Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-10

losing his life for the Kingdom of
Gods sake Who would venture to pre-
dict that the days of martyrdom have
gone by forever.
Nationalism and Religion.
"Unhappily the priceless possession of
religious liberty, which has been won
at great cost. is being threatened in our
day 1t Is threatened by a conception
of nationalism, which takes the form OF
intellectual imperialism, claiming not
penetrating the recesses of the mind
and branding constructive criticism as
reasonable. 1t is threatened by a
dominating secularism which takes Of
Tense at being told that the things
which are seen are temporal and the
things which are unseen are eternal. 1t
is being threatened by commercial and
political interests which would use the
church for their own ends, but other
wise abuse it.
us there to be renaissance o. re-
ligious intolerance in this land to which
men came for freedom? Are men to
be compelled by law to teach their
children special brand of religion and
to set them against the general trend
of science, especially in these days when
the reconciliation of science and religion
is getting under way? Are ministers OF
the gospel to be put under pressure to
idolize the present social order which
brought about the greatest catastrophe
in history, as if the Gospel of Christ
had no further light to shed on human
relationships? Are blacklistS to be
made up of many Of our pioneers be-
cause they are ahead of their times?
God forbid.
"The problems that confront the
church today can be gathered up into
one problem. 1t is the problem OF
secularization-the seculariZation of the
home as though the family were the
creature of the State and Christian
marriage only civil contract, and as
though Christianity could survive in a
State of Secularized homes; the secular
ization of business as though the chief
end of man was to make money rather
than to glorify God and enjoy Him for
ever; the secularization of politics, as
though the powers that be were not
the responsible ministers of God; the
secularization of the church. as though
building churches and raising quotas
and operating clubs completed the de-
sign of the Church of God which He
hath purchased with His own blood; the
secularization of life, as though men
could live without God in the world.
Throughout the world there are
many people who see that the real
issue today is between Christ and the
world They are moved to become
followers of Christ, but are perplexed
as to how to reconcile discipleship with
the spiritual mediocrity and narrow
outlook OF many a parish. Throughout
the world there are many priests far
removed from the limelight, living in
places where Christ is not popular, who
are gladly giving their lives in making
new allegiances for Christ and securing
fresh verdictS for Him.
ut will break the hearts of many
earnest disciples If this convention
squanders time over obsolete issues or
current questions of only secondary i'm
portance. The church is here to save
people from the world, to show people
how to love God and love each other, to
transform life and its sordid surround
ings into harmony with the will of God.
Unless the church can win along these
lines its capitulation to the world will
be complete Men will not longer say
oh, Gallilean, Thou hast conquered
They will say oh, Gallilean, Thou art
conquered"
The House of Bishops and the House
of Deputies will hold their initial ses-
sions this afternoon in the Willard
Hotel, and the D. A. r. Hall respec-
lively. The principal business before
the House of Deputies will be the cleo
ton of a chairman. There are six
candidates in the field
The Woman's Auxiliary also is hold
ing its first session this afternoon in
the Mayflower Hotel