Evening star., 1937-03-07
Actiue Religious
Interest Noted
Among Youth

Continued From Fourth Page.)
is due largely, DR.. Clinchy said, to q
reaction from postwar attitudes and
to the depression.
REv. J. RAYMOND MILLS. asso-
ciate minister of the National City
Christian Church, in charge of Young
peoples activities, said his church has
special services throughout June at
which young men and women are in
complete charge, even to giving the
sermons.
I'VE are attempting to meet the
needs Of young people, occasioned by
their own experience and problems, in
the light Of Christian teaching" Rev.
Mr.. Mills said.
The regular Sunday morning serv-
ices at his church are attended by
200 or more young people, while the
evening services attracted about 10,
he estimated.
"The interest Of the young in relig-
ion has been improving in the past
three years." Rev. Mills continued.
''The economic situation, the labor
question, the depression-al these
have caused young people to give more
serious thought to the values of life.
There is less stress placed today on
the material things of life; more on
the spiritual"
DR.. Oliver j. Hart, st. Johns Epis-
copal Church, said, Many have re-
marked on the number of young peo-
pie at our $50 Sunday morning serv-
ice"
Contradicting the supposition that
most young people like to lie abed late
on Sundays or loaf around the house
and read the papers, DR.. Hart finds
that the $3.50 am. service has a
greater proportion of young people in
attendance than any of the others.
Il find this. too," he said. "It's
the younger people that are bringing
the older ones to church these days,
instead of vice versa. I'll see boys
and girls home from college or pre-
paratory school, and their mothers and
fathers will be with them. 1t will be
the first time I will have seen the
parents in church for many Sundays
There is much more interest among
youngsters than 10 years ago. I feel
this is because the church is more
interested in their own particular
problems than it was in 1900 or 1920.
Youth is really interested in how re-
ligion affects it in the life of today.
Theoretical questions no longer play
the part they used to-"
CPEAKING for the Catholics and
- Jews of Washington were, re-
spectively, Msgr. Buckley of ST. Mat
thew'S Church of Rabbi Abram
Simon of the Washington Hebrew
Congregation.
Msgr. Buckley describes the Catho-
lie youth Of today as more devout." +"
They are attending to their duties
better" he said, and there has been
no falling away of attendance. The
o'clock and 1915 o'clock morning
masses on Sunday are celebrated by
large numbers of young people, the
priest declared.
DR.. Simons views were somewhat
at variance with those of the other
clergymen interviewed.
The attendance of young people is
not very Marked" he said. There
may have been a change for the bet
ter, but it has been nothing to crow
about. Undoubtedly there has been
an increased Interest in things Jewish,
but it's not expressing itself in church
attendance"
DR.. Simon added, however. that this
/ condition was no reason for my is
suing a Jeremiad"
"Of course, 1 should be overjoyed
II my temple were full of young peo-
pie at every service" he said, but
! I'm not complaining. 1 believe the
young people are very definitely re-
ligious, though they may not be cere-
monious. In the fundamentals they
are more strongly attached than ever
before
I'VE measure religious loyalties by
other things besides church attend
ance. We've never judged religion by
majorities, for in the 5000 years Of
our history we've not had majorities
either on earth or in heaven"
DR.. Simon is confident, however,
that the church attendance record and
religious fervor of young Jews is COM
parable with the best in other religions
| and with the best there was in the
past, and he feels that the persecution
of Jews in Germany and other for
eign lands has inspired more interest
in the young than formerly they
cared to manifest"