Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-05
American Girls Improve


When the question is asked will religion lose
out, categorical answer cannot be given. 1t
is not matter Of yes or no; it is question that
involves the type OF religion that may take the
Characteristic and have been for centuries.
There are evidences OF the. rounding out OF one
of the big cycles that have marked epochs in
the history of Christendom. The denominations
| appear to sense the fact that their day Is wan
ing, hence the movement for organic union,
movement that has linked the denominations
in sentiment for union that appears to have
but little way TO 60 to become an effective
Joining OF a great many of the major bodies i'll
the essentials of union as distinct from fedora
ton The perf:cting OF plan of union for
two big Methodist bodies, with good prospect of
the plan finding adoption, is special indication
OF the general trend.
The explanation is to be found in the fact
that no type Of church organization can survive
after the passion has been lost to it. when the
votion OF the membership of the churches to
their own denomination was passion. There
was only thinly yeiled tolerance felt bypersons
for churches other than their own Thus the
denominations grew and prospered, for the root
of the thing was in the hearts of the members.
With all the drawbacks represented by a lack
of the liberal spirit, there was concentration.
conviction courage, devotion and sacrifice, all
elements of religious passion. The hberalizing
OF the denominations has destroyed this pas
sion for truth in particular creedal form, so
that religion has become thin and weak from the
tenuousness of the denominational walls. 1T is
impossible to have return to the strictly de-
nonlinational idea, hence the movement must
be forward and onward whether to something
better or not remains to be ascertained.
Denomnatonally, the churches are losing
out and they appear to have the process of
denon1inational disintegration 60 on, as there
is in process q coordinate movement for Pro-
testant church union looking toward the ul-
innate union OF all Christian bodies. But in
the process Of denominational disintegration
there have arisen forms OF religious activities
that are challenging the union of the religious
bodies by seeking to set them aside as false
in their teachings This would account for the
phenomena Of Christian Science that probably
never could have prevailed during the period
of strict adherence and devotion to the death
to the denominational idea. 1t is product of
the spirit of liberalism, and is alien to the spirit
of the older denominations. Of much wider
significance is the reerudescence OF spiritualism,
which is direct challenge to the entire body
Of Christian teachings. There would be no place
the faith Of whose who hold that the scientific
establishment OF life after death is the matter
OF Importance, and not the type of the after life
nor the effects of the ifnpnging of that life
upon the present through mediumstc agencies.
II what spiritualism has to dclose is true
there must be an entire rewriting of the pro-
fession of Christianity, even if TIE name itself
should survive. Anyone who has read at all the
works of those who constitute themselves the
apostles Of the newer dawn of knowledge will
find no difficulty in sanctioning the statement
that there would be left nothing of the vital
sentences of the Apostles Greed, to say nothing
of denonlinational statements of faith Let it
be repeated that this manifestation of interest
in the other world in relation to this is not
due solely to the late war, but to, the fact that
denomnational religion is now in state of
he hae haoo
an entering wedge by the liberals, those who
have never affiliated with the denominations
and yet have felt that there is place for religion
in human experience.
The Protestant denominations, especially
will need to take account of the fact that there
they must demonstrate a fresh passion or they
will lose irreparably. That passion might we'll
be engendered through fresh enthusiasm for
the unifying of the members of the body of
Christ. Are the denominations setting watch
men upon the walls Of Zion to give them
warningl They may we'll do so, for the enemy
is approaching their gates.