The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-12
ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY.

ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY.
The minister who is today said to
be attracting the largest congreEa-
tions in New York City is the Rev.
DR.. Harry Emerson Fosdick, preacher
at the First Presbyterian church, and
a professor in the Union Theological
seminary. A few weeks ago Doctor
Fosdick preached upon the topic:
shall the Fuhdamentalists VIM
His line of thought suggests that there
are forces at work within our civili-
cation which threaten it's destruction
and that this havoc is indicated by the
conflicts between labor and capital
and the wars and disputes between
nations. The only safety of the world.
many believe. must lie in the estab-
lishment of the Christian religion in
the lives of men. The church MIDST
be depended upon to accomplish this
purpose.
A great chasm exists today between
organized Christianity and a large
part of the people. And yet the hum
ger for the things of the spirit prob
ably was never so great on the part
of all men as it is today.
One of the serious barriers between
the church and the people, Doctor
Fosdick asserted. is insistence by so
many upon standards OF orthodoxy to
which a large number of men cannot
subscribe. Those who demand these
standards. he donomihates "Funda-
mentalistsj'' the dissenters he classes
as Liberals
The main points of difference be-
tween these great bodies, the speaker
declared, are the virgin birth of
Christ the literal inspiration of the
Bible and the second coming of our
Lord. In offering a solution of the
problem Doctor Fosdick said:
THE first element that Is necessary
is a spirit of tolerance and Christian
liberty. When will the world learn
that intolerance solves no problems {?
This Is not a lesson which the Funda-
mentalists alene need to learn; the
liberals also need to learn it,
Continuing the doctor spoke as fol-
lows:
There are many opinions in the
field Of modern controversy concerns
ing which, I am not sure whether they
are right or wrong, but there is one
illness and tolerance and humility and
fairness are right. Opinions may be
mistaken; love never is.
AS 1 plead thus for an intellectually
hospitable, tolerant. libertS-loving
church, I am of course thinking pri-
marily about this new generation. We
have boys and girls growing up in our
homes and schools, and because we
love them we may well wonder about
the church which win be waiting to
receive them.
Now, the worst kind Of church that
can possibly be offered to the allegi-
ance Of the new generation is an in
tolerant church.
IT, during the war, when the nations
were wrestling upon the very brink of
he'll and at times all seemed lost, you
CHANGED to hear two men in an alter
cation about some minor matter of
sectarian denominationalism. could
you restrain your indignation?
You said, What can you do with
folks like this, who, in the face of
colossal issues. play with the tiddledy-
wihks and peccadillos of religion ?"
So, now, when from the terrific
questions of this generation one Is
called away by the noise of this Fun
almost unforgivable that men should
1.-THE mint and anise and cummin, and
quarrel over them, when the world is
perishing for the lack of the weightier
matters of the law, justice, and mercy,
and faith.
Consider all the multitudes of men
who so need God. and then think of
Christian churches making of them
selves q cockpit of controversy when
there is not a single thing at stake in
the controversy on which depends the
salvation of human souls.
That is the trouble with this whole
business. So much of it does not
matter!