious bodies
/ They stand for Catholicism and Prot
/ estantism and Judaism and yet they
/ do not limit their ministrations 70 any
particular sect. Every soldier Is theil
charge; the first to come is the first
( served.
| AS young corporal who was
trained at Camp Bowie recently wrote
I from "over there" There Is no Jew
+ no Catholic, no Protestant over here
They are just soldiers and the chap
/ lain or ~" man or welfare worker
helps the first man that he comes
/ across that needs it."
A Unifying Religious Force
And this thought has become part
Of the mental makeup OF more than
/ :, O0O, coo men in France and probably
an equal number in training over here
1T IS a revolutionary force in their
lives. The old separatist doctrines
I have no place IN their lives; the new
/ unifying religious force IS active IN
their daily vocations-
Greed and lip service mean nothing
to them; deed and right living mean
everything; confessions OF faith may
lhave their value. but a square deal
has greater value. They know only
American citizenship in action on the
battlefield and they stop not TO ask
the religious conviction OF the men
fighting at their side.
Death in Battle m AtOnement.
Irwin s. Cobb and Pvt. Peat IN Chau-
tauqua lectures at WinOna Lake, In
diana, voiced the opinion that the SOL
der dead, sacrificing themselves for
their country, were sure Of divine Tor
giveuess and 4 heavenly place We
cannot imagine any men more worthy
Of heavenly bliss than the flower OF
our young manhood that Is laying
down its life to make democracy safe
for the future generations. And yet
the International Association OF
Evangelists, with Ss5 members, passed
the following resolution:
Whereas, the statement has been
made from the platform OF the WI
mona Bible conference and elsewhere
that the solder dying In battle is as
sured at once the blessing OF heaven,
be 1t resolved, that the international
Association OF Evangelists takes ex-
ception TO such a statement and re-
affirms the plain Bible teaching that
salvation depends on ones personal
relationship TO Jesus Christ"
Soldiers Care Little for Dogma
I hope II viii not be considered
sacrilegious on my part to say that
questions like these do not give much
concern TO the fighting men, nor will
they be seriously considered by these
men when they return They viii not
Gui bile about the plain Bible teach
ing" when, from the experiences on
battlefields, their hearts cry aloud
that their comrades were sure OF
divine forgiveness and a heavenly
place" To them religion means more
than proving dogma from Bible teach
ings- To them religion is part OF
life.
Thus from the trying hours OF the
past few years there will come a
newer Interpretation OF religion and
a broadening Of religious influence.
Narrow Religion Can't Survive.
Religion viii some from the testing
fires OF battle and test its deductions
in the realms Of peace and woe to the
faith that does not read the signs of
the time correctly. Democracy in
religion must step side by side with
government by the people in a world
made safe for democracy. I an firmly
convinced that the faith which
claims to possess the only road TO
heaven and the keys to the golden
gates IS a faith which cannot sur
vive the return OF our men from the
battlefield. They will demand a faith
which will meet their soul craving
and such faith cannot be selfish
Don't BE Narrow in Giving.
We can prepare our churches and
ourselves for this day OF reckoning
best by giving our share to the Unit
ed war work campaign as We have
never given before. The president,
in his letter urging this united cam
paign. asks that 'the spirit Of the
country may be expressed without
distinction OF religious opinion" He
who refuses to give because some
agency Is included among the seven
with whose religious conviction or
organization he cannot agree. IS not
a true American. He IS a welfare
Stacker. He would divide the country
religiously instead OF helping TO unite
It's splendid morale.
young man. not q member OF my
congregation. came 10 me recently
and said. 7 want to give my share for
the welfare drive, but I do not believe
in giving to the Knights Of Columbus
because do not want any OF my mon
ey to be used for the purchase Of rosa