Evening star., 1950-04-09
By ChorIes Mercer
Asxoeiafes Pfsxx S,of} ~r;,sy

NEW YORK, April S.-Are the
American people turning to re-
ligion today more than at any
time in recent years?
You can't prove it. but there are
numerous indications that it is
happening. Here are a few straws
TO show which way the wind is
blowing:
American Professionalism as rep
resented by 3S leading denonina-
tlons with 35 million members. is
in the midst of the most ambitious
evangelical campaign In its history
the United Evangelistic Advance
Thousands of Catholics are
Journeying to Rome in this Holy
Year to gain spiritual growth.
Operating solo, handsome. 81
year-old evangelist named Billy
Graham is swinging around the
country, drawing thousands to his
revivals which emphasize the old :
time religion.
In the same spirit of religious
fervor which Mr.. Graham gener-
ates small American colleges have
been swept by religious reviva,S.
And there are other quietel
forces which do not make news.
paper headlines:
Six of "a non-flction best seller:
try to give their readers some kline
OF peace OF mind. chiefly through
religion. while fiction with a re.
ligious theme sells fast.
A leading journal of American
intellectuals, the Partisan Review
continues for a third month te
devote a large section of each
issue to a symposium of religion
with leading writer's. philosopher.
and educators participating.
Colleges are increasing the re.
ligious subjects on their curricula
Growing Interest Indicated.
All these do not necessarily
mean that Americans are becom
ing more religious But they dc
indicate growing interest ir
religion.
Why?
Religious leaders agree the
cause is in the emotional climate
of our time. Moral values, they
say, have not kept pace with sci
entiflc progress. AS society be-
comes more mechanical. the
pressures of living mount.
Many people are living in fear
these religious leaders say-fear
Of atomic warfare, fear of a hy-
drogen bomb. They want time to
pause and reflect. They want
something more than doubt and
establishment. So they increas-
ingly are examining religion to
try to find in 1t the consolation
and reinsurance it has offered
mankind through the centuries.
These current evidences of in
terest in religion are like hammer
strokes forging on a religious anvil
already strong in numbers
stronger than most people realize
For example:
The Catholic church reports a
gain OF about 5 per cent in men,
bership since 1947.-
|, The United Stewardship Coun-
Gil says. according to a religion.
news service, that Is major
Protestant denominations have
gained SO per cent in average
membership in the past Is year.
while financial giving has in.
creased 80 per cent.
The American Jewish Commit.
tee says synagogue membership
now is probably at recort
level."'
But church membership rolls
while accurate. can be mislead
ing. There is no available statisti
cal analysis of how many church
members are active churchmen
Va AAAoooAASC, yOul 1ldlllC uldy u
carried on the rolls of a church
but how long is it since you par.
ticipated in the activities of thai
church?
More significant than church
membership figures are the diff.
ferent means by which American.
are seeking religion. No genera
group of the population is un.
touched by the interest.
The chances are, for example
that those interested by the in
tellectual approach Of the Partisan
Review symposium would not lis
ten to Billy Graham.
And those interested in Billy
Graham would be less attracted
by the United Evangelistic Ad-
vance.
This program, launched last