The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-16
Religion, in and After the War.

"scrapping" inefficient men is one of
the surprises of the observer in
continue for an hour after he or 1t
fails to make good" War is not a
polite or considerate thing. Its issues
are SO vital and tremendous, that no
small thing is permitted to stand in
the way of its success. Precedents.
are as nothing in the face OF the one
supreme consideration.
That same spirit. which put first
things first. is being impaired TO all
many of the great institutions of So
ciety. Soldiers have learned a new
state of mind, which distinguishes be-
tween essential or non-essential. So
when they come home they will
change a great. many things that we
touch, because of timidity. conserva-
tism or prejudice. They have shaken
off old fears, habits and associations,
and it will not irk them to throw into
the scrap-heap many things that be-
long there. while they are about the
task of bringing essential institutions
up to hundred per cent efficiency.
Every one of us needs to get fixed
firmly in his mind the conviction That
grave changes are coming in many de-
partments of life, after the war.
Wars Effect Upon the Church.
Now what will happen to the
church? Something, we may be sure.
For this oldest and largest of institu-
tons is one of the first and most for
midable factors with which the world
has to reckon. 1t underlies and en-
braces most of the forces that make
for change and progress. Out of the
church came the ideals which sent the
allied nations to war for the Jesus
ideals of justice, righteousness and
brotherhood. There is nothing thai
of hi nt 10 anf
of deep concern to the church.
Already the war has changed the
church. 1t has taught her how to
create new machinery for dealing with
the needs of the armies, and 1t has
quickened in her afresh the Christ
spirit of solicitude for mankind. Con-
slider what it means that there is not
a single unit of the armies of Britain
and America, larger than a company,
that is not at this moment receiving
the helpful and direct attention of the
agents of the church. We sometimes
overlook the magnitude of the war
work done by Christianity. Every
regiment has its chaplains. These
men are doing an important part of
the army's work. under the recogni-
ton and direction of the government.
L have talked with chaplains in
France. and 1 can testify to their tire
less activity. to their broad-minded eff
ficiency. and to their shepherdly devo-
ton and catholic spiritual solicitude.
All the world knows what the Y.
lM. G. A. is doing in France, and in
the training camps. This is done in
the spirit of the church. and as her
representatives. 1t is an innovation,
and on a colossal scale, which is
bound to make all Christians hence
forth think in larger terms of reli-
gious obligations and opportunity It
| has revealed the possibilities of practi-
cal ministry to men in the name and
| mind of Jesus. Soldiers accept this
beautiful service of the Y. NJ. c. A.
| as being the work of the church. They
understand the religious spirit back of
| 1t all. Its tolerance, comprehensive
ness. freedom from consciousness.
and practical character, appeal to
| them as being true TO the genius of
Christianity. Anybody who says that
the church Is out of date and ineffect-
i've has only to look upon what she is
| doing in France today in order to have
| his notions revised.
That service flags fly from practi-
cally every church in the land, and
that the puipits are putting heart and
conviction and patience into our pa
| triottsm, and that helpful war work of
many kinds is done in and from the
church, are clear proofs of the vital
quality Of the church in our land and
| time.
A Look in the Large.
AS a background to our thinking.
let US take long, large look. We
are most of us accustomed to thinking
| only In terms of OIL. village or neigh
borhood churches and of our western
| denominations. We forget how old
ana widespread is the Christian
church. It is not even confined to the
Protestant and Roman Catholic bodies
l nave personal acquaintance with the
creek church, which includes the
| Russian and kindred groups: with the
G-egorian, or Armenian, church; with
the HISTORIAN church and its off
| shoots; and with the Ccptic church of
| Egypt All of these bodies date back
| to within three centuries of the Apos-
| tolic age.
Even the person who knows only
the surface of history understands
how the Christian church has been. the
corserver of civilization, in the dark
| days of human history. The Roman
church saved civilization in the west.
| from tie Cloths and the Vandals: and
the Greek church saved it in the east.
| from the Tartars and Moslems. At
the present hour, when craft. mater
| falism. self-interest and military pow
er. flouting the spirit of Christianity,
are seeking to dominate all humanity,
| it is the Christian church which has
| held steadily to the fore the ideal of
righteousness and brotherhood. to be
| maintained even at the cost of blood.
Age is not the only claim of the
| church to reverence. Her far-flung
magnitude has NJ rival or peer. How
| small and local seem even the great
] est of the fraternal organizations when
contrasted with the band of brothers
| founded by Jesusi There is not sin
gle nation on earth. with the possible
| exception Of interior Thibet and
| Afghanistan. and some of the tribes
| in middle Arabia, where Christians,
| members of the church. may not be
| found. At times and in places thu
| church has been perverted and pal
sled. but withaI she is the most benefit
| cent. as well as the most widespread
| institution on earth. About one-third
\ of all the people living today are
| nominally Christian. No nation is
either so large or so old as the Chris