The New York herald., 1922-10-22
BIBLE TEACHING
A COLLEGE NEED

duty is to minister TO the needs OF the
student body. can exert a tremendous
influence in molding character, IN
shaping the destinies OF thousands Of
young men and women as he mingles
with the Students and takes part In
their many activities both on and
away from the college campus.
Says Churches Neglect
The Youth in College
The church OF to-day is largely
neglecting the youth In it's colleges.
SO far It pretends to depend upon the
atmosphere OF the denominationai
schools to adequately care and direct
our religious life. This has been,
especially In large schools located In
the big cities. OF a minus quantity. A
special work must be developed under
the leadership OF some Tar sighted and
sympathetic leader. whose business H.
is not to teach but TO correlato campus
religious organizations and to relate
the students with the church.
The youths of the land leave home
at the age OF 16 or II and break with
one stroke the ties OF home. They
live in an abnormal setting. sometimes
amid artificial surroundings. In fra
ternity or sorority houses. in boarding
houses or private domiciles.
College professors have full sched-
ule of regular class lectures and out
side events. The local preacher in
nine cases our Of ten leads busy I'm
al MI hie ell, faa
command the major portion of his
time. Perhaps the religious COM
munity isn't typical university one.
as is so often the case in municipal
centers. and perhaps the local church
is unsympathetio with the college
spirit.
Unless the student Is particularly
interested in religious courses st Is
possible. and highly probable, that he
will spend his entire four years In
college as an undergraduate, and even
three additional years in q graduate
professional school or college, without
having been touched by any religious
organization.
His spiritual and religious growth
and development have stood still while
ment have reached their highest pow
ers. His pre-university philosophy OF
life and religion is no longer adequate.
He goes from great university halls
into active commercial life and leader
ship useless and uninterested in tho
church or in religious problems and
programs.
The breaking down OF American
home life is a veritable challenge Il
the churches of to-day. 1t increases
In large measure the duty and respon-
sibility OF the churches and colleges
connected therein to do better and
finer work In religious instruction.
No more docs the American family
gather at the fireside of morning and
evening for daily devotions, no more
do the boys and girls listen to the wise
counsel and advice of the father and
mother, nor do they evince an interest
in bringing their individual problems
TO the fireside for solution. The church
school, therefore, finds its work moro
difficult to perform and yet this very
challenge is in itself capable OF bring
ing out the best that is in these re-
ligious institutions if they will but for
get petty jealousies and seek the truth.
There are many denominations rep
resented I'm most of our denominationsi
schools and colleges. both on the fac
ulty and in the student body. The
churches pour wealth into educational
fields and for university administra-
ton. They must see that the colleges
do not fail them. Schools. colleges and
departments of religion must develop.
they must go forward with their goal
clearly in sight and wisely defined.