Arizona republican., 1922-06-04
The Community Bible Class

The Community Bible Class
A movement which was started in Phoenix some
weeks ago bring together people of different rel
gions or religion all for the study Of the
Bible has already become a successful The idea
bring together people of different inter-
ests ground, just they
brought together secular purposes in the Rotary
and Kiwanis clubs. The chief purpose was the
bringing together that of the cooperation thus
established the ultimate and larger purpose might
be attained.
The class has attracted many persons who might
not have been drawn to any church; it has brought
into closer touch members different churches and
it may become link in movement for the con-
sodation of churches, for there is growing belief
that we have too many struggling churches and not
enough really going churches. That is have
too many religious plants" and what in the business
world is too much overhead" We do not think
objection is made to the overhead expense of the
religious plants but of certain lack of efficiency
because of the great number of them
People who not old can remember when
there was great deal of bitterness in the religious
world when the subject of baptism discussed
with and when the salvation of souls
supposed depend upon proper distinction of the
meaning of those small Greek propositions "en'
and "eis'
What man thought about foreordinaton was
supposed to be much more important than his con-
duct toward his fellow Some thought that a
disbelief in it was satisfactory showing that the
disbeliever had been foreordained to everlasting fire
Transubstantation another stickler If
could believe that the wine of the sacrament was
actually the blood of Jesus, and the bread really
His flesh, that was a saving thing than firm
belief that had been redeemed by Christs death
the
The churches divided. see,
little essential things, little and ridiculous
as that schism which Swift described having torn
apart an imaginary religious body part of which
believed that boiled egg to be eaten should be
broken on its little end, which the other faction
believed that those who did not break the big end
were destined for hell awhooping.
There was no division among the Christian
denominations to anything essential, but little
attention given to, essentials. Churchmen and
laymen, not all of them, of course, gave themselves
to bitter quarreIs these nessentials Preach
ers challenged one another debates and everybody
attended and took sides and went away heated and
often enemies. Neghborhoods were divided
You will notice break in the context here
occasioned by strange coincidence Just as we
had finished the word divided" the end of the
preceding paragraph, the office boy brought in the
first installment of the days mail among which
found article by Rev. DR.. Charles M. Sheldon,
author of In His Steps" There was Tightening
of our labors for We are now able to quote:
Get together
Who? The churches
What churches2 Ali the denominations.
What for? For the welfare of mankind.
For the love of Jesus. For the sake of the
man-in the-s street, who does not know
for the petty quarrels and jealousies of the diff
ferent sects but who does notice the of
the dissensions that
When the man in street goes to
church, what does he want to hear Does he
want to hear controversial sermons or denom-
national praises? Is his heart hungry for sci
entific discussions evolution, pulpit
dynamics disputed passages?
Verify, brethren when the man-in the
street does stray into the synagogue and has
these husks thrown at him. he may taste a few
bites, but he won't be apt to again He
came in for bread and you gave him discus
sion. He does not even care how the bread is
made. What he wants is the bread itself
Why don't you give him that? He is not even
interested in the machinery that makes the
bread. What he wants is BREAD And you
give him grst MILL
And of what value all these dissensons
among the different denominations that are
going all the land? What profit
brethren to the unsaved?
Recovering broken thread, neighborhoods
divided and the division was reflected in local
elections and algnments in business and social
affairs Animosities were created which prevailed
to the next generation.
We getting away from it now. We are sub
stituting faith in Gods plain promises our ancient
interpretations of forms. We are seeking the kernel
and disregarding the husk. We studying the
Bible rather to drink in the spirit of it and not to
hunt for hidden and doubtful meanings
Agriculture and Years
Age No Limitation to Success in the Salt River