Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-14
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

Now | beseech you brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offenses contrary tC
the doctrine which We have learned; and avoid
them. ROMANS XVIII
Busybodies are disagreeable people under
all circumstances, and are especially out OF
place in tho church There they have oppor-
tunities for making themselves obnoxious
that do not occur in other communities, and
they are invariably certain to improve all the
chances that offer. They are generally par
ticularly numerous in the churches, too
They charge themselves with general su-
pervision of the characters and conduct Of
their neighbors, and assume to be infallible
censors on all questions of morality or re,
ligion. Every church has few of them
who succeed in keeping their brethren and
sisters in hot water continually. They usu-
ally combine with their talent for interfering
in other peoples business several other
equally admirable traits, such as tale bearing
talking scandal, tattling and babbline
around the neighborhood.
The SUNDAY GLOBE, without wishing to
seem irreverent, feels called upon to remark
that the decaiogue is incomplete in one res
pect. Another commandment ought to have
been inserted for the benefit of busybodies
and it should read in effect, ''Thou shall
mind thine own business Few people have
the ability to leave their neighbors, affairs
alone with success. Though it would seem
to be on easy matter, it is fact that hun
dreds of men and women go out of their
way every day for the pleasure it gives them
to NEEDLE with affairs that are of no earthly
concern to them. man can scarcely cross
the street il small town without setting
half the neighborhood agog and gossiping
about his probable purpose in doing so. Ii
he is member of church he can certainly
perform no act of the slightest consequence
that the neighbors do not find something in
it about which to set their tongues wagging.
The church busybody fancies that he has
Especial mission from heaven, and that is to
supervise the conduct of those who profess
religion. He fancies that he has the only
correct idea of Christian department, and
that if any one varies from his standard he
is fit subject for criticism. Such an act
departure from the standard set up by the
self-appointed CRITICS the signal for a
general assault all along the line, and for a
time there is Joy in the ranks of the busy
bodies. They proceed to dissect the indi-
vidual into the smallest possible pieces. If
he has ever committed any indiscretions in
the course of his life they find out all about
it, and proceed to enlarge upon the story of
the three black crows. Before they have
done with it he no doubt feels very much as
if he was the greatest criminal unhung, and
wonders at the forbearance of the communi-
ty in permitting him to exist.
These tattlers and talebearers do great
injury to the cause of religion. By their
loud protestations they convince many that
they are representative Christians, while
they represent only the most contemplate
phase of religious community. They are
notpossessed Of the slightest vestige of
those qualities of mind and heart that COM
bine to make up the sincere follower of
Christ, and for that reason, and by their
false representations, they assist in bring
ing the cause, and all who assume to be it's
advocates, into disrepute.
There is no place in religious commun-
ity for busybodies. They are nuisance
anywhere, and in church make themselves
loathed on every hand. 1t would be well
for every person who has the cause of re-
ligion seriously at heart, to shun all those
who persist in interfering with other peo-
pies business. man of any station in
life will find his time fully occupied by
looking after his own temporal, moral, and
religious business, and when he thinks he
has time for other duties, it is time for the
public generally, and his church associates.
to drop his acquaintance.