Effects upon Religious Conditions
What is the effect of immigration upon the religious life of the country? This is an exceedingly difficult matter upon which to generalize. There is no doubt that great changes have taken place in the religious views and practices of the people, but how far these can be attributed to foreign influence is something upon which agreement will be rare and judgment difficult. It will be instructive, first of all, to study this table, which gives the results of questions asked the immigrants in 1900 concerning their religious connections. This was the last inquiry of the kind officially made, and will indicate what religious elements in immigration must be taken into consideration:
RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF THE IMMIGRATION FOR 1900
| Countries | Total | Protestants | Roman Catholics | Greek Catholics | Israelites | Brahmans | Moham- medans | Misc. |
| Austria-Hungary | 64,835 | 5,009 | 39,694 | 7,699 | 11,082 | — | — | 1,351 |
| Belgium | 1,728 | 94 | 967 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 661 |
| Denmark | 3,253 | 2,629 | 44 | — | 2 | — | — | 578 |
| France | 4,902 | 165 | 1,736 | 3 | 12 | — | 2 | 2,984 |
| German Empire | 25,904 | 10,258 | 6,758 | 18 | 401 | — | — | 8,469 |
| Greece | 2,450 | 14 | 14 | 2,350 | — | — | — | 72 |
| Italy | 79,664 | 50 | 78,306 | 26 | 1 | — | — | 1,281 |
| Netherlands | 1,994 | 839 | 190 | — | 8 | — | — | 957 |
| Norway | 7,113 | 6,674 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 437 |
| Portugal | 2,269 | 2 | 2,056 | — | — | — | — | 211 |
| Roumania | 1,655 | 160 | 60 | 31 | 1,350 | — | — | 54 |
| Russian Empireand Finland | 62,537 | 13,295 | 22,462 | 1,470 | 24,351 | — | 1 | 958 |
| Servia, Bulgaria | 59 | — | 4 | 47 | 1 | — | — | 7 |
| Spain | 1,428 | 15 | 704 | — | — | — | — | 709 |
| Sweden | 13,541 | 12,708 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 824 |
| Switzerland | 2,294 | 710 | 608 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 963 |
| Turkey in Europe | 137 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 27 | — | 13 | 54 |
| United Kingdom | 65,390 | 12,611 | 31,216 | 4 | 197 | — | 1 | 21,361 |
| Not specified | 8 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
| Total Europe | 341,161 | 65,238 | 184,835 | 11,695 | 37,442 | — | 17 | 41,934 |
| Total Asia | 9,726 | 452 | 1,390 | 2,833 | 48 | 3,373 | 77 | 1,553 |
| Africa | 109 | 13 | 9 | — | 5 | — | 16 | 66 |
| All other countries | 10,440 | 1,274 | 2,178 | 11 | 28 | 228 | — | 6,721 |
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | |
| [84]Grand Total | 361,436 | 66,977 | 188,412 | 14,539 | 37,523 | 3,601 | 110 | 50,274 |
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | |
| Percentage ineach religion | 100 | 18.54 | 52.14 | 4.03 | 10.39 | .99 | — | 13.91 |
Eighty Per Cent. Non-Protestant
In analyzing these figures, it will be noted that the Roman Catholics had fifty-two per cent. in a year when the total immigration of 361,436 (not much over one third that of the present time) was about the same in the proportion of aliens from southeastern Europe as now. The Jews would make a larger showing at present, as the immigrants from Russia are almost wholly Jews. The Protestant strength certainly would not be any greater proportionately. The large number put down as miscellaneous is significant. What a task is laid upon American Protestantism—nothing less than the evangelization of nearly eighty-two per cent. of the vast immigration. It is easy to say that the fifty-two per cent. is nominally Christian, but in fact that nominal Christianity is in many respects as much out of sympathy with American religious ideals, with democracy and the pure gospel, as is heathenism; and it is in many cases as difficult to reach, and as great an obstacle to the assimilation of the aliens.
Sunday Observance
Looking at various results of this incoming host, in regard to reverence for Sunday and observance of it, it is fair to assume that the millions of Germans, with their continental Sunday, were leaders in breaking in upon our Sunday customs. While they have as a people observed the laws—although seeking to have the laws changed so as to permit here the home customs of open concert halls and beer gardens on Sunday afternoon and evening—their influence has been strongly felt in favor of loose Sunday observance, and this has been sufficient to stimulate the natural tendency of the American element to make the day one of amusement and recreation, regardless of laws. The result is that now we have a lawless American Sunday quite different from and more objectionable than the continental Sunday.
Disregard of Law
In the larger cities throughout the country the encroachments of the money-makers have been steady. Performances of all kinds are permitted, theaters run either openly or with thinly veiled programs, saloons are open to those who know where the proper entrances are, and many forms of business and labor are carried on seven days in the week. The Jews claimed that it was a hardship to have to close on Sunday, when their religious observances came on Saturday, with result that a good many manage to keep shops and factories open all the year around. Pleas of necessity have been put forward where contractors desired to push jobs and profits. Sunday excursions are universal, and in order to gain their Sunday pleasure-outings several millions of people of all races keep several other millions hard at work on the day of rest. All places are crowded on Sunday except the churches. Go among the foreign elements in the city and you would never know it was Sunday. Holiday has supplanted holy-day. Observe the trolley-cars or subway or elevated trains on Sunday and you will see nine foreigners out of every ten persons. Go into the suburbs and you will find springing up in out-of-the-way places, where land can be secured cheap, little recreation parks, with games and dancing platforms; and here there will be throngs of Italians and other foreigners all day.