Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-03
"BRAZEN LICENSE'' OF SOCIETY
DECRIED BY BISHOP FREEMAN
Evil Forces, Unleashed,
Threaten Domestic Life,
He Holds.
Compromising of Church
Is Partly to Blame,
Prelate Says.


issue and the "brazen license" of
| modern social tendencies are the two
great problems today to which the
| forces of Christianity must address
| themselves, Bishop James r. Free
man of the Episcopal Diocese of
Washington declared III his triennial
| charge 10 the clergy and lay dele
gates to the thirty-first convention of
the diocese at the Church of the
Epiphany last night.
The problem of world peace, in
which diplomacy has repeatedly failed.
Bishop Freeman declared, must be
recognized as great moral Issue
rather than a political one. Unless
the church is prepared to lose even
its present place of cfrcumscribed
power and influence. the voice of
Christianity must be heard. he said,
To achieve the goal of a world brother
hood in which peace can abide.
Church Partly to Blame.
Decrylng the evils which he sees
at work today in social and domestic
life. with wholesome restraints and
time honored conventions" swept
aside, Bishop Freeman laid a share of
the responsibility at the door of the
church itself. declaring that for a
generation the church has been re
treating and receding" and that a
spirit Of compromise has seemed TO
seize it,
THE church as an institution" the
bishop said, has been repeatedly
warned to address itself TO those
questions that have to do with its
own immediate interests. It has been
frequently admonished to keep within
its own prescribed sphere OF influence.
The result has been that. fearful TO
enter the lists in behalf of some great
cause that involved the happiness
and higher development of the world,
it has been strangely silent, and by
its silence has lost an opportunity of
advancing some mighty and salutary
reform.
~, for one, deprecate the intrusion
of the church, az an institution. upon
the domain OF political action. 1t has
nothing to do with political issues I'M
less those issues involve the peace
and happiness Of men. Too great
caution and conservatism have repeat
eddy lost the church a place of com
manding power and influence. We
had much. perhaps altogether too
much, to say concerning our obliga-
tons in a World War. We were GER
tainly voluble and militant when It
came to what America should do in a
grave crisis. Can we be consistent
and silent when q question that In
wolves the peace of the whole world
IS in the balance? Great leaders of
the late war have declared that if an
other world confiagration breaks out
it will be largely due to the supine-
ness of the church and, if II comes.
its consuming flames may make havoc
of our boosted Christian institutions.
Failure of Diplomacy.
Diplomacy has signally failed a gain
and again, it has failed because 1t
has too often been selfish and I'M
Christian. Its policies have been in
sular and sometimes inSolent. States
manship has Numbered along its blind
and devious ways, thinking only of
partisan advantage or the accomplish
ment of narrow and selfish ends.
Great policies that might have result
ed in untold blessings to mankind
have been thwarted and ultimately
strangled because they savored too
much of the ideal: the. ideal that
grows out of a spiritual and exalted
vision.
"A conception of International
comfy and good will, Of world neigh
borliness, is before us. What shall be
the church's contribution toward its
fulfllment? Men call 1t a, political Is
sue. No, 1t is mighty moral issue;
an issue that is designed TO anect
every home and flreside, that touches
vitality the deepest of human concerns.
Shall such a conception perish. be-
cause we Of America, with selfish
pride, in this period of unprecedented
prosperity, regard our own well being
as carving with it no responsibilities
Of o.
teal politician calls a world fellow
shin an iridescent dream, impossible
Of accomplishment. Do we accept this
dictum? Then let us prepare to see
the church as An institution lose its
present place of circumscribed and re-
stricted power and influence. BY
what method an agreement is to be
effected between the nations, looking
to the sane, amicable and Christian
adjustment Of differences, is for con
scientious statesmen to determine.
What we are concerned with is the
principle that was given the world
bv Jesus Christ, the principle that
looks to a universal brotherhood.
Disarm to Save Civilization.
The pressure Of unified Christian
sentiment, representing as it does mil
lions of our people. only needs to be
stirred until like an Irresistible force
1t sweeps from ocean to ocean. If we
encouraged men to arm to protect
civilization. let us inspire them to
disarm to save It. If we believe that
the Christ's teachings are authorita-
tive and that they are designed for
practical ends, then for once let US,
In spite Of the reasoning Of practical
politicians, put them to the test. If
hitherto we have believed in holy
wars. let us now believe in holy
peace.
America, enriched and blessed of
God, shall give Of her soul, that all
mankind may know, that her highest
and holiest aim is the emancipation
of men from the thraldom of war. In
spired by one holy ideal and purpose
unite to send forth from this mighty
capltal Of our beloved Nation the mes
sage Of the heralding angels GLORY
to God in the highest, and on earth,
peace to men of good will"
Turning to the problem of modern
social tendencies. Bishop Freeman de-
clared the postwar period has wit
messed the unleashing of forces that,
unrebuked and unrestrained, must ul-
timately work our ruin
Protests Brazen License.
Liberty has lost it's dignity and
sense Of decency and degenerated into
brazen license" he said. Wholesome
restraints and time-honored conven-
lions have been abrogated. To COM
NIT the oldest kind of sins the newest
kind of ways is the ruling passion Of
the hour This is disclosed in many
and conspicuous ways, from habits of
dress to social customs and usages.
Parental control, the unbroken unity
trea surer Inhn r Iarner. assistant