Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-05-23

TINE inter-church m oy m n
found Scant favor in the South
ern Baptist convention, and it
| met emphatic opposition among
/ the Presbyterians at. the meeting of
their general assembly in st. Louis.
All this was to have been expected.
There is a growing OPPOSITION to the
application of the methods of big
business" to the churches. Syndi-
Gates for making money and mergers
for mercantile purposes are easy to
make, although even they tend to
run to dangerous abuses. But such
processes can not be applied to the
enterprises of the churches in which
religious convictions are involved.
"How can two walk together ex-
cept they be agreed" And if they
be not agreed, what is gained by any
I pretenSe of agreement which does
not exist? Can piety be. promoted by
| the suppression Of ones convictions,
| or by the insincere utterance Of ones
real beliefs?
! Some people are quite fond of
berating the religious denominations
and condemning denominationalism
in toto All of which is very shall
| low. The war has revealed some
things concerning this matter that
ought to correct many false notions
on this subject.
In the United States as in no other
country in the world is found the
most abundant denomina tionalism
In our country denominationalism
Here we have the widest liberty of
belief, and here there are a good
many small ecclesiastical bodies of
the most eccentric character. Free
dom of faith has produced some
freakishness of belief.
Nevertheless, in these United
| States is found the purest and most
virile Christianity in the world At
tendance upon the stated services of
the churches is greater in our coun-
try than in the European lands where
uniformity of faith Is the prevailing
type. We have no civil establish
ment of any church, nor traditions Of
such an establishment. to. enforce
uniformity. Out of this utmost free
dom of faith has issued the greatest
force of faith. Our churches during
the troubled era of the war have
exerted benign influence that has
blessed our own people and extend
ed in blessing to other peoples over
seas. The federal and state govern
ments have leaned on the churches
for support, and have not been dis
appointed. The various drives" for
benevolent causes could not have
been successful without the aid of
| the religious denominations. The
apostles of Observation-Disclosures
and the advocates of antidenomina-
tionalism have been forced to bring
their appeals to the churches which
they have been disposed to depre-
| ciate.
And now that the war is over, and
the era of reconstruction has begun.
great programs have been laid out
by several of the larger denomina-
tons, which look to the restoration
of faith in Europe and the restora-
ton Of the waste places which have
been made desolate by the great con-
flict which has ragged during the last
four years. To the fulfillment Of
these programs both Europe and Asia
are looking with hope. The kings of
Belgium and Italy have asked aid
for their people from these great de-
nominations. and help has been
promised. Other lands also will
share in the benefits proposed. The
war was begun by nations in which
enforced uniformity of faith had suf-
located religion and paralyzed con-
science. The wounds inflicted by
it are being healed by the religious