The Denver Jewish news., 1919-01-29
THE WAR AND FAITH,


mon delivered by DIR. II. c. Enclow of
Temple Emanuel. New York in Paris
The sermon was delivered in French.
The war has taught us all. in terms
Of the most christening experience
mankind has ever Known that the f,,-
urc will need the help. the guidance.
the direction of religion in order tha,
the hope we now cherish for better
world might br realiz,I-but that il
is only IL certain Kind OF religion that
will answer the needs OF the future
and have the power To fashion fu-
lure more happy and more plIr. than
lhc past.
What sort of religion shall that he:
First of all. il must be religion
recognizing the supremacy of the moral
law, of ethical conduct as the essence
of religious conformity. If France,
and those associated with her. have
saved civilization. what has it been
due to but the Passionate dctcrmina-
tion TO fight to the very end for the
cause of liberty and justice against
those who swept forward rs apostles
of brute force. aS champions Of the
doctrine that might makes right!
This is destined to remain the eternal
message of Belgium-thc land of the
modern MacclbccS-of France, OF
America. and all the others that have
fought ON our side.
These ideas of human comradeship,
and of the supremacy of the moral
law. shall certainly form tho chief ele-
mcntS of religion if religion is to have
a future: without tlfcm religion hence.
forth is impossible. 1t is inconccira-
bic and incredible that mon VIII" have
fought together and suffered together
during these terrible years. and have
done so for moral ends. shall forSci
these things and he willing TO resume
in the lmvilliom> of peace their old
untngon.stic and divisivc notions. l;ut
faith in God also shall form IL chief
element of religion; it is the faith thai
has made us strong. the faith Which
the war has rckiUdled within us. has
krea thed into new life and flame.
\ group of American soldiers wrr'
heard talking about how they felt just
before going 20 tr the top" The talk
turned to the subject of prayer. Il
certainly prayed said one of them
Lord. | did pray If. ai'yhod" tells
You he doesn't pray before hr has to
do that sort of thing. don't believe
him.
The war has taught us anew the
need. the feeling. and the Language
Of prayer, because it has brought IL
nearer to God hy The cords of trust
and love-the mystic cords of rcli,
giOn. Many there are who. thinks to
the war, have made an intellectual
approach to religion; in the trenches.
in the camps. in periods of rest. they
have taken to reading the Eihlc. to
pondcring religious problems. to cont
pairing the dogma> of various cr"rd>
it is remarkable how many hav,
been Stimula ted 10 such occupations
by the laboriouS days and lonely
nights of the new life. But the chief
gain of religion thru the war is not
intellectual: it is what we nigh call
mystical. 1t is the new feeling @. God
born in human hcurts-the fresh sons;
of something mysterious and m"riful
at work in the world even in the midst
of these incompatible horrors: it is
the new perception of the wondrouS
ways of Providence and Of the I'M
broken miracle which we sometimes
call the course of human history. For
if the two battles of the Marine were
not miracles. then surely no miracle
has ever happen"d-American lSrar-
lite.
DrS, Robert Levy. NJ. kleiner. Stan