The Washington herald., 1920-10-10
Is Church Influence Declining!

hglouS Liberals Dy the poruonS SeIcCteu lot pun
lication in the press. 1t is admitted weakness
of the newspaper effort to tell the whole current
history of the world day by day that the enormous
amount of matter to be handled makes proc
Of selection necessary, and the tendency is to
choose that which is sensational rather than that
which is normal
As result Prof Holmes is put in the position
OF denying the vitality and force of the Christian
Church, including all its sects and creeds, today.
According to his published utterances the function
OF the church has shrunk that OF social club
for midde-class people of comfortable incomes, in
which it teaches mildly a middle class personal
morality, and feebly assets certain medieval theo-
logical formulas which it does not understand, and
is not really interested in.
"Yet, the Christian church" justly continues the
professor, eff there is such thing, is the only
world-nation and if it be aroused to its real
meaning it is still the hope of the world"
1t seems scarcely probable that any careful OBJ
OF the forces in the worlds progress
, today would be willing stand the proposition
that the churches have in any way ceased to be
"a great force for righteousness and better living-a
continuing, growing, progressive force with which
the forces OF evil have to count.
Politicians know this-none better. There is
coherent political force which the sagacious
politician is wary Of offending than the church
sentiment. 1t is this sentiment that has freed the
United States today from the domination OF the
saloon, and stands like rock against any re-cstab
lishment OF the liquor trade 1t to the churches
rhat the Ant-Saloon League appealed from the
outset. The friends OF the liquor trade sneered at
that middle class morality" to which Prof Holmes
rather slightingly refers, and turned to other ee
ments in the community for their support. The
outcome OF the contest is accomplished history and
there is champion who will accept the pro-
fessors contempmous estimate OF the power OF the
Influence OF the churches.
The demand for league of nations which shall
put end to and enforce peace on earth has
the support OF the churches everywhere. By that
support it has become powerful that only one or
two radical politicians dare to speak in open oppo-
sition to it. One party has made specific form
OF league its shbboleth. The Presidential candidate
of the other, while opposing the precise form which
camc out OF the tangled nteracon OF rival national
ambitions Versailles, still declares that "As soon
pas possible after my election l shall consult with
the best minds OF the United States, and especially
II shall consult in advance with the Senate to the
end that shall have association OF nations
afor the promotion OF international peace
. As matter OF fact no candidate would venture
10 antagonze the sentiment in favor OF such an
association, and the existence and extent of that
sentiment is largely the product OF the steady
dcavor of the churches OF the land
" At time it would be interesting to have
the Swarthmore professor enlighten US as to what
tcxsctly he means by the phrase middle class per-
'sonal morality" 1t is phrase much overworked
OF late by smart radical journalists and modern
English novelists whose fiction verges closely on
The obscene. A philosopher once observed that
morals largely matter OF geography, and
thsre is slight justification for that reflection
But that personal morality is the attribute of any
particular class in community would be hard to
prove. ..5.-..
1t would be fair for the professor to enlighten
his readers the question to whether he thinks
personal morality less worthy OF preaching and
practice because ii is peculiar the middle classes
or whether the middle classes are properly to be
sneered at because they observe personal morality
- And after having enlightened US on that sub
.ject he might go to make clear just what are
the middle classes, anyway.
q II may be doubted whether at any time in the
shistory' OF country what may be called the
church sentiment more efficient power for
good than today 1t is entirely true that the
theocracy Of the New England Puritan days is gone
and forever. Whether the cause of true morals
has suffered by its disappearance is rather more
than doubtful Slavery and the customary abuse
s OF liquor Rourished in New England along with the
very buest OF the blue laws. But wider religious
Tolerance, more liberal attitude toward religious
observance does not necessarily empty any lessen
ing OF religious feeling. 1t is easy for the super,
.heisA observer to point to waning congregations
and to churches abandoned in the shifting of the
residence sections Of great cities But as
against this may be cited the existence of sects
unknown three-quarters of century ago who num-
Der their members by the millions and whose
places OF worship are crowded when others are but
sparsely filed. -.-...,,r
Superstition, narrowness and intolerance are adj
mittedly disappearing from the churches But for
that very reason church influence is increasing
father than lessening The authority of the Puri-
tan elder may have parallel in this twentieth
Century but the less the influence 'of the cult
waited and tolerant leader of modern congregation
rs powerful Perhaps it might be fair to say that
the influence Of the pulpit has decreased while the
Influence OF the church itself is still dominant