Norwich bulletin., 1920-09-25

Christians?
 "If man can be a Christian only the creed as 1t is recited in the ortho- dox evangelical churches, then we Uns tarians are not Christians.
 "A Unitarian believes that Jesus Christ founded Q new religion and new religious philosophy on the love of God for men, and of man for one another. and for God, and taught it by His life and practice, with such Heayen-given sincerity, sweetness, simplicity and all- compelling force that it lived after Him | in the souls of men, and became the basis for civilization struggling to- ward the highest ideals They feel the life of Jesus as man to be more help 1 ful to them, as religious inspiration. than if He is to be regarded as God in I human form
 "But they deny that they have lost 1 the essence of Christianity when they I give up the miracles. the virgin birth and l the deity of Jesus The Unitarians have always emphasized the life of Jesus In His teachings of love as the foundation
 of all things spiritual, and the motive
 and the end of the Kingdom of God. In that sense, and that we believe to be the 4 true sense, Unitarians are Christians"
 Referring to the increasing activity of I modern churches in the organization of Il philanthropic. charitable and edncation- al enterprises among those for whom they feel responsible, Mir Taft holds
 that while this change may not indi- cate a general surrender by church au- } thorities of the tenets of the orthodox Christian creed, 1t does indicate change
 of emphasis that enables these churches to restrain many laymen whose minds 4 tend toward more liberal Christianity. } He insists that at the same time Uni tarianism has checked the increase of
 1 the irreligious.
 "The office performed by Unitarianism, i, sl he explained, 'fhas been one of the high 'I est importance in retraining for many men and women of strong intellect in. dependence and courage of thought the } censolations and strengthening inspira- tion of religious faith and their responsi : bility to God, without the necessity oi T protesting beliefs which to them are un 7 psoven and unprovable
 | 'The creeds and dogmas that attach 3 ed themselves to the religion of Jesus n needed perhaps fin securing it's spreas : among the nations and it's triurnpha . march to better civilization, have en l countered the searching freedom of sci
 entific intellectual inquiry and have shak 6 en in the minds of many, not the essen
 tial principles of Christian faith as ", 1! Unitarians believe them to be, but tn, ] incidental tenets of rigid theology. = "In order that the craving for religion
 Il and study of mans relation to GoS d should still act as an inspiration tc y human self-elevation and moral progress : Unitarianism offers broad Christian re h ligious faith that can be reconciled wit s scientific freedom of thought and in s quiry into the truth, and rescues iron s religious atrophy- and indifference al = element of society that must be infiuen 8 tiaL"
 e It is because Mir. Taft sees the per d that threatens the nation unless the a present trend away from the churches l. checked that he has accepted his re n sponsiblity and assumed the leadershi
 of a Unitarian movement that aims VI put his precepts into practice.