Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10
BISHOP HITS CO.CETTERS
AS MINISTER'S OF CHURCH
Holds Danger Lies Not in Elmer
Cantrys, But in Advocates of
Political Measures.


the ministry. but there are some I'M
pleasant specimens of the Rabbit
type"
II have many questions l would
like to put to you. Bishop Fiske." I
said. Perhaps you will be willing
to let me ask you number and sum-
Marie your replies briefly. For in
stance. are we Americans too emo
tional? Do we go crazy over things
of the moment"
Worst Hall of Fame.
"Now-now." was the quick reply.
Don't. we simply wallow in senti-
mental slush over our heroes? We
have the worst popular hall of fame
of any nation in the world. A channel
swimmer or base ball favorite seems
to count for more than the heroes
of medical science or social reform.
How many people who know all
about Gertrude Ederle can tell who
Jane Adams is? And how many
followers of Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth
ever heard of DR.. Walter Reed?"
what do you think about the mod
ern girl-her dress and behavior"
asked
Have you heard Of the hostess Of
a week end party of young people to
whom one of the girls said. L suppose
we shock you, Mrs. So and So?' and
of her answer. NO. am not shocked:
rather surprised at the crudity Of
your technique-that's ALL
To-day girls are astoundingly frank,
but / also find them astonishingly
able to take care of themselves. OF
course there is danger. If we could
only get youth to remember that we
older people were once in their places.
whereas they are yet to be where we
are. they might listen more readily
to the counsels offered as the fruit Of
an experience we have had and upon
which they are only now entering.
Woman's Neglect Is Danger.
1--WE have heard a great deal about
the neglect of public worship by men.
Just now we seem to have more to
fear from woman's neglect of the du-
ties of motherhood and religion than
from the morals of men. And then
there is the mounting problem of abun-
dant leisure for women and the lack
of real occupation for women of even
moderate means. One wonders how
many Ruth Snyders there are abroad
in the land, even though they never
reach the murder stage. Wealth
degeneration of the moral nature
Idle women mean idle children, for
whose hands the devil soon finds some
work to do
rs there anything wrong with mar.
riage today?"
obviously there is, with one divorce
to every seven marriages." replied
Bishop Fiske. There has been an ap.
palling increase of ready divorce.
What is the trouble? 1t runs back to
the fact that an age of increasing
luxury is apt to be an age of aimless,
purposelesS, amazing emptiness. Do
| nestle life shares in the undisciplined,
wfllful, indulgent spirit of the age.
You know the family was not designed
to make life easier, but to make 1t
better. Marriage demands a lot of
sacrifice. 1t is not a royal road to
ease and happiness. 1t is a matter
of give and take. 1t is a matter of
adjustments. When young people dis
cover that it is such and not mere
| passionate attachment we shall be
on our way out of our present moral
mudde."
"Of course. there are many religious
problems today. But have you one
| paramount in mind?" 1 queried.
Youth Is Religious.
Eyes. the capture of the next
generation for Christianity and
Christian service. Youth is incur
ably religious. Our problem is to
make religion a great adventure
upon which youth will embark.
Among young people of high school,
and college age, we find an appall-
ing ignorance of the simplest facts
of Christianity. AS soon as we can
show the younger generation that
the Christian life is the surest way
to live long and live happily and that
in reality Christian standards are the
most approved science for making
the most of life we shall begin to
bring Christianity home to the rea-
son of our youthful generation. To
most of them the Authoritarian prin-
ciple is anathema They won't ac-
,ept anything on anybody's mere say
so. In every cline. as one noted
scientific writer says, leaders have
found from bitter experience that the
good old fashioned virtues pay. I'm
morality has always been a short.
sighted, stupid way for getting some
thing that people thought they
wanted. Christian morality is rooted
in reason
I'VE need to make youth see that
all the ideals of goodness they have
ever had are to be found in Jesus
Christ. We need to make them see
that His religion is winsome and at
tractive. not forbidding and critical.
We need to get them to understand
that it is not series of Thou shalt
not but a splendid call to follow
one who offers them the abundant
life"
tCopyright 1927