The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-05-11

days now-not among all, of course,
but among vast masses especially in
towns, who never go to Kirk and lever
pray. They leave their children un-
baptised, and simply are without God
in the world" With all this, religious
instruction takes a back seat in the
schools, elbowed out by the crushing
demands of the secular code. AS they
find it impossible to serve God and
Mammon simultaneously, they have
pumped for Mammon. Formerly, if
you. contended with a Protestant, he
would meet you with passages of
Scripture or answer from "The
Shorter Catechism," and you knew
where you were. He couldn't do that
now, he doesn't know them we'll
enough. He will only say, 81 don't
think God would do this" or, 81 don't
believe that and all the queerest no
tions under the sun-that is, he is
making his own religion, and doesn't
care a twopenny ticket whether it is
that of the Bible or not. The pretence
that Professionalism is the religion of
the Bible is abandoned, and very prop
erly and honestly; it is the religion of
yourself. 1t is a wierd thing to see
how Professionalism has realized itself
as Naturalism.
Scotch Catholics.
There are no statistics available for
the number of conversions in this
country. Scotland's population, 1911,
was 1880, 904. The Catholic popula-
ton in December, 1916, was given in
the Official Directory as over $4,000
Ell. e., between one-eighth and one
ninth of the whole), of which 400, 900
| we're in the Glasgow Archdiocese
Ealone. This is a great increase, GER
tainly, yer the figures of a quarter of
a century ago, but due, l am afraid,
| not so much to the conversion of the
| Scotch as to the natural increase of
the Irish resident there, and the con-
Etinuous immigration of Irish and con-
of the Scotch nation, 1 fear we make
little impression: we have not broken
| through or penetrated their lines (per.
haps we haven't tried to, but let that
pass. Still, there are always some
coming out of the cold" from all
classes; in any considerable town.
parish / think there are always some
converts on hand, largely, no doubt,
through marriage. In rural districts
there is not much progress. There are
| several reasons for the Scotch back
wardness.
Reasons for RackWardness.
ID To begin with (besides the in
difference to all religion, the gross
n~aturalism, pride, ignorance and other
~causes everywhere the same) there is
the terrific age-long hostility and
hatred of Rome and it's ways, ever
deep down in the peoples hearts and
kept burning by the Protestant
Reformation Society, the Hope Trust
the Knox Club and the anti Catholic
agencies. The Scotch don't indulge in
explosions like the Orangemen, but
they are stolidly, dourly hostile. They
make excellent converts when once
genuinely converted, but conversion is
generally made very hard for them
Prosecution and bigotry are rife; they
are penalized, disoWned, driven out
looked down upon.
(2) Very strong here is the idea OF
race prejudice in becoming a Catholic
"Mary-worship," the Pope, Mass, and
other of the old-fashioned and fairly
respectable because theologicaD oh
jections to Catholicism, hardly count
nowadays at all, because hardly any
Protestant knows anything abouf
theology, either Catholic or Protestant
The objection now is that you are go
ing back upon a decent father ant
mother (supposing they are decent) b.
turning Irish" You become thu
black sheep of the family, your nam,
will not be mentioned by any sym
pathetic neighbor or visitor, or onl.
in a whisper, like that of the son VIII,
has gone to the dogs and has left tn,
house or been shipped" Then tn,
"heartbreak to the mother" is playe,
for all it is worth, and females espe
cially feel all these sentimental ap
peals when attracted by the claims o
Rome.
(3) And Catholicism is Irish
there is another terrible objection
The Scotch Except in the far north
where the Catholics, too, are Scotch
} identify Catholicity with Irishry-ir
, evitably, of course, since five-sixth
Of the faithful here are Irish. Nol
} they don't like the Irish (except a
i fghters), and SO they don't like til
j Irish religion" which they saink !