The authority of the church was established because the words of the sacred books were considered to be inspired. [1]
The evolution of religious philosophy among the Hellenic and Hebrew peoples affords a contrastive illustration of the function of the church as an institution in the shaping of cultural progress. [2] Secret societies evolved into the forerunners of churches. [3] The true church—the Jesus brotherhood—is invisible, spiritual, and is characterized by unity, not necessarily by uniformity. [4]
One of the great peace moves of the ages has been the attempt to separate church and state. [5] The state is man’s reaction to his natural environment, the home to his social environment, the church to his illusory ghost environment. [6]
In light and life ages the temples of worship with their associated schools of philosophy and experiential religion are creations of beauty and grandeur. The open-air arenas of worship assembly are equally sublime in the simplicity of their artistic appointment. [7]
When it is not possible to worship God in the tabernacles of nature, men should do their best to provide houses of beauty, sanctuaries of appealing simplicity and artistic embellishment, so that the highest of human emotions may be aroused in association with the intellectual approach to spiritual communion with God. [8]