Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-21
EXPENSIVE CHUCH coma.

A writer in the current issue Of the
North Anscricdn RcrieU handles the
causes Of the decline III church attendance
without gloves and declares that mfn of
small or moderate means and a fair share
of pride cannot afford the expense. They
would willingly, remarks the writer, pay
in the form of pew rent a reasonable
compensation for such benefit as they
could get, but pew rent is the
smallest part of the demands
made upon the pocket Of the
average churchgoer- From the mo-
ment that they enter a church society
they find themselves subjected to CON
slant solicitation fr a hundred purposes
that have no connection with their
reasons for wishing to go to church.
perhaps the church which they wish
TO attend, through % policy which they
had no part in making, and which they
would never have approved, is involved
in debt, and they are asked to help it
out Of foolish bankruptcy. They are
asked to subscribe for foreign missions,
though doubling the benefit to distant
savages of the So worth of teaching
which it costs 500 to- give them. They
are called upon to contribute to various
charitable enterprises and entertain
ments-not called upon simply, but per-
sistently urged, when they have their
own personal notiens about charitable
aid, in accordance with which they do in
private what they can afford or feel dis
posed to do. The church to-day is a
beggar: not humble and meek in it's
demands, but greedy, persistent and
almost impudent. Our seeker for sus-
tenance and inspiration FOR his better
nature finds himself in a congregation
of daughters Of the horse-leech, ever
crying Give, giye! and he fees in weari-
ness and disgust from their importu-
mites"
Again his pride and self-respect ara
hurt if he finds it impossible to head the
subscription lists and lead off in the col
lection. His social position is guaged by
his ability tocontribute, and ifhis private
means cannot stand the pressure he is
made to feel that he is a nobody in the
church.
There is some truth and some exagger.
alton in this picture. The wealthy mer
in many of our churches contribute the
least. The incessant dropping o
festivals and entertainments that veal
away the p~ocketbooks of the small
salaried clerk falls less heavily
upon them A good rount
subscription has its appropriate effect TO
several years and economical hedging cal
T be INDUCED in the meantime. 1t nigh
be said, too, that the general idea is tina
, churches are something more than mer
adjuncts to society, and that u congrega
9 ton where wealth is the prerequisite t
r respect ought to be left severely alone b
r all but the wealthy. There is IA singula
contradiction in singing about free sa
It v%ation' and making life miserable to a
# whose incomes do not enable them
contribute to orphan asylums, foundlir
d hospitals, foreign missions and magnii
It cent piles of brick and mortar. Still tt
conclusion of the writer, that ''if ii
It modern Christian church is the guardia
te of the gateway to heaven, it is easier t
n whole caravan Of camels to thread Il
il r~ostern of a needles eye than for a po
man to make his way through the formi
lie able barrier is hardly warranted by Il
IL facts.