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Show ; Christianity Means Emancipation From Thrall-f Thrall-f . ' dom of Superstitious Fear V By BISHOP JAMES E. FREEMAN (Episcopal). 'W 13 HAVE been reminded'in certain quarters of late that the VJmJ teachings of Christ place large limitatioit upon life, that y yf th7 Prduce a form of slavery and restricted freedom of action. There is certainly nothing in the words of the great Master to confirm this. He declared that Re came to usher in "the more abundant life." He contended with the narrow churchmen of His age for their ungenerous and repellent systems, and sought to make evident to men the value of a religious habit and practice both appealing and life-rencwing. There is urgent need that the youth of our generation should be made to understand that tho Christian life as conceived by the Master is designed to enrich and emancipate men from the thralldora of uperetitioua fear and burdening anxiety. In one of the most remarkable utterances of Jesus he said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." It was the inspiration of such teaching that prompted the early disciples, in speaking of their new-found faith, to characterize it as "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." They preached this liberty to men and women who all their lifetime had been subject ; . to bondage through fear. It was such preaching and teaching that wrought a change in the habits and practices of men as had not been 'fcnown before. Christianity stands today as the sponsor and guardian of human lib- t erty. Its, ideals carried into the common things of everyday practice must effect finer conditions of individual and social life and contribute mightily to the happiness and peace of mankind the world over. Christ is the exponent of a philosophy of Iffe that bears immediately upon out dearest and fineet interests. To accept such a philosophy and live by it means to recognize plan and purpose as well as objective in the scheme of life. It means to make the part we play indispensable to the outworking outwork-ing of an orderly universe. It means to see in the cumulative effort of life the gradual consummation of our highest hopes and expectations. It means to see at the end of its way the dawn of a better day and the at-':. at-':. . tainment of life's supreme aim. |