Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/740

 726 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

composing the population of the United States, we get the subjoined "Marking Scheme." .

Passing from phenomena of population to phenomena of the social mind, we observe that simple marking-scales are daily used in connection with religion, conduct, ability, and education. The empirical gradings applied to these phenomena appear on examination to be not less natural or matter-of-course than the popular gradings of nationalities in respect of their resemblances.

If a nation has an established religion, it is assigned to the initial position. All other religions are looked upon as variate, kindred, or alien cults. In the United States we have no estab- lished religion, and we therefore assign to the initial position the denominations that in the earlier days of our history were proclaimed by a majority of the people to be orthodox, not- withstanding the fact that they were Protestant bodies, holding radical ideas on questions of church government. These de- nominations, after a time, divided on questions of doctrine, some of them becoming radical in belief, as well as in organization. Protestant bodies conservative in both belief and organization were formed at an early period, but for a time they were com- monly regarded with disfavor. It was much later that the Roman Catholics gained a foothold outside of Maryland, and only recently have come the eastern Catholics and the non-Chris- tian persuasions.

The essential relationships of these varying cults present a scheme or order closely correlated with the historical succession. The conservative Protestants, for example, are in matters of faith and worship more nearly related to the radical Protestants than the Roman Catholics are. The Roman Catholics, in turn, are more nearly related to the conservative Protestants than the Eastern Catholics or the non-Christian bodies are.

Accepting then the popular judgment upon these points of relationship, our marking-scale is as follows : Initial position or o, Protestant radical A, including all religious bodies that are radical in both doctrine and organization; i, Protestant radical B, including all Protestant bodies that are radical in organization only; 2, Protestant conservative; 3, Catholic A, including all