The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-06
"OFPENSIVE CHRISTIANITY"


A "widow woman" over in Centralia, Ill,
has been turned out of the church on a
charge of Offensive Christianity" preferred
against her by young lady member. The
offense, the widow declares, consisted in her
having mentioned that former pastor was
accustomed to salute the young lady in ques-
ton with kiss when circumstances made it
convenient. She believes that there is moth
ing in this to justify being turned out OF
church, and proposes to contest the matter
by suing the minister who assisted in bounc-
ing her for $4,000.
Once brought into court it may be ex-
pected that some light will be shed on certain
ecclesiastical problems which have puzzled
both clergymen and laymen from time imme-
mortal. There is no question, Of course, of
the existence-in dormant condition for the
most part, perhaps-of the holy kiss. There
is abundant proof in scripture Of it's preva-
lence at an early day, and there is reason to
believe that, with some modern variations, it
is not entirely unknown in the present age
In the old time brethren frequently fell upon
each others necks and saluted, one the other
with the holy kiss of love and peace More
recently, with the advance of civilization and
the cultivation of more refined and fastidious
tastes, the practice has fallen into disuse
among the brethren; that is to say, they do
not greet each other with this ceremony, but
direct the holy demonstration entirely to the
sisters of the flock, and, as further indica-
ton of the growth of good taste, wholly to
the younger and fairer of them. 1t is but
just to say that some shepherds and brethren
have become so aesthetic, or, perchance, have
been so Influenced by certain worldly preiu-
dices that they have entirely abandoned the
kiss as means of encouraging the growth of
grace among the lambs; but, as consid-
cradle portion of the community is aware, the
''kissing pastor is not by any means a rare
bird. Incidents within the knowledge of
everyone, as we'll as the cropping out of occur
rences like the one at Centralia, give assur-
ances that he is still in the field. Admitting,
of course, that the pastoral kiss is holy, it is
a question in the minds of some, possibly too
critical and captious persons, whether the
same rules of silence and concealment should
prevail in regard to it as are commonly applied
to the worldly salute. In ordinary and purely
secular cases it is considered highly reprehen-
sible to kiss and tell" but is there any i'm
propriety in proclaiming to all the world that
one has received or given the sanctifed caress9
1t is not it is true, the habit of the pastoral
kisser to enlarge publicly upon the extent to
which he practices this portion of his duties;
but does he not labor under error, or the in
herited bonds of worldly customY This is one
of the points which the curious and inuuisi-
tive hope to have brought out and finally
settled in the legal and clerical discussions
which must inevitably arise in the Centralia
case. Another point and the most important,
to the widow, at least, is whether the pro-
priety and sanctity of the salute being con-
coded, it becomes sinful act on the part of
an observing spectator to mention the matter
Is this, or is it not, offensive Christianity, is
what some Of the religious mugwumps, the
widow among them, would like to know. For
answer they will look anxiously or hopefully,
as the case may be, to the proceedings of the
Centralia court and the arguments Of the
learned religious and legal gentlemen engaged
in this important case.
1t may not be out of place to mention in
this connection that the pastor who has been
sued has fled to Europe. What has become
of the pastor who administered the kisses is
not known, nor is it material. 1t is sufficient
to know that he is still on deck somewhere.