THE KI NG' S BUS I NESS
1028
T H E K IN D O F REL IG ION the Soldiers Want The Literary Digest for October 5th had a very interesting and suggestive article on “ The Kind of Religion the Soldiers Want.” They have attempted to show from various sources that the soldiers wanted real religion and not mere entertainment. Some of the letters printed ought to set some of the chaplains and Y. m ! C. A. workers in the camps on this side of the water and across the water to thinking. They quote from the Minneapolis Journal an Army Chaplain as saying: “ One of the religious services they had been accustomed to open with fifteen minutes of ‘movies,’ on the assumption that the boys would not attend if they were not entertained. Noticing an uneasiness during the ‘movie’ time, a preacher decided one day to try an experiment. He put the question to the men themselves: ‘Boys, I am here to tell you something about religion. Would you like to have me begin right away* or will you have a “ movie” film first?’ A tall, raw-boned soldier boy stood up in the audience. ‘To hell with, the “ movies,” he said. ‘Let’s hear about religion.’ ” . The article quoted from the Journal goes on to say: “ Another less discriminating preacher was scheduled for a twenty-minute address. A splendid ‘atmosphere’ had been created for him. Half a dozen rousing hymns had been sung, a lad from the service had made a manly prayer for divine guidance and assistance, and the ‘set-up’ was perfect. Five hundred boys waited eagerly to hear something live and genuine, something that would brace and strengthen them in their home sickness and in their sacrifice. Then the preacher arose and spent the first ten minutes of his twenty in telling the boys funny stor ies! Funny stories for hearts that were yearning for reality! He was annoyed, too, because so many of the boys ‘Walked out on him.’ They had not gone there to be entertained. They longed to hear the simple, sincere and elemental truth of religion from a real man who had suffered, thought, and won his way to sincere conviction. This American chaplain finally came to the conclusion that his boys did not need to hear warnings about drink, gambling, or women. Those warnings came with better grace from other instructors. They did not go to service to be entertained or flattered and told how fine they were, or to listen to stories. These things they had heard till they were tired of them. Strange to say, what they did want was religion, the real things of the soul, without camouflage of any kind. Considering it in the pauses of his work, this chaplain has come to the conclusion that the reason so many persons do not go to church is because of the attempts to enter tain them, to camouflage religion with stories, with professional singing, with ‘social activities.’ Personally he says that his preaching after the war will not be the same. He will tell the pure story of undefiled religion so far as in him is.” From many sources we are hearing similar accounts of the men, both Y. M. C. A. workers and ministers who come with a real message from God are the ones who are welcome and the ones who draw the crowd. Of course, they are the ones who accomplish satisfactory results. At one camp which the writer visited the secretary in charge told him that every Sunday night they began with a “ movie” exhibition to draw the crowd .and then worked in a short sermon. WO suppose that this was a common practice. That secretary seemed surprised when we suggested we c*d not need a “ movie” and had a big and attentive crowd, preach ing a straight gospel sermon. The question is often asked, “ Is a real work of a clearly Christian character being done by the Y. M. C. A .?” Beyond a question there is, but it is not safe to draw general conclusions from single examples. What is be ng accomplished depends upon the workers. In the same district radically different results are accomplished in different huts, according to the disposition, wisdom, and attitude of those in charge. Generalizations are always dangerous, but they are peculiarly dangerous in judging so large a work as the Y. M. C. A. are doing on both sides of the water. From different workers we get very differ ent accounts of the attitude of the men in the trenches. Some tell us that the war is making men more religious; others tell us just the contrary, that it is hardening men and making them more careless in their conduct. Which is the truth? Both are true. One is true in some places, the other is true in other places. We read last night a letter from a young man with whom we have a slight acquaintance, written to his mother from the battlefield. In this letter he des:ribes his experiences lying flat on the ground at night when the enemy airr planes were flying over, looking for a target. He says: “ Another most exquisite sensation is to be creeping stealthily along in the blackness and suddenly see the night directly in one’s vicinity become illumined as
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