The Henson Journals

[262]

Thursday, August 27th, 1914.

What effect has war on Religion? I suspect that the effect is almost universally bad. There is no time for thinking: a vast stimulus is given to feeling. While the intellect is barren: the emotions run riot. In an atmosphere of morbid sensationalism, every superstition grows rankly. Death & the fear of death lie like a pall on the intelligence, and paralyze the conscience. Every form of teaching and devotion which seems to illumine or affect the shadowed existence beyond the grave appeals to the bereaved, and a fat soil is prepared in which pious charlatanry can flourish. The prophecy–fanaticks secure a hearing: & every type of wonder–worker can count on a market. Besides, there is a wide–spread and serious confusion of morals. War itself is hard to place in the scheme of Christian morality: & patriotism is a creed which covers many sophistries. The sacred Apologists of War with the New Testament as their text–book cannot be said to an impressive company. Their embarrassment extends itself from the pulpits to the pews: & everybody worships with a troubled conscience. Moreover, the daily reports of fighting, & every form of violent atrocity, are nowise wholesome feeding for the human spirit, which they inflame and distract.

[263]

Short and agitated letters from Mother & Marion announced that they had reached Birchington.

I went over the Cathedral with James Parker Smith. We fell in with Somers Clarke, who promptly joined himself to our party, & made himself useful, his architectural knowledge being very acceptable. I brought him in to lunch. A young American Professor named Judson, also came to lunch, & afterwards went into the library with me.

I attended Evensong in the Cathedral. Later Ella & I drove out in the car & paid two calls.

On our return we learned the important news that British Marines were being landed at Ostend.

The "Times" has an interesting communication from a correspondent in Holland describing the German feeling with respect to the war. It appears that the Germans are contemptuous of their enemies, confident in their own victory & (what seems surprising) of the justice of their own cause. The attack on Belgium, which seems to us a wholly indefensible proceeding, is treated as a petty episode, clearly required by the situation in which Germany was placed. It is evident that the poison of Bismarckian casuistry has entered deeply into the German mind. The restoration of the people to a sound understanding will not be effected soon or easily.

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