Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-22

The moral laxity everywhere evident.
DR.. Joseph Krauskopf asserted today in
his Atonement Day sermon at Temple
Kenescth Israel, need not be attributed
to the daring gowns and dresses OF
the women, to the war, the movies"
or automobiles, but to a widespread
abandonment Of religion.
"a mighty battle is raging mt the
present time between the spirit and the
flesh" he declared. ''On its issue de-
pcnds the rise or fall Of our civiliZa-
ton. Should the material and SEN
suous prove victorious, the curtain will
BE- rung down on the splendid progress
we have made.
''Should the spiritual prove con-
queror. then we shall go forward to an
era whose splendor may surpass that
OF any age that has preceded
Pilgrim Spirit Fading
It was religion, Doctor Krauskopf
said, that enabled the Pilgrim Fathers
and the Quakers to brave the dangers
of pioneer life in wilderness.
hold on the American people, he as
far as to associate obloquy or ridicule
with the term Puritanism. Many of
them have an abundance of time for all
manner of sport, but none of it for
God.
They find church air sitting, but
have no objection to the smoky, heated
atmosphere of the gambling room. They
find church dues expensive, but think
nothing of losing at the card table as
much during a single game as they are
required to contribute for religious pur-
poses during the whole year. Many
are ashamed of being thought religious.
apologize for being occasionally seen at
a place Of worship. Many openly make
sport of religious exercises Of any kind
and class with the ignorant or super
stitious or idiotic those who still attach
value to Bible and prayer book.
The consequences Of such attitude
as this toward religion are not hard to
trace. Deprived of the character
strengthening. puritypreserving dis
cipline Of religion, deafened to Gods
Thou shalt not large number of
people have strayed away so far that
they no longer shudder at the sight of
sin, are no longer able to withstand II.
no longer even recognizing it as sin
some even hail it because it is sin. The
flesh has acquired complete mastery
over the spirit. The latter may
thousand times say, Thou shalt not.
If the former says, Thou shalt thou
shall it is. Not a desire of the passions.
not craving of the senses, but that IL
must be gratifed If at all possible. even
IL qualification must be at the sacrifice
of honor, of honesty, of right and JUS
tice, their excesses and indecencies and
immoralities.
Religion Not Understood
notwithstanding the millions of
books that have been written on religion
and the millions of sermons that have
been preached on it, the true nature and
function of it are understood by but the
fewest. To by far the largest number
of people it stands for a milksop affair.
for something that caters to the very
young. to the feeble and effeminatc,
something that is best suited to the
nursery. Few understand that the
great contribution which religion has
made to civilization has been effected
by a process that is the very opposite Of
weakness and effeminacy. 1t is by it's
exercise of titanic force that it awcd
vast part of mankind into submission
to higher, Law. ,,.... ..,,I,
at is through its ministry. in the
name of an all-powerful and an all.
knowing God. an uncompromising God,
God who neither sleeps nor slumbers.
God who. though for reasons of His
own. may move slowly, never lets the
guilty go unpunished. a God who visits
the sins of parents upon their children
and children's children. God whose
laws. for the most part. are aimed
against the lusts of the flesh, and begin
the words: Thou shalt not a God who
to curb the animal passions of man is
demanding of him self
restraint. self denial. self sacrifice.
self mastery--it was through the excr.
rise of such rigor as that that religion
lifted man slowly from the animal state
to where he finds himself today.
"Of all those one time mighty M
tions which, with their accession TO
world power lost their power of self.
rule. not one has come down TO our !
day. The people who WELD today tho |
greatest real or potential strength are