New Britain herald., 1929-03-04
Religion Must Change Attitude If
 It Would Hold Youth, Wise's View
Growing Generation Will Not Accept Old Dogmas Without Question, Rab- bis Son Says.

 Until the church and synagogue divest themselves of the unquestion- ing faith and superstitions of an- cient times and until religious forces demonstrate that they have the courage of their convictions. young people of today will not take their places in the religious life of the church. according to James Water man Wise, son of Rabbi stephen S. Wise, who spoke yesterday afternoon at Central Junior High school. His lecture was under the auspices of the Junior Hadassah.
 Despite the fact that it was so cold in the auditorium of the school that people in the audience kept on their outer wraps. and even Judge Morris D. Sake. who presided. was forced to leave the stage to don his oyercoat. the room was fairly well filled with people who not only sat through the lecture but kept the speaker busy for half hour after wards answering questions. On the sage, besides Mir. Wise and Judge Sake, was Miss Rose kirschnit, pres ident of the Junior Hadassah who delivered brief address of welcome. Opening his address Mir. Wlse asked why the younger generation is considered irreligious by the older generation. "How true is the charge? How true is the counter charge made by the youth Of today that modern religious institutions arc irreligious?
 Not Interested In Tradition
 of you are 10 interpret religion in terms of creed, dogma. formula or ceremonial then the young people are not interested These things seem to us to be the mere Nestige of outUorn traditions. The young peo- pie of today are making a distinction between this and the inner religious feeling.
 Seven hundred years ago Isaiah made the statement that God was laast of all interested in creeds. all He wanted was for man to do good Amos said God didn't want to hear the instruments played in His honor, He didn't care about the sacrifices of fatted cattle killed in His honor He wanted righteousness among :ncn.
 'Thcre has always been con- fiict between religion institutional izcd and thercligion of the inner spirit.
 "In the old days only one prophet at time saw this evil. If he spoke about he was eNcommunicatcd. or maybe lost his life. Then about 20 or 30 years later the people saw the truth of his prophecy.
 Until new breath comes into the institution of religion there can come no true relationship between the synagogue and the young people.
 "The religious spirit is that which helps me answer the supreme Ques- ton Of life How shall we live? The easiest question to ask and the hardest to answer. This isn't just one crisis, it faces us every day, every lour. every moment
 "E.ducation. science, literature cast some light on the problem, but
 
 the whole question is religion. Help ing the individual to find the way, is the job of religion.
 Among the various problems VIC face is that Of the relation of the individual to the world; the relation of the individual to himself: the re- lation of the individual to the spirit ual, 10 God, to the oversoul or what ever name you care to use.
 Religion Says Nothing New
 Religion has been saying nothing new for years; it has been telling the same things, repeating them time after time.
 We are telling the young people today exactly the same things and the same faith, belief and supersti- tuition we taught them 2,000 years ago. Young people today resent any institution which says You must garding the will of God and life after death
 "They know that no one can tell or be sure and that the least we can do is to wonder and seek after truth. The young demand all attitude ot courageous inquiry. rather than one Of dogma laid down arbitrarily. They scratch their heads while they real ize that no two, Of o00.00o organi- actions can agree on any single de tail'
 Synagogue. Church and War
 The speaker referred to the re- cent war. said the young people es- pecially of Europe looked to the church to prevent wars. 'The syna- gogue of Israel and the Ch hurch Of Christ. follower of the Prince Of Peace were the first ones to for swear when war came" he charged.
 The shaft in your city on top Of that beautiful park i. wonderful and inspiring thing as it stands memorial to the hero dead. but it is infinitely more important to see thot such shafts are not necessary.
 "The church and the synagogue instead of being in the foreground Of movements for the advancement Of the religious order too often are in the rear. The church and syna- gogue are not playing the part they