Article December 7, 1907 Issue

FROM OUR EXCHANGES

with contributions from Father Waggert, Frank C. Doan

[The Interior.]

Formerly religion appeared to be regarded by most Christians as simply an insurance against eternal punishment and as an assurance of eternal bliss. Their uppermost question was whether they would be found worthy of admission to heaven when they died. They continually sought to vivify one another's impressions of how glorious heaven would be, and for the most part sought to win sinners over from wickedness by painting to their eyes the horrors of hell.

But there were men in the church who saw that this was a very inadequate way of stating the religion of Christ. They saw that Jesus was earnestly concerned to have men live right in this present world for the sake of righteous society here and now, irrespective of any future life. They began, therefore, to preach very positively that religion is a preparation to live rather than a preparation to die, and gradually this view of religion took effect; gradually the minds of the masses of church people have been drawn away from the future with its rewards and punishments. The feeling is that we ought to do our duty now and leave the future to take care of itself.

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