Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-02-20
THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH
MOVEMENT

= that not less than ninety five per cen
ne, Of the people Of the United States be
h iieve taat Christianity is the mos
vital and most powerful force in thu
world today and that their actlvitie,
are conducted along the line OF thei
belief which forms their motives Of life
" The reason that such very small
rs per cent Of these believers in Chris
u tianity are connected with any church
r Organization is that they have uni
e versal feeling that the church as an
0 organization is disintegrating because
it lacks the vitalizing spirit Of the
g Living Christ. The world. meaning
+ those who do not belong to any church
organization. feels that the church, as
an organization prostitutes this great
and vital force Of Christianity for the
personal advantage Of individual lead
ers Of the organizations or 10 the lndi-
yidual advantage Of special organi. 1
cations or denominations. The present
effort on the part Of the various church
organizations to begin II great revival
IN which all denominations join in
united struggle to strengthen the
church. is an acknowledgment on the
part OF the heads Of the church that
something is wrong with their organi-
zations 1t is a laudabIe effort If con-
Quoted in tho right spirit. If its chief
ann and energy is expended in trying !
to Increase the membership of the
various denominations it is doomed to
iaInre. II 1t eXpends it's energies in
training its present membership TO
demonstrate their sincerity of profess il
SION by infusing the spirit of Christ a
INTO their daily lives, by educating the Il
membership to demonstrate to the ii
world that the church is Interested
more In the upbuildng of humanity. in Il
relieving the suffering and distressed
ma helping the fallen to rise TO n now !,
me the church need give but small C
need to its roll OF membership tbaro j.
wont be enough church buildings to NJ
lold the new members. Il
hut the church is now looked uno,,
IS proud and selfish and arrogant A
Bound hand and foot to teachi,rs N
ma doctrines which stine and reprcss +
III us professions Of Christian snirit :,
during the past few mon his ,hc Jour
lai has received information from the o.
reads of various church dcnoininat.sns
n the United States filed with thank a.
uiness for the generous contributions n
made to these church organizations In Il
ne various drives the have pulled Off a
Ihese donations totalled the enormous =.
um Of more than THREE HUNDRED al
NlLi-ioN DOLLARS. The half of
MS enormous sum would feed all the
iarVing people of the world TODAY nm -
II the coming harvest. VIII any of IL
&c used for that purpose? Not likely =,
'he church is whrling around and
round like chip in whirlpool and
mighty small whirlpool at that. in In
'hich II sees only the other chips that
"ppen to be in the same little whirl-
DOL 1t secs colleges and universities -,
nd church buildings bearing the signs Il,
thelr own denominations. Lut the
'arVing Armenlans who are wailine
'r bread are out of their sight. in
mother whirlpool Their cry is far St
lirty million dollars to keep life IN
'eir bodies only ratil after the coming ! l
arNest They will get 1t. too. but a ,,c
he world" acting independent of tho af,
'urch organizations will contribute II foi
Already ono Of the great church or TO
mutations is rent with Internal strife i ~,
mong its leaders over who shall int
'ndle the fobulous sum OF money Gel
leaned IN the great drive-and tbe 'oi
rmeniansand others are starving in s,.
he meanwhile The church should get da
isy demonstrating it's RIGHT to ts'
I'VE as an organization. Then the
lestion Of membership will take care ~
itself. Every man and woman win DIR,
long To IT and deem It an honor