Evening star., 1929-06-29
Religious &essions
DISCUSSED BY
DR.. S. Pdrkes Cddn1dn.

V442A-~@---- DBs ~
@. What's the matter with the aver
age prayer meeting? The one / go to
is attended by few righteous people
who don't need any further urging to
be good in order to be saved. They're
overdue in the next world anyhow, so
far as can see.
But I have never seen any first class
healthy sinner there, on whom the
efforts of those present could be exerted
What's the matter anyhow?
A. There are many reasons for the
decline of the prayer meeting, the chiet
one being the comparatively recent in
crease of new interests which bid for
our time and attention. After all, there
are only seven evenings in the week,
and these must be divided between
church, radio, theaters, clubs, commit
tee meetings. lodges, bridge, dancing,
social calls and host Of other engage
ments, to say nothing of an occasional
night of, required by the average per-
son for what has been facetiously called
"innocuous desuetude." When the eve
nings Of the week are subjected to this
intensive distribution, the prayer meet
ing is usually excluded from the ap-
portionment.
Church workers also hold many other
planted the prayer meetings they for
merly attended. The various guilds
and societies for both men and women,
existing in any vigorous church, have a
greater aggregate weekly attendance
than did the prayer meeting. The vase
is shattered, but the perfume is spread.
In other words, religious energies have
forced new channels for themselves.
If you think the modern churchs pro.
gram is not as complete as it was 30
years ago, read the calendar 1t issues.
@. What is a revelation? Do you
know of any modern religious works
which contain any revelations compar-
able to those contained in the Books
of the Bible?
A. A revelation is the disclosure to
man through direct inspiration ex-
perience, prayer or the course Of events
Of that knowledge Of God by means OF
which mans acquaintance with divine
realities Is increased or confirmed.
do not know of any modern relt-
gious works which take equal rank in
these respects with the literature Of the
Old and New Testaments. On the con-
trary, such works are largely derivative
from that literature. They usually ex-
pound the grand originals Of the law
givers, psalnists, prophets, evangeliStS
and apostles In the light Of advancing
learning and experience.
Account for it how we may. the post
biblical eras have not produced those
lofty personalities who in their turn
added to the actual spiritual content
affirm Is, of course, separate from the
being Of Jesus, the light of all Scrip
ture as He is of the world.
We have to leave Him out OF count.
since the authors of the twenty-third
and fifty-first Psalms, the major prophets
of Israel and the apostles whose letters
were the nursing forces Of a higher
civilization are still on the distant
horizon of religious authority. Far
the Christ and His supreme evangel.
But do not take what I say for granted.
Get Bolton Halls arrangement OF the
Sacred Oracles and let these testify for
themselves. They sanction our praise
for so marvellous and Illuminating a
Book as the Bible. It is enthroned in
Judaism, in Christianity and In the
hearts of men and women who really
know 1t. When its essential teachings
are practiced as they should be, new
day will dawn for the human race.
@. II It possible to build today a ca
thedral having the artistic and devo-
tional details which characterize the
medieval churches?
A. Modern constructions efhciency is
due to the employment of steel and
concrete, to say nothing OF those. re-
markable mechanical appliances which
run O Skyscraper up in a few months.
A 56-story building in New York City
was recently erected in year.
I do not believe artistic building to-
day can claim any such number OF
devotees as were active in the Middle
Ages. Milan Cathedral 0388-1485),
which. next to Seville, Is the largest
medieval structure of its kind. at one
time had $50 stone cutters who carved
its pinnacles and pillars.
More than 5000 statues, many of
heroic size, adorn its walls. Tennyson
sang Of It:
20 Milan, chanting choirs,
The giant windows blazoned fires,
The height, the space, the gloom, the
A mount of marble, hundred spires.
Ebert NJ. Conover, in his book,
Building the House Of God" asserts
that today we could not mobilize SO
craftsmen as was employed on scores
of Italian churches during the four
teenth and fifteenth centuries. And
one of the reasons for speeding the
erection Of American cathedrals and
churches of a high order of architec-
ture is the difaculty created by the in
creasing scarcity Of artistic artisans.
@. 1. The Roman Catholic Church
tells its adherents that there can be no
| error in that church and that they
should not question its purity. What
basis is there for such a doctrine?
2. Protestant ministers who trans
gress the law have their sins aired be-
fore the public and are punished. Why
is that not equally so in the Roman
Catholic Church?
3. Why do Protestants permit to pass
unchallenged the numerous abusive at
tacks made on their faith by members
| OF other churches and permit the mo-
ton picture producers to depict on the
screen all Protestant clergymen a.
effeminate and ridiculouS2
| A. /. Cardinal Mercier said in 1907
| in his pastoral letter, issued as q sup
| plement for the enforcement Of a papal
encyclical: I'VE have here merely the
question of honesty; yes or no? Dc
you believe the divine authority of the
church? Do you accept exteriorly anc
intertorly what In the name of Jesu;
Christ she proposes to your belief ye.
or no? II yes, then she puts the sac.
raments at your disposal and under.
takes your safe conduct to heaven. i
no, you deliberately break the bond tha
united you to her, Of which she hai
tied and blessed the knot. Before Goc
and your conscience you belong to hel
no more"
These words are explicitness itsel
and express the lucidity of first-clas
mind. II Roman Catholic rebel
against the discipline they exact, h,
should be governed by his convictions
2. Clergymen Of any church wht
transgreSs the law create an unfa
vorable reaction which Is always de
plorable. The evil conduct of one Of
fender Is seized upon and imputed t,
his Brethren by unbalanced and preju
L dInnA nArArninrn xn,han hhAnnh,rr,.. a. a.