Christianity Without Christ
By L. A. S.
“ADVANCED religious thought” in this country has now reached the point where it has produced a church without theology, an innovation quite characteristic of the times. At the head of this church, or movement, is a former well-known evangelist, Rev. B. Fay Mills. The seat of this new movement is Los Angeles, Cal., and Mr. Mills has given it the name of the “Los Angeles Fellowship.” From a description of the movement given by Mr. W. A. Corey in the Arena, it appears that it has attained a rapid popularity, new halls having frequently to be found for its meetings to accommodate the increasing throng of attendants. The character of the movement seems to be very largely benevolent. On this point it is stated:— The Fellowship is a many-sided institution,—as many sided as is the human society which it attempts to serve. One of its many activities is in connection with helping to care for the city's poor and unfortunate. It has its sewing society to provide clothing for the needy, and other relief committees. It has its “Graduate Jolly Boys' Club” for the benefit of graduates from the juvenile court and the city detention home. It has its evening classes, and it is planning educational work on a large scale. It is providing free legal advice to protect the unfortunate from the rapacity of conscienceless lawyers, and to discourage contentious litigation. The Fellowship is caring for its children and young people in a thorough and intelligent manner. Besides its Sunday-school, Children's Church, and Young Men's Club, it is meeting the amusement question not only with regular social gatherings, but by providing at a moderate expense dancing lessons by a competent instructor. There is also a Fellowship Dramatic Club that has already given several creditable public presentations. All these amusements are of a high order. The good is cultivated; the bad eliminated.
Anybody is free to belong to this new “fellowship” without undergoing any change in religious belief, or expressing any religious convictions at all. “All are welcomed on equal terms, orthodox and unorthodox. Jew and Gentile, agnostic, infidel, Christian, heathen—all are given the same hand-shake and smile of welcome.” There are, however, two requirements. One is an agreement to make a weekly cash payment of any amount from one cent upward. The other requirement is a pledge to encourage trustful and unselfish living. Of the latter Mr. Corey well says: “Let the reader think twice before smiling at this pledge; for to obligate one's self to live trustfully and unselfishly in this commercial, and competitive age is a far more serious matter than may appear at first sight. It involves the living up to the very highest Christian ideal.” A member of this Fellowship, therefore, is required to live up to the highest Christian ideal, or rather to pledge himself or herself to so live, for there is no higher ideal than that of a truly unselfish life. But living up to the ideal of Christianity is nothing else than living the Christian life. A member of this new church is therefore required to promise that he will live the Christian life, without any change of heart or profession of faith,—a thing which is, of course, clearly impossible. The Christian life can be lived by faith only,—by being crucified with Christ, and having the risen Christ enthroned in the heart. Gal. 2:20. A benevolent institution is good as far as it goes; but the purpose of the Christian church is far more comprehensive than this. Its purpose is to be not merely a benevolent institution, but to bring the answer to the Christian's prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” Its purpose is not merely to ameliorate earthly ills, but to end them. Its purpose is to fulfil the great plan of the Creator to gather out of earth's nations a people consecrated to the Lord, to be the subjects of his kingdom upon the earth. The church of Christ has been from earliest times down to the present, gathering out a great company composed of all races and all nations, to people that new earth which is the subject of so many promises in the divine Word. To accomplish this work it is and has always been necessary that every member of that church should have a definite rule of life. And so it is said of the company who at this time are fulfilling the purpose of God in the world, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”