RELIGION AND THE WAR.

North Otago Times, 20 July 1917, Page 8

RELIGION AND THE WAR.

VI IMS QF THE BISITOV OF ' ' TUB PHILIPPINES . SAN FRANCISCO, June 4. That wai im lines the man in the ticiuhes, the cnibau behind the line, and nations as a whole, towaul God than fiom linn, was the 'opinion expressed in New Yoik by the Right Rev. Chciiles Heiirv Brent, the indefatigable and ipopulai episcopal Bishop ot the Philippines., Bishop Brent has but icccutly ictuined fiom Euiopc, wheic he spent fom months, chiefly at the fiont ,m Fiance, He said that evcrywheie he went along the Piench and Bntish lines he found evidence of religion, and while it was not possible.to make sweeping general-isations;-back of the lines, as well, the war had, in'tho main, made for constructive belief, .-'.■"

Constantly ■ facing death' in the trenches engenders a certain amount of fatalism,- the Bishop admitted, but hot the fatalism that leads tho soldier to trust" in luck,, rather the...kind that, makes' him put his trust in God. Between the two ho drew a sharp 'distinction, iln common with almost every other American who has .visited France and England since August, 1914, Bishop Brent commented . on the .magnificent spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion which has-transfigured both nations in their grim tight'for liberty. ■ "Let lis turn first to France," Bishop Brent said,'. "Prior to the war there it was considered something of ian of-' fence if an officer showed himself to be religious by his eonversation, or by -in any way revealing his soul. To-day it is quite the opposite. This is what happens: I was at mess with a group of staff officers, the ranking officer n man of great eminence. The question •of religion and its relation not only to soldiers, but tp the whole nation, was ■introduced by one of them, He told me ho 1 thought the war had revived the Christian religion, and that/moreover, the revival had come to stay. He gave me this reason: The soldiers found themselves confronted with death continuously, and this led them to the conclusion that the only things worth considering were the things that this life and the life beyond the grave had in common, They discovered, lie said, new value. He frankly- told me that he was n religions mail. And all this was during the course of an ordinary conversation. It was taken as a matter of course. Confession in tho Trenches.

."Everywhere T went along the French line I saw evidence of religion. In Verdun they have a beautiful little chapel and a very fine chaplain. Even amidst the ruins of Sonville there was a place burrowed out where services were held. As, you .know, there are a great many priests with the French army, and 'it is not uncommon to see a soldier making his confession right in the trenches; So far as church attendance is a symptom'of reality in religion, the attendance in the churches throughout France indicates that the people are truly worshipping, I went into churches in a great many places, not merely in Paris, but in towns behind the line outside the zone of actual fighting. They were always crowded. Of course, I do think," he continued, "that the constant facing of death makes men more or less fatalistic I felt myself as the soldier feels when • the shells were whistling over my head,' Is that shell labelled with injury name?' I saw nothing, however, especially irreligious in that sort of fatalism. There is. a Christian fatalism and a naturalistic fatalism, or, in other words, a fatalism that trusts in God j and a fatalism that trusts in luck.

"Coming to England, you have a' different religions genius, but there is no question about that nation being stirred to its very depths. 11, G, Wells lias criticised very severely the recent national mission of repentance of the Established Church, and no doubt some of his criticism is true. A't the same time, Mr Wells is not in any position to be a religious critic. When he gives a vision of religion !that is so compelling kd powerful that the religion which he criticises becomes pale and. insignificant beside his own ideal, iie will become a critic worthy of atteution. Not until then, however. j Effect Upon Men Who Drifted. "So far as the soldiers are concerned, you will find ft great variety of religious reaction. But, in the main, the war has madq for constructive belief. Take, for instance, the case of large numbers of men, men of culture, character, position, and wealth, who prior to the war were drifting along without any serious aim. Great numbers of these men have found their soul -in the war, Generals and other high ranking officers, who have not been especially religious, now confess that they have been driven to prayer by the. weight of their anxieties and responsibilities, I remember tak,ing an ordinary service at the front when there were four major-generals present, the ranking one being commander, of an army. This was not an exception. It was a commonplace, "The Tommies arc single-minded chaps ajiil very readily respond" to religious appeal. It is not an uncommon thing, boforc an offensive takes place, for the men ,to ask the chaplain to hold flie communion service. You find reartiuess to sacrifice self, to lay down life everywhere. \ , Regarding.Civilians; •."As for .the great' body of civilians, .both in.France and England,'you find a heroic and -magnificent spiiit Piients ictualh rejoice to gi\e then sons to a ciuse which thej bclie\c to be grcitoi than am thing in life Ennce has be conic tiaiisfigiued h) this -.pint, mid England almost ,i<. much so 1 didn't find a hingle penon among the hundieds L talked to, who had lost sons, who showed am bitterness, And in eveiy instance theie ius a seafemng foi God "Wai does icveal the woist in men, houevei', as well as bring out the best, so one must not make a sweeping gen ernlisntion as though it wcro solely a i dement Gjoihniil. The evil excesses and self-indulgenco of certain sections

:jyf,spileW,aro■ jliijt^ftnifie as tliQvreli-: gipus .spiendpui; and Vt-lic "if "other"sections are ■is' Undoubtedly, art'- ovil, fiiul- ; it' depends on' ; tlipVclioie'e-pf the/pqoplc, -are face. trf ace'with tlio: hideous realities/; of it. whether they become ennobled •;•: or, debased. That choice the: 'people .of the United States inflst soon- make, As to the outcbmo in America'ahd in Europe, l[ have enough belief in tluMiin'ate power, of iimn; gtmfed. by the spirit of .God, 'to be convinced that a new epoch of sincerity and high purposes lies on the horizon." I)