Religion and the WarYale University. Divinity School
Religion
Religion and the War
Yale University. Divinity School
World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Religious aspects
fighting a justified defensive war, and praying, as they have been,
for victory over their enemies, their conviction has come to be,
pretty generally, what a German-American in the early days of the war
expressed in these words, "If Germany doesn't win this war, there is
no God!" Well, in view of what the world knows as to the causation and
the conduct of this war on the part of Germany, the only answer so
preposterous a doctrine deserves is that given by ex-President Taft,
"Germany has mistaken the devil for God!"
But the Germans are not the only ones who are cherishing mistaken
notions as to the providence of God in human affairs. We and our
Allies reject the idea of a national God, and any notion of the "Lord
of Creation" being our "unconditional ally." The morally perfect God
is too just and impartial to have any favorites among the nations,
whether Jewish, or German, or British, or American. Might does not
make right, we know; and no more is might an infallible index to God's
will. God is not necessarily "on the side of the heaviest battalions."
On the contrary, the true God, as the God of righteousness, must be,
we feel sure, on the side of right and justice, whichever side that
may be. Being confident, therefore, of the justice of our cause, we
feel that we have the best of reasons for believing that we are
fighting on the side of God, as well as for the true well-being of
humanity.
So far, good; but many among us proceed to put two and two together
and find that they make five. If we are on the side of human rights
and the will of God, and if God is sufficient for our religious needs,
is it not clear that we may be absolutely certain of winning the war,
whatever temporary reverses may have to be encountered? Moreover,
especially since we have had our days of prayer for victory, are we
not entitled to sing,
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"?
Indeed, so satisfied are we with the logic of our position that
multitudes of us would agree with the sentiment expressed by a
British-American in the early days of the war, "If Germany wins this
war, there is no God."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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