Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-04
Religious Questions
DR.. S. Pdrkes Cadman.

@. How Justice could be served by
| Christ's punishment in the place of
/ guilty men is quite beyond my COM
prehension. What is your own idea of
/ Christ's atonement for the sins of the
| world?
A. Most Christian people today prob
ably share your feeling respecting the
theory that Christ was punished" to
| satisfy divine Justice" IN rejecting
| that idea, however, We must not over
| look the fact that for many centuries
it satisfied the mind of ChriStendom,
and that through 1t untold numbers
| of people entered into a deep expert
ence Of God. In addition, that con-
ception of the atonement invested life
! with a solemnity which we could well
afford to regain.
| If we are to understand Christ's work
we must study it in the light of its de-
clared purpose, and what that purpose
was we learn by examining what His
| life, death and resurrection have ac-
tually produced. Men who themselves
seek to be Christlike are the fruit of
| Calvary's sacred tree. The basic prin-
| ciple of the atonement Is in the fact
that Christ died in order that all men
might share His spirit This was the
! spirit of purity, of love, of service, of
| faith and of obedience.
If any man were truly Christlike he
| would be saved" in the truest sense,
| for he would be a man than whom a
! better or a holier could not be con-
ceived. Such men God has always de-
sired and He gave Christ TO the utter
most to 'obtain them. Not merely Gods
| justice but His love for mankind is
deeply involved in any explanation Of
| the atonement. Meanwhile, the wise
preacher will emphasize the fact that
God for Christs sake receives those
who accept Him as their Saviour into
| His favor and gives them the blessings
promised in the Gospel. All theorizings
| about this actual experience but stress
its unspeakable values.
@. Why do preachers claim, as they
so often do, that Christianity is re-
| ligion unique in all respects? Does
outlook and cause bigotry, particularly
in view of the admitted merits Of other
great religions of the world?
A. The glory of the New Testament
| gospel is not in its total dissimilarity
| from all other faiths. An impartial
study of comparative religions will re-
suit in the conclusion that Christianity
is their consummation, because it salts
fles the spiritual aspirations of the race
l ny Vi I'LL CNdAlBCI WAAAOAA BANCo
men that consciousness of conquest over
self and of accord with the infinite
which are rot obtainable elsewhere.
| The Jerusalem Missionary Conference
| of 1927 recorded its conviction that
non-Christian religions were the allies,
not the rivals, of Christianity. This
was marked advance on previous
propaganda ard one which is justified
| by the spiritual condition Of mankind.
Undoubtedly. some churches are not
prepared as yet to ratify the statement
made at that conference. But 1t
shows that the superiority complex"
| you censure is not as pronounced as
| it was. Moreover, world religions must
| be judged by their results, and in this
respect Christianity has nothing what
( Soever to fear.
I deplore with you those assertions
| of exclusive right and monopoly to d1-
vine grace which foster false pride and
Separation. But this tendency should
not blind us to the fact that the val
ues which exist in and are peculiar to
| Christianity demonstrate themselves in
| a spiritual nobility of character and
| conduct unique in the history of civ
ilization. The driftings of time and cir
cumstance are toward religious one
ness which Christ authorized. 1t may
take centuries to achieve such unity,
but it will ultimately prevail. Did He
not say, IF I be lifted up. will draw
all men unto me?" This divine con-
straint proceeds according to the
Fathers will. AS I see it, nothing can
hinder its final victory.
Q. have absolutely no use for the
sectarian churches or the Church Uni
versal, as you call it. Are you not
aware that they are on the toboggan
! and going down hill fast?
| A. Many feel as you do. They tell us
| that organized religion is fading away
and will soon be a mere tradition.
| This opinion has been voiced from the
days of Noah to the present hour. To
| be frank, custom has rather stalled 1t.
I freely grant you that churches have
| their human side, and one which has
at intervals lowered their high spiritual
professions to a naturalistic level But
no sane person seriously proposes to
abolish the state because its political
action falls short Of its theoretical ex-
cellence. Why, then. should the Church
Universal fold its tents and steal ig-
ANONYMOUSLY away?
She has a divine side as the most
characteristic moral creation of God,
whether in the Old Testament church
| of Israel or the New Testament eccleS1a
| of Christ To her we owe the Bible
and its law and gospel. the prophets
and their revelation of Righteousness,
| the apostles and their exposition OF the
| evangel of Jesus.
From her ranks have come those
choice and serviceable souls who are
| a part of our unalterable good. Nor
| has she failed, despite all deterrentS,
| to maintain the ideal of her Lord.
That ideal survives the wreck OF sys-
TENS and of creeds and insists on eter-
nal fatherhood and human brotherhood
as mans final destiny.
Moreover, there has never been a
| time since Judaism or Christianity APP
peared when mems hearts were so in
| tent on these great ends as they are
! today. The churches are now entering
| into a renewed kingdom of hope and
glorious achievement which battles de-
scription.
If I thought as you do, should be
| looking around for substitute Tor this
effete institution. Do you suppose SCI
ence. which just now is wading into
mysteries beyond its depths, Is the
agency we need? If you do, ask the
scientists. especially Einstein, II their
| fundamental concepts are changeless
and dependable.
Will culture restrain the race from
self destruction? The shades of Greece
| answer the query in the negative. Edu-
Gators are crying out for religion rec
onciled with knowledge. Politicians
confess that until faith disarms human
hearts they dare not dismantle their
| navies. Think it through, and then
unhesitatingly ask your questions. They
| need to be answered.
@ Why is God so cruel2 Everywhere
in nature I see rapacity and misery.
| On every hand see men, women and
children in distress. An earthly father
would never tolerate for his children
what the so-called Heavenly Father
| tolerates for us. How do you account