One Phase of Church Federation
By L. A. S.
ONE of the latest manifestations of the movement for religious federation in this country, is the Religious Educational Association, which was formed two years ago, and now has a membership of two thousand. Its third annual convention, held recently in Boston, is spoken of as “an event of great moral significance.” Among those who participated in this convention are college presidents, Protestant bishops and clergymen, a Catholic prelate, and other men of prominence in religious affairs. Bishop McDowell (Methodist) was elected president at the Boston convention, to succeed the Rev. Chas. Cuthbert Hall. The latter, speaking of the purpose of the association, said it was not revolutionary nor sectarian, but aimed solely “to gather together and co-ordinate the many religious forces in this country now working for religious interests.” In a more lengthy definition of the purpose of the organization, given by Prof. G. A. Coe, of Northwestern University, this statement is made:— Others would declare: “Since religious instruction has been excluded from the public schools, we have found no substitute. Therefore we are organizing to see if we can not bring back into our national education the religious element.” . . . Again, we would hear that “religious instruction in the home had declined in the last generation, and that it was desired to give to the child his birthright of a religious training.” That answer, too, would be correct. Is it not an expression of our sense that there is something deeper and better and more commanding in life than all our commercialism, than all our materialism, than even that which we are accustomed to call culture? Is not this movement an expression of this revival of religion of which we have heard? The real significance of religious federation can be appreciated only in the light of the fact that it is a form of union foreign to the provisions of Christianity. Christianity dwells much upon unity,—the unity of the Spirit,—but has nothing to say about federation. Christian unity means oneness in belief as well as in action. Federation means unity of action with differences in belief; indeed, it aims at unity of purpose and action only. Christian unity means a oneness such as exists in heaven. A means which is foreign to the provisions of Christianity may quite possibly produce results which are also foreign to Christianity. L. A. S.