New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-01-23
WHAT DO SOLDIERS BELIEVE?

Much has been said and written on
the subject of the religious effect of
the great war. There has been,. it
seems, in Europe, a great quickening of
interest in the Hereafter and much
questioning and turning to Spritualism,
as is natural when so many families have
lost their best beloved. 1t is one of
the facts of human nature that when
bereavement comes, those left are sure
to look with longing to the beliefs Of
Spiritualism, searching for comfort, in
some manifestation of the continued
existence of the dear one who has passed
from sight and hearing. This quicken
ing of religious interest is noted in every
land where many have fallen on tie
battlefield or died in tie hospitals.
Even in America, wEe,e but few casual
ties have yet occurred, there is the he
ginning of revived interest in spirit
ual things and there are many who see
in the Affections of war the punishment
for vast wrongs and some who think
of tie world catastrophe as the he
ginning of the end.
How far the religious feeling extends
beyond the grieving households is not
yet apparent. Whether the religious
sense has <Eeen generally awakened in
men and women alike has not keen de
termined What tie man in the trenches
believes has been written of by British
officer and appeared recently in the
London Nation. 1t is exceedingly in
teresting reading to a student of life,
Fof human nature, of religion, sociology,
psychology, and we think it must also
be of interest to all who simply 'feel'
and do not stop to analyze the reasons.
Relatives of the men on the battle front
will like to know how it is their sons and
brothers face Death as his messengers
circle about the trenches all day. They
/ will want to know whether fear or faith
Tor fatalism is the emotion that grips
| their boy in his baptism OF fire" The
English officer says it is the last named
but read it:
What does the soldier believe? How
far does religion influence his life? Is
he, in fact, influenced by religion at all
/ have sometimes been asked questions
such as those by my friends who art
anxious to know something Of thu
private soldiers attitude towards lift
and death, and when attempt to maxi
an adequate answer to each question
II find myself in an extraordinaril.
difficult position. Organized religion
seems to have no influence whatever OF
the soldier. / should say that tn
Roman Catholic Church has the stronges
J hold on its members, the various Non
conformist sects the second stronges
hold, and the Church Of England tn
[ least. Numerically, in my regimen
| at all events, the Church of Englan'
leads the Nonconfo rmists and the Romal
Catholics, but it is perfectly obviou
8 that many Of the Anglicans are Anglican
but nominally.
But religious influence does not cor
lsist in protesting allegiance to this 9
that form Of faith, and so The division
!, of the regiment give no indication what
y ever Of the extent to which the men ar
J, moulded by their beliefs. I should sa
that, on the whole, Christi; MY ha
! singularly little influnces on the mass Z
men in the ranks, and since most Of tker
-1have lately been in civil life, that ]
tantamount in saying that Chrisitanit