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

THE young soldier whose early re-
1 ligious education had been sadly
neglected, but who found himself fac'
to face with grim realities in the bat
tie front Of Europe. who had received
the ministrations Of the welfare agen-
Giles in training camp. on the train
on the way over and at every
turn IN Europe. expressed. not
very elegantly but nevertheless very
pointediy his new convictions wher
he prayed: BY Gosh, Lord, I wish
you'd have the churches teach the
people what religion is"
I cite this incident because I wish
to bring the new religious message
new, not so far as content is con-
cerneds but new so far as emphasis
and direction is concerned The one
outstanding religious fact, corrobor-
ated from all sides and by men of d.
vergent religious antecedents is, tina;
the men in battle are religious in the
sense that all religionists have ever
claimed. that religion is a natural
function Of mankind; religious IN the
pragmatic sense Of deed.
Men in Peril Pray.
Report after report has come from
soldier ana observer that when trying
moments are reached and the call for
heroic action is heard, when none
knows but that the present is the last
moment when youth can make peace
with himself and his Creator. then
men pray as the heart dictates.
And since this report is almost uni
versal II may be well for US to ex-
anime into the religion Of the SOL
der; to see whether or not the deyel-
opment Of liberal thought in the
realms of governmental affairs does
not at the same time presage a like
liberal tendency in the realm OF re-
hgion.
Early Training Important.
Early training has much to do with
the religious content Of the mind OF
the soldier. The many hours spent
with his mother at church and Of the
dreary hours at Sunday school now
looms forth most enticingly. Before
his hour OF trial he would prepare
himself for the future by asking for
those rites held dear and efficient by
his beloved ones
Thus We hear story after story OF
men asking for special prayers and
communion, prayers and communion
that seemed futile in the daily con-
facts Of life but which seem so over
whelmiugiy important now. The IN
certainty Of the next hour forces a
candid differentiation Tbs iadiyid-
ual dwarfs when he sees himself
unit among thousands and millions,
simply Obeying orders; the ego loses
its assertiTeness at such an hour.
The Strong Defence" of the ages
becomes a reality. Duty and service
become the biggest words in the Ian
suage, and to do ones duty well the
highest possible form Of service. The
psalmists word rise upon the lips
What Is man that thou art mindful
OF him or the son Of man that thou
Visitest him." Cps SD
Distinctions Fade Away.
Thus in the hour OF trial is born
the new faith; a faith basing itself
upon the teachings Of childhood but
requiring this to square itself with
the realities OF life. Beside him IN the
trenhces he finds Protestants belong
ing 10 more sects than he has ever
heard; Catholics and Jews and prob
ably Mohammedans and Confuciaus,
each giving self to the same cause
and each responding, as he responded.
to the call from within in the hour OF
TRIAL Artificial barriers seem SO small
and useless when religion finds such
universal expression among men OF
such divergent religious training
The Relief ORGANIZATIONS.
And he finds within the camp. men
and women with insignias that are
not military ready to make his hour
Of darkness little more cheerful, to
rouse him TO do his best under all
conditions He finds these men and
women going with him from places
OF safety into the first trenches and
over no mans land. not that they
might shoot an enemy. but that they
may be Of service to the men, giving
here word OF comfort, there a word