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THE MEN AND RELIGION FORWARD 

 MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. 



A PARTING MESSAGE FROM FRED B. SMITH. 



In line with the world tour upon the 

 message and method of the Men and 

 Religion Forward Movement, it is a 

 great pleasure to leave a message to the 

 earnest men of Australia concerning the 

 place and power of the ideal of this 

 movement if worked thoroughly. 



THE REAL PURPOSE — MILITANT MEN. 



To have it understood and to secure 

 the largest results, it is necessary that the 

 real purpose should be kept constantly 

 in mind. This can be pretty definitely 

 stated. First : The primary objective 

 of the Men and Religion Forward 

 ^Movement is to give increased accent to 

 a man's place in the existence and pre- 

 servation of Christianity. There is a 

 need for a real emphasis of the mascu- 

 line in religious work. Owing to many 

 unguarded utterances, and to some 

 superficial thinking, the Church has 

 many times come to be regarded by 

 strong men as a place only for the 

 weaker sort or for the discouraged and 

 defeated. Wherever this exists, and for 

 whatever reason, it is absolutely false to 

 ■every striking attribute of the message 

 of Jesus Christ. His gospel is so com- 

 prehensive- that it is intended to meet 

 the needs of all people, old and young, 

 rich and poor, high and low, educated 

 and unlearned, men, women and chil- 

 dren ; but notwithstanding its compre- 

 hensive character, its most dominant 

 note is its appeal to red-blooded, virile, 

 militant men. The Men and Religion 

 Forward Movement seeks to accentuate 

 that. 



A UNIVERSAL RELIGION. 



In the second place, this movement is 



undertaking to co-operate with other 



agencies in a large interpretation of 



Christianity's function in the world. An 



■older individualistic emphasis has some- 



times portrayed Religion as a mere 

 question of determining sj^ritual des- 

 tiny in a future life. This will doubt- 

 less always remain as a very vital factor 

 in the Christian message, but taken at its 

 best, it is only incidental to that larger 

 function of meeting the needs of 

 humanity in its present-day struggle. 

 Jesus Christ came not only to save the 

 individual, but He came to redeem 

 society, institutions, peoples and nations. 

 The twentieth century will usher in a 

 universal religion. Rapid methods of 

 communication and travel are reducing 

 space, and the first result of this is 

 being evidenced in a uniformity of 

 methods in the commercial, political .and 

 social world. No man can for very long 

 withstand this same effect in the reli- 

 gious realm. A uniform religion is on 

 its way. Great men are seeing the 

 vision of it. The only question left is 

 what is to be its nature It mav be con- 

 fidently averred that this religion is not 

 going to become uniform by reason of 

 its ancient traditions or of any peculiar 

 mystical claim of the prophet, priest or 

 preacher in the cloister. That religion is 

 to be the uniform one which will most 

 quickly answer the cry of humanity. 

 Therefore, the Men and Religion For- 

 ward Movement is seeking to apply 

 Christianity to those vital everyday 

 issues of life with which men come in 

 contact on the market, in the street and 

 in the home. 



THE NEED IN AUSTRALIA. 



The question may be asked whether 

 there is any unique need in this Com- 

 monwealth for such a manifestation of 

 religion. After years of contact with 

 the problems of the spiritual and moral 

 life of yoiuig men of manv nations, I 

 am prepared to say I do not know of 

 any place in the world where this type 



