Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-24
The Church Of the Future,

The Church Of the Future.
It is a little late for baccalaureate
sermons, this season. but a belated
discussion of them seems to be run
ming through the press. The point at
issue is whether such ceremonials.
along with other school affairs of a
public character. ought not to be
divorced permanently from sectarian
church edifices.
The original complaint came from
California. where there are formal
organizations whose business it is to
protect the public schools from medi-
cal and ecclesiastical exploitation
1t is the contention Of these people
that in order to maintain the schools
on strictly non-sectarian basis all
public ceremonies should be held in
structures other than UNCONVENTIONAL
in, character. They have taken the
baccalaureate sermon as test and
preached general thesis thereon.
Not that they object to wise spiritual
and moral counsel such as is given
in baccalaureate sermons, usually
in liberal and lengthy dosages. but
that they want such sermons to be
delivered in halls where none of the
class, on account of religious preju.
dice, would be debarred from going
freely and without violation of his
conscience.
This practice has been common in
the East. and thus far has hardly
been questioned. But the point seems
to be we'll taken.-Lewiston Journal.
Discussion of the proper and
peaceful manner of conducting
baccalaureate sermons is just one
more bit Of evidence that the days of
sectarianism are numbered. The
time honored and more or less I'M
satisfactory practice has been to take
the churches of the town in turn so
that none of the clergymen might be
offended. and that groups Of gradu-
ates might from year to year enjoy
the honor for their church. This
system has its dangerous variant
factors. among them the popularity
Of the clergymen. the size of the dele
cation from a particular church, and
the frequent failure Of these factors
to coincide with the rotation scheme.
The increasing number of students Of
Catholic faith has often made it i'm
perative to hold the service in a
theatre or a hall where the ecclesi-
astical atmosphere is essentially
lacking. Unpleasant situations and
even elias quarrels have been known
to occur that have spoiled the whole
graduation week over this matter of
where to have the baccalaureate SER
mon.
But are these high school quarrels
much different from the whole
pathetic. nay. disgraceful and I'M
christian struggle for precedence
and popularity that fills with an
guish the hearts of some church peo.
pie. with anger the hearts of some
others. and with disgust the hearts
Of those outside the church? Is
Christianity measured by the num-
Der Of members on the church roll.
the color Of the upholstery. the cut
Of the clergyman's collar or the cost
of the choir? Was it to instigate and
propagate discussions and dissensions
over the taking Of orders or apps.
tolic succession that Christ came int
the world?
The blind devotion to dogma and
the tense and jealous individualisn
which has characterized the church
es, both Protestant and Catholic, has
made them into narrow and exclusive
religious clubs whose main interest is
to perpetuate themselves. In spite
Of the churches Christianity has gone
on with its mission. but how much
more would have been accomplished
II they had been cooperating instead
Of competing.
Ultimately there will be one and
only one Christian church, but it
will not be Methodist or Episcopal or
Presbyterian or Baptist or even
Roman Catholic. It will be larger
than any Of these and will include
them all. It will preserve the fine