Baptists. Episcopalians. Methodists. Presbyterians.
Here are the four great creed-bearing* denominations of Protestantism in the U. S. Today they have one thing in common: a dispute. It is a dispute between old-timers and new-timers. The old-timers call themselves Fundamentalists. The new-timers don't call themselves anything, but they are called Modernists. This fact is of elementary importance. It reveals that the old-timers are organized, that the new-timers are not. The old-timers are forcing the new-timers to organize. Last week, as never before, clergymen throughout the country began to "take sides."
Now, the big question in the mind of the man-on-the-street is this: Is the dispute mostly hot air? Or, is the dispute the beginning of a religious war? If it develops into a religious war, it will disturb the peace of every community; it will affect local and national politics; it may touch business, in which case, it affects the man-on-the-street.
At the moment, the dispute is no more than a dispute. But angry words are flying.
"It is a shamefully incidental scrap in which the evangelical church is engaged," said Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick (Modernist) last week. On the contrary, Rollin Lynde Hartt (Modernist) after a trip from coast to coast, reports that the row has just begun, that Fundamentalists everywhere are planning a real fight to kill Modernism.
The first skirmish is begun. It centers about the First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, where Dr. Fosdick, Baptist, preaches most every Sunday. Three Presbyterian ministers lead the fight to oust Dr. Fosdick from that Presbyterian pulpit. One is Dr. Maitland Alexander of Pittsburgh. He is a rigid man, pastor of the biggest and richest Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh, himself rich. He is also President of the Board of Directors of Princeton Theological Seminary, famous for its changeless conservatism from generation to generation. The second leader is Dr. Walter D. Buchanan, pastor of the Broadway Presbyterian Church of New York City. He is an accepted spokesman of Fundamentalism, The third is Dr. John McNeill, of Manhattan. Dr. McNeill is of less importance nationally, but is the best orator of the three, and is conspicuous because most of the prominent Presbyterian clergymen in New York are not Fundamentalists.
Last week 1,000 ministers, Fundamentalists, met in Philadelphia. Dr. Alexander talked about "our offensive and defensive program." His point was that Fundamentalists would not get out of the Presbyterian Church but that Modernists would be forced to get out. "Let them get out," repeated
Dr. Buchanan, and from a thousand throats came back the answer: "Amen."
A few days later the call-to-the-colors was sounded in New York. Said Dr. Alexander: "Social radicals can join the Rand School. Germans can go to Germany. Why cannot they (Modernists) go where they are welcome ?"
Simultaneously appeared The Presbyterian, accusing the Presbytery of New York of standing in 'defiant challenge" because it has not yet ousted Dr. Fosdick, and bitterly resenting the appearance of a monthly magazine to be called The Church Tower, in which Dr. Fosdick's sermons and news of the First Church will be disseminated.