Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-12
Groundless Censure
Of the Churches
BIZ BISHOP wARREN A. GAMBLER

and to claim that all good things have
come without the churches. Some are
even reckless enough to affirm that the
fearful war which darkens and dis
tresses the world is chargeabIe to the
indebtedness of the churches. And
some few within the churches are ready |
to unite in this worse than groundless
accusation.
Everybody with sense enough to read |
intelligently knows that the war was
brought on by the militarists of Ger
many, and that the churches except tine !
state church of Germany, have consist
entity and constantly resisted the princi- |
plies ami purposes OF these militarists
during all the years past
The American churches especially |
have stood for the opposite of all that
the German militarists have stood for. |
Hence the American people have oeen' II
possible, too pacific, and American
Christianity has been too trustful of all
nations.
But now that the war has been forced
upon our country, upon whom do our
rulers lepend to arouse the American
people to do their duty? DO they not
depend upon the churches and the
preachers? Do not the various organ!-
cations designed to meet the necessities
of the hour look first of all to the
churches?
In the midst of the war between the
states President Lincoln s. said to nav"
exclaimed Blessed be GOO for the
churches" and President Wilson might
saw the same today with equal fervor.
The vast sums which have been RAISED
for the Rcd Cross society, for the Young
Mems Christian association, and for the
relief of Belgian, French and Armenia
sufferers could never have oeen secured
without the churches, the Christian peo-
pie and the preachers. There Is not
preacher in the land who does not re-
ceire .iaily communications from the
managers of these, and other humane
enterprises asking them to preach SER
mons and render other aid in the fur
therance of these great interests: ana
to these communications favorable ana
prompt responses are made In almost
every instance.
Mr.. Hoover and his assistants ask
the preachers to help them in the cam
paign for the conservation of food and
their requests are needed. The can
vass for Liberty Bonds" and war saw
ings stamps find support in the
churches and from the ministry. A
large part of the men engaged in the
work of the Army Y. M. c. A, perhaps
a majority of them, are preachers VINO
have left their churches and their
homes and their families to do TINS
work In both its financial support and
personal staff the Army Y. M. c. A. Is
the fruit of the Christian churches and
without the churches it would be i'm
possible.
If the churches were as remlsS as
some would have US believe, none OF
these great philanthropic and religious
movements could have any measure OF
success.
Indeed, modern philanthropy is the
fruit of Christianity, and there is no
Christianity which has not come from
the churches heather philosopher
was once visiting our country to study
it's institutions. He was conducted
through various buildings and estab-
lishments and when he was about to
return to his own land, he said to
friend, Your prisons, and your dun-
geons, and your scaffolds, and your |
armies, l understand. In such Things
my country can Guido yours; but your
orphan asylums and old mems homes
astonish me, and your homes for old
women would seem to my people RI 7
diculous"
There lies on my desk the annual
handbook of a certain denomination In
America and in this publication is set
forth very briefly it's various beneVo>
lent institutions and enterprises. The
combined literatures of greece ana
Rome contains no such volume. Yet IL
is but one of many such publications
issued by American churches. The
whole heather world ancient and mod
ems. has not shown in all the centuries
as much benevolence as the Christian /
churches of our country exhibit In one
decade.
Let US have done with the shoddy
scribblers who would libel the churches
Their performances are positively lnde'
cent.
Some of them have wished to convict
the American churches of having pro-
NOTED the propagation of German ra-
tionalism in the educational instltu-
tons of the United States. This charge
also is false.
Secularists in education brought to
America all the German ratlonallsm
which has been imported into the Unit
ed States The UNCONVENTIONAL col
leges have steadily resisted 1t ana nave
seen censured for so doing.
Scarcely twenty years ago | myself
was abused sharply right here in Geor-
gia because l antagonized in both my
lecture room at Emory college and in
the pulpit this miserable stuff. Such
.epithets as 'narrow-mindeds' moss
back" ''react1onary, etc., were freely
applied to me by certain preachers
who played to the spirit of the world
and also by their followers, who pro-
claimed them as the apostles of prog
ress and the forerunners of advanced
theology"
Now, the rationalism, for which the
advanced theologians stood, has
borne fruit after it's kind, and behold,
we who resisted are blamed by some or
the very men who propagated it.
Nay, verify, this indictment aSdinst
the orthodox churches cannot be made
to stick Let the secular educational
lists and progressive" pulpiteers, who
propagated German rationalism. face
the facts. They will not be permitted
to shift the blame for their conduct on
orthodox heads. The record is too re-
cent and too well known for them to
escape responsibility. They were light
ing the churches a few years ago FOR
being too narrow to accept the results
of recent scholarships" which was an
other name for rationalism. Now they
seek to blame the churches for the
fruits of this rationalism. They are
consistent in one particular only. name.
", they are always fighting the
churches.
But the American people will not De
what the Chris