Sharp County record., 1885-07-16
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
Should Children Be Obliged to Attend
Church?-What Experience Teaches.


Should Children Be Obliged to Attend
Church?-What Experience Teaches.
Should children be obliged to attend
church? In most families this problem
is quite sure to come up in one form or
another. Among several children, one
will be found who has decided prefer
ences to stay at home rather than 60
to church. While the little ones find
some novelty in the change which
comes from attendance at church serv-
ice, those a little older frequently find
the service tiresome, and book and
an easv-chair preferable. When this
tendency reveals itself, what is the duty
of the parent? He feels himself be-
tween two fires. On the one hand he
fears lest forced attendance result in
so disgusting the boy that he will never
find pleasure in public worship, The
fear also arises that if the church-gOing
habit is not formed in childhood, that
it will never be formed. The strait is
perplexing.
The aim in child's attendance at
church is necessarily different from that
which induces grown person 10 60.
Under ten years of age it is doubtful
if child gains much instruction from
the sermon. He is, however, very sus-
ceptible in his early years to the in
tluences of the house of God. The
quiet, the devotion, the reverence OF
the place can not fail to impress his i'm
pressible nature with reverence and
awe Moreover, the constant attepd-
ance forms in him the habit of church
going, a habit, like other habits, not
easily broken. Can these objects be
gained by forced and unwilling at
tendance? The question may be
changed. Can these objects so desir-
able, SO necessary for Christian develop
ment be gained by staying at home
from church?
The problem of childrens' attendance
at church, we believe, is not problem
to be settled theoretically, by priori
reasoning 1t is a question of expe-
rience. Questions like these have le-
gitimate bearing. Is our church-going
community commonly composed of
men and women who We're trained to
church-going in childhood, or the re-
verse? What percentage of efficient
church-members habitually neglected
public worship when youngP Are the
children who are gathered into churches
to-day found among those who attend
or neglect church? Such considera-
tions have practical bearing. Of this
most parents may be sure, that while
some children mug gain a lasting dis
taste for public worship by forced at
tendance, no child can gain love for
it by staying away. All experience
seems to point to the conclusion that
children of a suitable age and in health
should be expected to attend Divine
worship upon the Sabbath. 1t should
be insisted upon as duty of force as
binding as the provisions of the dec
alogue. SO far as possible. it should be
made an unquestiOned duty. On the
other hand the parent should be rea-
sonable, and understand that much of
the service is sealed book to the child.
He should remember that the object of
the child's presence is not the same as
that for which he is there. One serv-
ice is, therefore, enough for the child.
and which service he shall attend,
where preaching is given morning and
afternoon, may be left to the child's
| choice.
We believe also that it is the duty of
those parents who find that their chill
dren dislike the house Of God to use
their influence for the church to adopt
some means of making an attractive
service. If the congregation be allowed
some part in the worship suitable for
children to unite in, like the repetition
of the Lord S prayer, or Apostles Creed,
or like responsive reading, or sing
ing of hymns made familiar in the
Sunday-school, the work of parents
would be wonderfully lightened. 1t is
very suggestive to watoir the UfIiidIUn
in congregation when familiar hymn
is announced. They sing and enjoy it.
Every Sunday-school should introduce
few of the best hymns of public wor-
ship. There are many that children
enjoy. Such hymns as Onward,
Christian Soldier "As with gladness
men of DID," "Brighly CLEANS our
banner" Grown Him with many
crowns" Jerusalem, the Golden"
"We are on our journey home" or