THE COMPOSITE OP RACES AND RELIGIONS IN AMERICA. 249 



against social ills. Science will gradually effect, and that in spite 

 of the strenuous resistance of religion itself, a simplification and 

 a purification of our religious faith, without which such a faith 

 cannot hope to gain and hold the loyalty of an intelligent people. 



The democratization of religion is even now progressing at a 

 rate undreamed of by the average layman. The test of social 

 ehiciency which is being applied with such thoroughness to 

 education, politics and the administration of justice is being 

 extended to religion. Indeed, a conventionalized and institu- 

 tionalized religion must undergo reconstruction to meet the 

 needs of the changing social order, or it must perish. The 

 perfecting of the means of intercourse has brought with it a 

 widening of our sympathies and quickened sense of social 

 solidarity. This is thoroughly antagonistic to the old selfishly 

 individualistic faith of other days. Increasing industrial 

 development has deepened the feeling of human brotherhood. 

 The pooling of interests and the extensive mutualization of 

 society have forced men in thought and in action to ignore the 

 accidental and the non-essential and to seize upon the things 

 that are of universal and permanent worth. lieligious values, 

 since they are the most comprehensive, must be restated so as 

 to fit the new social conditions. This re-evaluation must be 

 from the standpoint of democracy. 



The chosen instrument for this rehabilitation of our faith in 

 terms of modern life is science. For science is no longer the 

 goddess worshipped by the esoteric few : she is fast becoming 

 the servant of all, the high priestess of social efficiency. The 

 representatives of religion have too often seen in science 

 religion's bitterest foe. Certainly no two attitudes are appar- 

 ently more opposed than that of the passionate, heaven- storming 

 religious reformer and the patient, critical, emotionless, scientific 

 investigator. But there is little doubt that the religion of the 

 future will owe its greatest debt to science. In the face of 

 vigorous protests science is applying the methods of modern 

 psychology to religious experience, with the result that the 

 theologies of yesterday must be re-written. Scientific criticism 

 is humanizing and vitalizing the Old Testament, providing us 

 witli the true historical perspective and giving us a new Book. 

 Above all, science is teaching the religion of the future to be 

 open-minded and loyal to the truth. The religion of the future 

 is thus returning to the ideal of its Founder, " Ye shall know 

 the truth and the truth shall make you free." 



What, then, is to be tlie Religious Composite in America ? 

 It will be that which results from the purifying and the 



