The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-01-28
Religion Has Not Failed in
War, Says L. A.Wilson
to Forum.
THIS is FIRST TEST
Issue Will Be Met as Other
Questions Have Been
in Other Years.
Is Christianity a failure?

Christianity has never been tried.
The question was assigned to Rev.
i. A. Wilson of Butte for discussion
before the Missoula Public Forum yes
terday; the affirmation is his reply,
quoted from Wendell Phillips and
elaborated in an eloquent address.
For Mr.. Wilson the largest audience
which the public forum has yet at
tracted went to Union hall yesterday
afternoon and participated in an inter-
ested discussion of the religious prob
lens which the speaker suggested. The
meeting was in many ways the most
successful yet held under the auspices
Of the community institution, which
shares Missoula's Sunday afternoons
with the Community Sings.
Not Tested Until Now.
"The compatibility of Christianity
and war has not been tested by the
world until now" said Mr.. Wilson, dis
GUESSING the apparent failure OF Christ's
philosophy in The face of the world
war. "But once confronted with the
|Question. Christians will answer truly.
Zine was when the church defended
slavery; but when the question was
put squarely before the church Chris
HIanity did not fail. Similarly Chris
ianity failed in respect to the liquor
traffic until Christians fairly faced the
issue"
Christianity Must Go Farther.
As q result of this war, said Mr..
Wilson, Christianity must include a
| larger field than that of nationality.
1.-THE spirit of love and loyalty" as the
speaker defined Christianity, must be-
come more comprehensive, he said.
The growth Of Christianity was de-
scribed as beginning with love and
loyalty" to family and failure" In
larger relationships. Gradually the
philosophy was applied to such social
problems as slavery and child labor.
Not until now. however, has the in
compatibility Of Christianity and war
been suggested. The suggestion, fore
Ing the issue. compels the failure of
Christianity or war. And In this choice
war cannot win.
Tells War Experiences.
Mr.. Wilson was recently u Y M. C..
A. secretary in France. lie talked
briefly of his war experiences, point
Ing out magnificent instances of mems
'love and loyalty" for flag and coun-
try as types Of the spirit which now
must go to support of the federation
Of the world"
In short excursion from his main
theme Mr.. Wilson appealed for four
fold democracy-political, social, indu-
trial and religious.
No One Safe Alone.
mo one of these democracies is safe
In the world without the Others" said
the speaker. He argued that it is nc
more dangerous to have political au-
thority exercised from above than To
have social autocracy, based upon an
cestry, or industrial autocracy, based
upon wealth, or religious autocracy
based upon arbitrary mediation be-
tween IAN individual soul and its God. ;
The address was eloquently given
Mr.. Wilson insisted upon the failure
Of war yet did not argue that this
war can be avoided
"Has any man a right to evade mill
tary service upon the ground that he
has conscientious objections to war;
someone asked.
NO." said the speaker, that is rank
jndividualism; an evasion of social re
sponsibility."
At the close of the address many
questions Were asked from the floor
and speakers from the audience pre-
scented opposing or affirming theories
The next meeting of the forum will
be held on Sunday, February 10, in
Union hall.