Article March 7, 1914 Issue

From Our Exchanges

with contributions from W. E. Orchard

[Rev. W. E. Orchard, D.D., in The Christian Commonwealth]

Those who believe that religion is gradually to leaven mankind, will discern in various movements the vindication of their hopes; while those who hold that the world must first get worse and worse until, beyond some catastrophe, the kingdom of God is inaugurated by some divine manifestation, will be able to find ample evidence that things are tending toward the great apostasy. All that we can expect to do is to contribute our own particular view and hope, and leave these to be corrected by those with wider sympathies and outlook.

The first impressive fact is that the great bulk of people seem to care nothing at all about religion. Acute theological controversies, church divisions, aggressive movements, leave the great mass of the people utterly unconcerned. Whether this unconcern is deeper and more wide-spread in our day than in a former generation, is open to question, but it confronts religious propaganda inert and impervious. The movements which do affect the people are those which hold out some hope of political or economic emancipation, though even these fail to attract large sections.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Special Announcements