The Holly chieftain. (Holly, Colo.) 1897-1987, 1920-01-29
Does Church of Today Fill
Humaity's Needs?
PROBLEMS THAT PUZZLE
BOTH CLERGY AND LAITY
Democratic Idealism Rising Rap.
idly; Extraordinary Transforma-
tions Taking Plaee-Dr. Smith
Discusses Postwar Situation.

IN these Gays OF postwar unrest
in all our social and industrial &C.
tivities, the church appears to be
equally involved and dissatisfied.
Both clergy and laity are equally
puzzled in the search for a work
ing plan which will meet the
changed conditions, whereby sat
isfactory and constructive pro
gram may be adopted to take the
place of the present unsettled and
inharmonious condition of general
church work. 1t seems to be gen.
orally conceded by all the church
es, however, that the great human
need of the hour is a union OF
Christian forces to meet the evils
of the time. The great problem Is
how best to meet this need.
Along this line excerpts from an
article appearing in the May num-
Der of the Biblical World, by Cir
ard Birney Smith, d. D., professor
of Christian theology in the Uni
versity of Chicago seems particul,
arly interesting and helpful, and
may be read with profit by the al
herent of any denomination. VI.
Smiths comment and views on the
present unrest apply with equal
force in the more rural rs well as
the urban districts.
Following are the comment OF
the Biblical World and DR.. Smiths
ideas on the church situation:
Does the church, as 1T exists to-
day. offer the best that we may
hope to obtain for the development
of the religious life of the people!
Just now, when the tremendous
passions and devOtiOns OF the
Great War are fresh in our minds,
there are many voices declaring
that men are utterly impatient OF
the petty disputes of the various
denominations, and are longing Tor
some form of religion which shal!
more directly express the broad
ideals which have come from par
ticipation in great events.
Some, we know, would do with.
out the church, but the mass OF
the people demand some form OF
medium for the expression OF their
spirit of devotion. Some individu-
ais prefer to live entirely outside
the church and even deny allegi-
ance to any form of religion. Others
pride themselves In a churchless
religion but, "the religion OF q per-
son who remains detached from a
social organization is likely to be
somewhat nebulOus. For the sake
of strong personal religion, then,
it is necessary to have a strong
church"
j A study OF the history OF the
church shows that, from its early ex-
istence, the people had differences
in belief. Even the views of Peter
and Paul were widely divergent on
some fundamental principles. Re
ligious beliefs have changed with
the process of the ages. Different
countries have come to have differ
ent forms of worship. The sects
and denominations have had ma
tural development.
The church of today is the result
of historical development from the
autocratic church of ancient times.
1t is a living, growing organization,
inevitably affected by the life OF
men. Probably the strongest ex-
ternal influence which the church
has had has been the governments
under which it has existed. An
autocratic government has general
ly meant an autocratic church, but
the Roman empire has fallen;
kaiser rule has been broken. The
church has torn away from the
bondage Of old time rule and has
with more or less success, kept
pace with the developments in
science and education
Yet, most men do not easily
change their religion. In our own
time we see the struggle for the
existence of the sects. I'm over
churched communities where weak
rival churches have desperate
struggle to maintain even power.
ty-stricken existence, do we not fire.
quently find that the church's
most constant appeal to the com.
munity is for funds to save it from
bankruptcy? The loyalties which
support such autocratic concep.
lions of religion are our inheritance
from the Middle Ages. But in our
democratic age new Royalties are
being formed. new ways of judg.
vogue, new standards of ethics are
coming to prevail. The. church
which is to serve the age Of de-
mocracy must interpret Chris
tianity in relation to democratic
ideals. ThAchallenge of democracy
is already causing a ferment in
Christian thinking which promises
important reconstructiOns in the
future.
"How are we to think of the con.
s,Ai - - - 4.