The Washington herald., 1921-11-05
THE NEW APPRECIATION AND
THE POWER OF THE CHRIS
TIAN CHURCH.
BY Fred b. Smith,

BY Fred ID. Smith.
Out OF the chaos. the confusion,
and what seems almost to reach
despair at times in life throughout
all the world following the great
war, there seems to stand conspicu-
ously two thoughts upon which
people In almost a universal way
are agreed. There may be immense
divergence whenever the problem
OF methods Is approached but Of
these two essential facts there's
an agreement wider than anybody
could have thought possible seven
years ago. .
Ftrst-Everybody with any sense,
anywhere in the world, Is now con-
WINGED that there Is no such thing
as beneficial bi-products of war"
1t Is q long time since this method
Of human adjustment was likened
70 HE'LL" but it seems that all the
years have been necessary to break
out in the fury of 1914 to 1918 to
let everybody know the depths, and
breadth, and the eternal signifi-
canoe of that exclamation. All the
people In the world, except possibly
a few profiteers, a little cult OF
brutal politicians, and q very re-
mote company of those who are
ambitious in the military realm,
are now crying out against the
horror OF war and with one voice
are saying that war, from the time
the first man speaks about IL until
the last gun is fired, is just loss,
absolute loss. 1t sets back by
generations every hope cherished
by the human family. The, doctrine
stands condemned at every decent
thinking court. This fact Is set
tied.
Second-Wider areas than ever
before are turning their minds to-
ward the Christian Church as the
hope of an influence that will make
permanent this first impression.
1 do not know that anybody can
give the exact statistics of the
number of professional preachers
in the Christian Churches. through
out the world, but 1 think men who
never thought of 1t before are con-
WINGED now that these men for the
most part will say what they be-
lieve to be the truth. regardless OF
the results, and there il feeling
that most other organizations In
the world are committed already to
some view which results in more
or less bias and, therefore, this
freedom in truth OF the Christian
Church seems to form Q basis OF
hope for a better generation to be
Then these men seem to realize
that after all the Christian Doc
trine is right, that however weak
and faltering may have been the
interpretations OF this doctrine
which Jesus Christ gave to the
world, yet nevertheless II is funda-
mentally a doctrine OF Peace or
earth. goodwill to men," These
and perhaps other reasons, are
causing many men, some of whom
do not even go to church. to say
that the Christian Church is the
hope Of a nabiding, unchanging
order Of accord, good will brother
hood, and peace on earth. AnC
underneath all these Is that funda
mental fact that everybody know
the world will never find a basil
of peace so long as attention ii
centered on economic rights,
geographic divisions" or "racia
adjustments" All that Is neces
sary is to call conferences togethe
and discuss these questions lonl
enough and II they alone form tn
basis Of the discussion the dele
| gates will go home and declar
war on somebody. The very aci,
involved spells war and 1t Is som
institution that has a spiritual in
depreciation that puts brotherhood
love, good will above dollars, geog
raphy. or the color of a mans skin
that the world must lay hold or
or else the disarmament conference
might as well adjourn at half pas
| two o'clock on November II.