Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-11-28
CHURCH WILL CONDUCT
BISHOPS CRUSADE TO
AWAKEN CITIZENSHIP

An organizer of union labor was ask
ed why labor does not more unitedly
support the Christian church He led
his questioner to a window overlook
ing Madison Square, New York, and
pointed to crowd manfestly COM
posed largely of workingmen, who
were intently listening to soap box
orator.
That's why" he replied crisply. "He
is giving them what they want. The
church doesn't"
Out of the incident came the question
which was put to Rt. Rev. James E.
Freeman, d. D., Bishop of Washing
ton, because he is one of the leaders
of the bishops crusade nationwide
| campaign which will be launched early
! in January, 1927, by the Episcopal
church, to reawalSen it's membership to
their duties and responsibilities as
church-g -goers and citizens in the pres
ent state of world affairs. Like the
presiding bishop of the church. Bishop
Freeman had a successful business ca
reer before entering the priesthood.
"Is the Christian church meeting the
demands OF the modern world?" Bishop
Freeman was asked.
There are abundant evidences" he
replied, "all about us in the secular
world, that there is new and press
| ing demand for an exposition of the
life and teachings of Him whose mes
sage is eternally new. That Christ
has a message for the modern world,
adapted to modern needs, is one of the
most demonstrable facts OF our time.
The persistence of Jesus in human
thought and affection excels even the
originality of Jesus
Referring specifically to the bishops
crusade, Bishop Freeman was asked IL
| it might be construed as recognition
! of the fact that the churches haven't
been giving the people what they
+, want. He replied:
| "That there has been a deeper con-
cern felt for a more definite preach
/ ing of the Gospel was made more evil
| dent in the action of the general
convention of the Episcopal church at
! New Orleans when it unanimously
passed resolution that there should
| be created national commission on
evangelism to urge with all insistence
the prosecution of crusade for Christ
and His church. City clergy and coun-
| try clergy alike have recognized the
/ urgent need of placing fresh accent
upon those mighty teachings given to
men by the Master Himself. Concern
! is very properly felt that the voice of
| the Christian church shall bear in this
| age, in fullness and definiteness of ut
terance, what it believes to be the vital
message of the hour"
| Quoting recent soviet utterance
| that "Religion is the opiate of the peo-
ple," Bishop Freeman said: THAT is
| the hallenge sounded by one group
/ that has essayed the role of recasting
the habits and practices of vast en-
pire Reflecting in other ways, this
challenge presents itself in the life of
prosperous America The very envi-
j able situation, from a material stand
! point, in which the nation finds it.
self renders more urgent the pressing
| of the claims of Christ, upon whose
teachings we beliefe our form of civil
| ization is founded. I spake unto thee
| in thy prosperity, but thou saidst |
| will not hear was the solemn declar-
! alton made to an ancient people in the
days of their seeming self-security
i 1--WE may we'll wonder whether a
! like solemn warning may not be ad-
/ dressed to this generation and people.
! The Gospel for an age of SIM the Cos
pei of hope for an age that has been
disillusioned, is imperatively demand
| ed. 1t is a Gospel boldly proclaimed,
| that is on respecter of persons, that is
urgently needed today We may well
believe that the imperilling of Chris
| tian institutions may result in the inn
/ perilIing of those things that secure
us life, liberty and the pursuit of hap
! piness.
Bishop Freeman quoted, two recent
! utterances of President Coolidge