Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-06
SAYS WAR GAVE WORLD
BELIEF IN FUTURE LIFE
Rcy. Frank Pratt Delivers Sermon
Based Oh Observations in Strife
49, Ridden Countries.
sECTARLANIsM is WEAKENED
Declares Wave of Spiritualism Indi-
Gates People See Hope and Progress
in Next WorId-Cannot Believe
Soldiers Are UnSavcd.

That the remarkable wave OF spirit
ua,ism which is sweeping over this
country and England. regardless o: its
truth or fals!ty. is 4 sure evidence that
many people. Notwithstanding church
doSmas believe that the next life is
one of hope and progress, was the
statement made by Rev. Frank Pratt
In his sermon. The Influence of War
Upon Religion" a, the First Unitarian
Church yesterday morning.
Mr.. Pratt further declared that be-
cause so many boys have died without
the acceptance OF the conventional
standards OF the church, nobody can
nhsgSs' INV, wi'h fSu the spirit of BIAS
Mr.. Pratt is just home from a wears
service overseas in the service OF the
American Red Cross, six months of
many.
He said, in part, Yesterday:
teseher Vital f"T nee fq ke the
war. comes and clears our thinking. II
helps us to separate the chaff from the
SuperhcinIity Appears.
War is very horrible 1t is cruel.
and often dirty anu vulgar. but it Is
Very reai--intenSely real. our superb
eial lives are shams and we are forced
TO revise our values in accordance with
our experience of reality. Things we
thought were important became Insig-
itt!tSaHt. we are III new World-a
This experience of the reality of
war mas not weakened religion. as
many many thought it would. but it has en-,
things. OF religion as they did not see
mem before, II mas led TO the disre-
hand, while on the other the sense Of
God and duty and service are discov-
cred anew.
John Galsworthy has said that the
war would be the death OF dog,natic
Christianty This, of course, is an eX-
aaEgeration as even the war will not
the war VIII have more influence upon
religion outside the churches than
within them. because religion within
religion OF the rank and file OF men
AND women who never go to church
VIII feel more strongly the changing
power or the war than those who are
IN more fixed condition within the
churches through the influence OF ira
cftions and creeds.
Scctarinnism Weakened.
But upon the churches themselves
There has been an influence which
tends 70 the Weakening of sectarian-
ism; Men and women Of all denomi-
ally and sympatheticaily that they
nave realized, in part. at least the
UNDERLYING .unities which are beneath
lhe separating SuperficialiticS
The experience OF the war has also
made many people feel that reSsion
should be presented so simply that
there need be no confusion regarding
Inc really essential things When
Jesus says Follow Me- He puts
S1h,rissiani,y in a concrete form that
The war has forced the attention
OF the world upon death in remark
h hnl way And the heart Of the world
means the ending of hope and pro,
Eress So many OF our boys have died
splenddly without the acceptance of
the conventional standards OF the
church that nobody can suggest With
out the spirit of blasphemy that they
are eternaliy lost.
Have Hope for Future.
The remarkable wave of spiritu
a alism which Is sweeping over this
country, and England, regardless of
rs truth or falsity is a sure evidence
church doGmas, believe that the mex:
life is one OF hope and progress
One of the marked Influences OF
the war. upon the world is the COM
plete collapse of materialism People
have never realized before as they i1
now that the world must be built upon
the great spiritual principles
rms gives Il new confidence in real
Christianity. Before the war nconin
were asking If Christianity was prac
tical. Now they are declaring il is
the only practical thinc-that the
world has been run without Christian
NY and has been a dismal failure. We
are s2yinE. ntw that The only hope
Of this town and wrecked world is
the Christianity OF Jesus OF Na2arcth.''