Show RELIGION IN THE ARMY the army of the united states recruited as it is from all nationals ties alee affords splendid opportunities for witnessing the effects on men of the different religious beliefs for it is a fact that in the army the sects of christianity are more numerous than the nationalities then again the non christians who are certainly a majority are as widely divided in their opinions as the others even the jews whose religion might he be thought too venerable for sectarianism carry their ancient scruples with them down to the present day perhaps of all the strange phases of christianity and non christian sects in the army the catholics furnish the most remarkable peculiarities cullari ties we have for instance german catholics from dr dollin gers diocese who are as zealous in repeating their hail mary as is the most orthodox irishman but when these two meet I 1 then comes the tug of war for not even the irish orangeman is more ready to curse the pope than is the german dollinger Do Dinger I 1 have already remarked that a majority in the army is non christian the statement may perhaps be a surprise to some but it is nevertheless true as I 1 will try to explain I 1 do not mean by non christian exclusively jews etc certainly not while these are am included they comprise only the smallest portion I 1 refer to persons persona who were brought up as church members in some of the christian sects but who accord ding to their own declarations having got old enough to know better have renounced the faith of their fathers and now scoff at them for allowing themselves thema elvee to be imposed upon these are am the smart alicks t 9 who I 1 might say I 1 run the army when a recruit who has not yet forgotten his god makes any effort j to kneel or pray he is not only assailed with the vilest abuse for the I 1 first but if he should presume to continue with old shoes and anything of the kind that can be picked up I 1 this is certainly a bad state of 1 affairs aff hirs but everything considered not so much to be wondered at 1 when it is remembered that from the day of his affirmation in the recruiting crul cr ting office the young soldier in nine cases out of every ten never hears the name of god uttered save as an an oath or in blasphemy there ar are it is true chaplains at a few posts but what good are they if anybody attends their services and seldom more than two or three do so they return to the barracks worse christians thau than before and why the chaplain has either been ashamed or afraid to teu tell the truth lest some might take offense and by pot not attending again perhaps cause an investigation as to whether the office being should not be abolished it may however be interesting to note the reasons given by many of these un believers for the lack of faith catholics say that if the sacrament is really the body of christ they never could be worthy to partake of I 1 it and if it is ie not then their religion is a lie there is another class and they are certainly the most reasonable who hold that if there Is ia a god who ever did inspire mani mankind lud or reveal his hi will to his creatures those creatures crea turea taree were never in more need of revelation than at present and they cannot see why a good unchangeable and eternal god should at any time abandon his people this thid claw clasa are am extensive readers and will often quote such authors as thomas balne and hugh 0 pentecost in support of their ideas there seems to be scattered all over the country several societies for the propagation of Pen pentecost teco views these are distributed la in pamphlet form every week in kw numbers and I 1 give below an ex x tract from the latest entitled what I 1 belleve believe p does god or did god ever communicate muni cate with any man except as he communicates with an all men Is there such a thing as revelation as commonly understood are there any possible or probable channels of communication between divinity and humanity other than the be senses anses the mind and the conscience an and these to in their ordin ordinary axy operation are we justified in believing that god has ever spoken or dom does now speak to a few men in a manner in which he does not towards all men if so why not reveal today as well as yesterday or a thousand years ago I 1 certainly would not dare to assert that inspiration is an impossibility that if god chooses he cannot communicate with man or men as he pleases mankind was never in more need of some clear manifestation from the unseen than now or I 1 may say I 1 so well prepared to understand stan an any me message e which might be co communicated un d mind was never so developed as now observation was never so keen morals never so receptive so intelligently sensitive there never has been in short a time in all the history of the bodd as we are able to spell that history out when revelation could be so appropriately and hopefully made as just at this present time FRANK |