The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-06-28
[CoMNuNIcATED.
RAISING CHURCH FUNDS.

Our churches, with one or two exceptions,
have been making extra efforts foreign to the
regular system 10 raise funds to keep up the
different institutions connected with them,
such as Sabbath schools, furnishing churches,
paying salaries, &c, &c. One had literary
and musical entertainment, closing with a
cake walk, as a sort ofamusement, also straw
berry and ice cream festival. Another has
desecrated the pulpit with political but
very patriotic lecture, and still anotherp plung-
ed headlong into PinNfore until they were
swamped and sold out thinking, suppose,
there were too few or no dollars and cents in
it for them.
Now what of all this? As an outsider, a
non-churchist, believe am able to give an
impartial opinion of the matter.
LIST. The literary and musical entertain
ment and cake walk was really a very en-
joyable affair. The music was grand, the
renderiugs were perfect, and any person not
capable ofenjoying such feast good things
in my estimation cannot appreciate some of
Gods best gifts, music, flowers, &c. The
cake walk which wound up the entertain
ment was very amusing. certain number
were appointed to decide which one was tc
have the cake, Some ofthe walkers dressed
a little conical, and some walked comical
That is about all there is in it, the victor
believe presented the cake to the pastor. TIL,
whole affair passed off pleasantly. But still
the fault-fnding proclivties of some self
, righteous, wholly sanctifed, were excited
and they undertook to criticize the worldly
manner in which the money was raised fo
/ Sunday schools, noting the demoralizing ef
: feet it had on the children, &c, who shortl,
l after desecrated their pulpit with its ludi
j crous anecdotes and political filings was jus
S as demoralizing in its tendencies to Sunda,
S school children, as the cake walk and NOR
S 50, because it issued from the pulpit-a sacre
D place should never, in my estimation, be use,
for any other than religious services. B
consistent friends, and pull out the mote il
thine own eye, &c. Excuse the diversion
but of all things l despise egotism, and espec
ally sectarian, and have to give expressio
TO my feelings.
The entertainment was unobjectionabl,
> The cake walk have described for the bent
= fit of those who condemned it and never sa'
it, nor was il for the benefit of any Sundu
school as intimated. Now, comedy is I'll
~ same whether ii issues in literary entertain
k, precincts of the pulpit, unless the latter SAM
1t titled it.
- End. The lecture, in my estimation unol
~ jectionable, Ito be impartial). Objectionab
4 only, because it was delivered in pulp
n. where hell fire birthstone is preached
Is stentorian voices to convert people and is n
1t a fit place for such lecture because il was
o lecture unreligious. While conceding II
lecture in itself to be unobjectionable, "
!. cannot admit that it possessed even the neg
ar tive quality of harmlessness; its effects we
ID unhealthy, not directly vicious, but moral
IN unhealthy, religiously unhealthy. Lii
KS sensational novel reading, it causes abnori
ne al agitation Of an emotional nature, certain
not religious emotional excitement to whi,
the pulpit was solemnly eonsecrated, or
10 other words the church, consecrated 10 h
ed service of God, and the pulpit the inner
he higher sanctuary.
an Srd. The PinafOre, well that has gone o
on of religious waters and will perhaps ncu
ri or hardly eUer raise in them again, althou,
eli | understand she still floats in another cha
a mel, and we maybe fortunate enough 10 5
ss the starry brilliancy Of fLehighton and Mau,
- Chunk flashing from the stage 10 the auC
- tOrium, if only the concern don't disappoi
CD us in the end. While Pinafore was anchor
to by the church, | understand it was not Il
IT. intention TO desecrate the house Of God wi
&c. thunders from the stage
he Mr. Editor, being a mere lOoker-on al
he not interested in any particular one mO
iu than another, would like 10 slash all aroui
~ and show the inconsistency of the professt
10 Of religion. But | want il distinctly undt
10 stood .hat | am not an iufdel, but beley
70 Of experimental and practical religion, bu
ds feel as though some Of the sanciiled shOu
20 have their Inconsistencies shown up.
dc The Presbyterian sunday school people