In Religious Circles by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 20, 1909

In Religious Circles

By Editor

In Religious Circles.—According to the Chicago Tribune, at a recent meeting in New York of the Congregational ministers, Dr. Robert McDonald, of the Washington Avenue Baptist church, said that the New Psychology’s Religious Movement is leading the Christian church to get hold of the imminent and near-by God, while that “Protestantism as Protestantism is a dying thing;” and both of these remarks were applauded. He declared that the preaching and practise of the New Psychology doctrines were bringing back former parishioners of his church who had long been indifferent. He also said that Christian Science and Psychology “do not contain full Christianity,” and are “intensely irrational,” but “they are answering the most vital, personal, spiritual issue. They are filling their believers with consciousness of God of which early Christian mystics were so vitally conscious.” “The New Thought Movement has taken 1,500,000 persons away from the orthodox Christian church. These people have felt strongly the need of getting divine help in weak moments. They saw that they were not getting it in Christianity, so they deserted it.” Let it be known that the New Psychology and the doctrine of the imminent God, so to speak, is Pantheism pure and simple. It is endeavoring to bolster up people by making them believe that they have God within themselves, utterly regardless of His word or plan of saving men. Doubtless it helps, or seems to help, over little difficulties and nervous troubles. It certainly does not make for the righteousness of the Bible. It is an utter perversion of Christianity. It is not to be wondered at with such doctrines taught in religious circles that Protestantism is where Roman Catholics themselves declare it is, without any religion whatsoever. As The Western Watchman expresses it: “Outside of the Catholic Church to-day everything is doubt and idle speculation.” “Outside the Catholic Church there is a feeling of uncertainty, of unrest, of soul torture, that begets universal discontent, and what will the poor people do? What refuge can they find? They must have some shelter.” Of course The Western Watchman thinks that the only shelter and refuge is the Roman Catholic Church. Many souls who are ministered to by just such pastors as applauded the remarks above quoted, turn to Christian Science and the New Psychology; still others turn to Socialism, others to Catholicism; yet there is one refuge above all these, and that is the refuge of the everlasting Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Roman Catholics may ignore that word for tradition, Higher Critics, among Protestants, may dissect it till nothing but its bare bones lie before their congregations, yet it still lives, and like its divine Author has within it the life born of righteousness; a life which is eternal to all those who will believe in its divine truths.—The discussion is still proceeding between the Roman Catholics and their opponents in the Protestant churches, raised by Mr. Roosevelt, and the protest of the Lutherans against his ideas on religious liberty.—A Catholic priest, the Rev. Thomas F. Burke, of the Paulist fathers, in a sermon in New York recently, declares that “the Catholic Church has always taught that the state is of itself an independent and perfect society. Leo XIII insisted clearly upon this point: there are two powers that govern mankind, ecclesiastical and civil. These have their distinct spheres and their distinct limits. No matter how much the church may advocate the union of church and state where ideal conditions prevail; no matter how much she has insisted upon such a union in other lands, and in other times, she has never advocated a union of church and state in America.”—Mr. Taft, the President elect, is a Unitarian, and yet we are told that the pope has blessed him and his family. The despatch from Rome is quoted as saying: “The blessing was given in the presence of Archbishop J. J. Glennon, of St. Louis. . . . Archbishop Glennon told the pope that he had received a letter from Mr. Taft in which the President elect expressed his cordial friendship for the Catholics.” The pope received the news with unfeigned delight, and The Western Watchman tells us that Mr. Taft is “one of the best friends” that the Catholics have; and yet that is not the real question as to his worth as a President; but will he abide by the Constitution of the United States? If so, he will render justice to all. Of the question under discussion between the Lutherans and Catholics we shall have more to say hereafter.—The Emmanuel Church Movement is growing, and other churches are taking it up, endeavoring to heal certain classes of disease by suggestion, turning the others over to the doctors. Some physicians are warning the people against this by saying that Christian Science and the Emmanuel Movement deal but with a very small percentage of invalids, those who are troubled nervously, and who live long anyway; that they are likely to lead people to believe that work will be done that can not be done, and consequently many will be deceived. It is the danger of a little knowledge. On the other hand the religious hypnotism will doubtless grow and spread, leading to a faith in humanity that will sooner or later be doomed to disappointment. There is such a thing as healing by faith, but it does not come through faith in humanity, but faith in Him who is able to heal.—The freedom granted religious sects outside of the orthodox faith in Russia has been to a certain extent on paper; the governors in many parts of the empire having closed Baptist chapels and meeting-houses. Premier Stolypin has informed them that the Baptist chapels and meeting-houses must not be molested. It will probably take some time, however, to put his order into effect.