Norwich bulletin., 1922-03-02


 of democracy that it's citizens are inc radically religious. We are not blind to the acts which so frequently destroy our essential integrity as a democratic people; we culTninate against the in- justice and the false use of power we are quick to judge the man who injures the public veal; and the standards Aoy which we pass our judgments derived from our essential righteousness. We call things good" We apply the word to certain philanthropics, to organizations, to business operations, to legal enact ments; and we search for the sanction that permits the term, we find 1t in some religious value. In a democracy We be- lieve that all human interests grow only through groupings, kinships organiza- tSons, not externally created but Intern ally evolving; and that the initial i'm pulse and the continued motivating DOW CT come from basic righteousness of our citizens.
 I have named the exemptions, and the grants exetnded to the chruch by de- mocracy, finding these actuated by de- uocracy's assumptions that there Is a power above the state and that our oiti- zenry Is essentially religious.
 Now, it is my belief that; such ex- emptions, grants, and assumptions oon- stitute the legitimate rights of de- mocracy to make demands of the. church. They hold. whether we conceive de- mocracy in terms of a system of gov ernment or in terms of certain so- cial atmosphere. We, therefore, name two demands which we thinSx democra- cy has legitimate right to make.
 First, that the church shall gather I up all the deligion that is in the de- 1 mocracy- and give it insiring expres- sion. The subfimest thing that de- mocracy has done Is to release the ere 1 attve powers of man; her spirit has | touched art and literature and indus 1 try and science, and mans spirit has l responded with accomplishments in eaef | of these fields that have been astound. | ing. It has not been only the rich ant 1 the high and the learrfed whom sht l has touched; but her fingers have rest. ed on the shoulders of the poor anC unlettered- and unschooled, and they have risen to heights of endeavor whicl they themselves did not dream of. De l n1ocracy comes to the church in tn, same expectancy and says, SThere i a store of religion in gnankind that vol i have not yet tapped. Ero into it: oDel up the windows and fbring It out int l daylight; the spirit uf man is a yer, rich thing; release it from it's pent-r l circumstances. Our hope is In you, tn l church. We expect you to do it. Gu life Is hurt if you don't do 1t. Yo are the only institution that can"
 | Second. democracy demands that -th church shall interpret all the phenom ena in a democracy in terms of the pro gress of God. What challenging word are coming to the church from man sources. A well known statistician as sures us that we need a revival of re ligion for the sake of preserving ou national economic life. Another vel known editor of a national week. writes that the only safeguard for ou civilization is a heightened spirituaTt, Our poets and our novelists and essay ists and professional men are Urging uI on us the purging of our national If by the presence of newer moral const crations. What are all these expre. sions. if they are not the assertion ths business and art, economics and mora ity, local government and internationa ism, the plain ordinary customs, habit