"Religious Hypochondria" Indeed!
In the August 25 issue of the Gospel Advocate, brother Thomas Warren treats the readers of that journal to an article entitled "Religious Hypochondria." He defines "hypochondria" as: "morbid anxiety as to one's own health, with conjuring up of imaginary ailments." From this he makes applications to preachers who see dangers everywhere, who talk much of trends, says their favorite ailment is "parallel to the missionary society," and says that the malady he is condemning is sinful.
As we read the article, a number of thoughts occurred which we wish to pass on. Brother Warren agrees in the article that we ought to be concerned about the welfare of the body. Whenever certain "trends" appear, then it is time to become concerned. Strangely enough, the very journal in which his article appeared carries nearly every week at least one article (not to mention the ads in News and Notes for preachers who are not "antis" and who "need not apply") decrying the "trend" toward "anti-ism." Writers are constantly "conjuring up" imaginary ailments of the "antis." They seem, as brother Warren says in his article, to "trust in themselves that they are righteous, and set all others at naught." There has been only one issue of the Advocate to date this year (it was a special issue on Christian Education) which has not carried articles or news items taking stabs at the "antis." In fact the very same number in which the article by brother Warren appeared, carried number five in a series by brother Meyer entitled "Two Fatal Extremes." In that series brother Meyer said he saw signs of sickness in the church, and said that "anti-ism" was only one of the signs. Listen to him: "It must be freely admitted that liberalism, worldliness, or looseness in standards of conduct is making extraordinary headway among churches of Christ." He further said that while we ought to be proud of the gains made "we must honestly admit that there has been a heavy and observable retreat from the high moral standards which we once had." Then later he said "But my accusation is that we are weakening." Further, "Both families and congregations lack the discipline of some years past. This is the spirit of the age, and churches of Christ are surrounded by it. There are definite and specific evidences upon every hand." We cannot help wondering if perhaps brother Meyer is just a "hypochondriac" since he sees all these "evidences" of "weakness upon every hand." Now if these "evidences" may be seen on every hand, then there must be a general sickness in spite of the fact that brother Meyer said in his first article of the series that the great portion of the brotherhood stood for what he conceived to be the truth and avoided these extremes. If that is so, we wonder where he has uncovered all that "evidence" of weakening upon every hand.
Brother Meyer told the truth about evidences of weakening. It does not take a mote hunter, or someone who delights in recognizing an evil trend to see that the church of our Lord in many places has cut loose from her moorings, has changed her attitude toward divine authority and is rapidly taking her place among the sectarians. When brother Warren said our favorite ailment is "parallel to the missionary society" he missed the point. The great ailment among churches now is modernism, liberalism. Things which are in some respects parallel to the missionary society are just some of the symptoms of the underlying trouble. And it is not a "favorite ailment" with any of us. It is a source of genuine sorrow to those who love the Lord and his church to see brethren depart from the truth.
But we are somewhat surprised that brother Warren, of all people, should charge anyone with having a "favorite ailment" inasmuch as he started The Spiritual Sword, now defunct, for the specific purpose of trying to cure his favorite ailment, "anti-ism." There can be no doubt, according to his own discussion of the matter, but that he had "religious hypochondria." He says in The Advocate that such a disease is sinful. But maybe he has repented of the sin of having subjected many members of the church to the malady he then had.
We believe that anything practiced by churches of Christ without divine authority is sinful. At the same time, we understand that whatever is authorized is right to do. What brother Thomas Warren and others who stand with him need to do is produce the authority for some of the items they have sought to bind upon the churches. The coining of another epithet to hurl at us establishes no more authority than does the employment of such terms as "anti" or "hobbyist." Let him produce the passage authorizing the churches to subsidize benevolent homes and sponsoring churches and he can cure whatever ailments he thinks we possess.