The New Era Church

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 44.

The New Era Church

The New Era Church, comprising practically "the civic church" idea presented some years ago in this city by a Baptist minister named Dixon, and which received some temporary notice, was incorporated, and put into practical effect in Los Angeles, in 1894, and now claims a membership of 700 in that city. At Compton, Azusa and Clearwater there are like organizations, which, it is said, swell the membership to 1,000. It is a straight out-and-out endeavor to do what nearly all the churches are aiming to accomplish through various subterfuges, namely, to combine religion and politics. One section of the constitution reads as follows:—

"In matters of belief and opinion there will be absolute liberty of mind to accept whatever is proved or seems probable and to reject whatever is disproved or seems improbable; and that its range of investigation and instruction will be unlimited, drawing freely from all sources—scientific, literary, historic, ancient and modern, sacred and profane, Christian, Jewish and pagan—drawing most largely from those sources which seem instructive and helpful, freely handling every question in the problem of human life and aspiration, whether relating to this life or the life to come, or whether concerning the body or the soul of man."

A correspondent of the San Francisco Call says that it "runs mostly to politics," and that is the natural trend of all effort to unite religion and politics. Another expression of the aforesaid correspondent is significant as showing that the New Era Church is but an advanced growth of the political tendency of the current churchism. He says:—

"Twice on Sunday the members gather to hear discourses. A brother or sister will rise and deliver a prepared or extemporaneous address. He may take some Bible theme for his base of argument, but if he does he will use it only as a wall from behind which shots will be taken at political questions of the day."