Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1919-02-22
RELlGIr N AND
RECONSTRUCTION
BY NJ @. MYERS

arc thinking people, and are sivlns
some thought, at the present time, &c
religion and reconstruction. Al leasl
this Is the impression the writer get,
as he talks with hts fellow craftsmen
ION the Job"
Tho subjects, Religion" and "Reeou.
strucuon.' seem to unite themselves m
cur minds. and to almost blend into one
subject as we see them TODAY.
One or tho things we notice most
ABOUT religion is the fact that the usual
winter activities towards a revival OF
the same are with us, and we the
working masses, perhaps do moro think
ing during such times OF special relig-
ious efforts than at any other time.
Another noticeable fact Is that the
ministers and evangellsts have a very
happy way Of presenting their own
version Of the God story but seldom an
educational way However, we feel
that there Will no doubt. come a time
when the Christian philosophy Of
ethics viii be so thoroughly under
stood that the very understanding on n
VIII bring about the elevation OF man
kind and the alienation Of human sur
fering TO such a degree as the great
thinkers OF the world have never yet
thought OF
On January ~ the writer had the
pleasure OF listening 10 three
able religious speakers. The 0rst
one, pastor Of one OF the CITY
churches, during HIS discourse. told his
congregation that there Is a God. and
made the statement that "every func-
ton Of the human gray matter Is OF
Coo" thus opening a great field for
thought, concerning which. however.
ne made no explanations, but left his
congregation as much unenllghtened as
when they came TO listen TO him.
Next. the story Of an ex-liOn tanner.
who finally met his death by taking
chances which he knew were dangerous
20 life, was listened 10 The story was
related by an evangelist who claimed
20 have been a drunkard. and that by
Gods strength. had been enaD,sd 10
give up the associations Of the beast
before II slew him The theme OF his
talk was THE Wages OF Sin Is Death. :"
but during his whole discourse h
mind seemed TO be conferred upon the
minor sins that man commits unpre-
meditatedly, and not at all upon the
deeper sins Of life that cause 50 much
Of human suffering.
Another divine had thrown upor the
screen many Bible pictures. which he
used In explanation Of Bible prophecy,
which prophecy. by the way some de-
nominations OF Christian faith, are ap-
plying 10 the present time as the be-
ginning OF the end Of all things. we
trust Il may be the beginning OF the
end or evill. Very beautiful indeed
were the pictures, and rather interest
ins as a pastime entertainment were
both the pictures and the talk. but I
believe there were no truths Of value
impressed upon the minds Of the peo-
pie present.
Pe~hars the most noticeable fact 70 a
careful observer would have been that
each discourse was lacking in real edu-
cational features. which should be a
part Of every public talk Speakers
seem 70 ignore the demand on the part
Of the listening public that reasons be
given for statements made They seem
not to realize that the world is BEGIN
ming to demand knowledge where
faith once satisfied. and that we must
have knowledge In some accessible
form.
Nine-tenths OF all those who listen to
these ministers are busy people, and
have no time to give 10 subjects. the
truth OF which IS not easily compre-
hended. Perhaps most Of US were not
interested. save In the fact that we
were being entertained. and our lack
Of interest was due largely 10 the other
fact that the subject matter was not
understandable 20 the average mind
However, there is just one hundred
percent. Of the working people who are
not interested in Righteousness. and can
easily and quickly come to understand /
10 when given 20 us in comprehensive
form. Indeed. we are waiting TO learn
all about It when these would be Z
teachers, the preachers will give TO US
the science OF Righteousness instead Of
the faith OF Righteousness. We believe
as firmly as every man be-
lieved, that right wrongs no man. but
we have no wisdom Of which to boast
save the fact that we know just
enough TO know that we do not know
how TO so at this great problem OF I'M
righteousness, human injustice, poverty
and crime; but We know. however,
that these are the things that constl-
tute the hell Of which we have such a
dread. These are the conditions that
arc making Of this old earth a veritable
hell for millions Of people who are en-
titled to their freedom from the curse.
We arc reasonable. thinking people,
and we do not dread that visionary hell
which is the result OF credulity; that
hell which so many ministers use as
scarecrow TO keep us out OF the fields
~ sin they are inclined TO preach so
much about II Is not this hell that the Il
masses are dreading. Il is not the hell
that some good people suppose the
spirit Of life goes to when one Is said to
be dead, that we fear, but Il Is this
living present hell. this hell Of war,
and conditions created by war and pow
erty, that is causing the worlds unrest
and human suffering and sorrow.
The lsboring classes In our country
are the classes that are suffering most
and we number over nine-tenths OF our
entire population And, | am speaking
TO- these masses when / say we want
knowledge We do not. however. want
a mere faith built upon the uncerta n
ties OF credullty, for such faith does
not satisfy. And, II these evangelists
and ministers have nothing better than
this 10 offer US we will have none OF
il, for we know that the stone the
average pulpit Is Offering us today can
not take the place Of the bread we
crave.
VI lions OF US workers want TO
know what we can best do to help IN
demonstrating the world upon a peace
basis. We realize that we are facing a