Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-23
WHY YOUNG MEN SHOULD ATTEND
CHURCH.


CHURCH.
Dr. Washington GLADDEN., of Columbus
Ohio, thinks that all young men should
attend church, and with the purpose o
finding out why certain class of them dc
not he recently sent copies Of q circular
letter to about 200 representatives of the
class alluded to, in his city, asking frank
statements of the reason why so many
young men keep themselves aloot from
the churches. From the careful study OF
large number of replies he found twenty,
nine different explanations of the fact that
seemed worthy OF consideration as fairly
covering about all that young men have
to say about it Many of them were iocose
rather than serioss, pretexts rather than
reasons. They state fairly, however, the
feelings of the class upon the subject. He
has Just published the result in little
book entitled: "The Young Men and the
Churches Why Some Of Them are Out
side, and Why They Ought to Come In,
from the press OF the Congregational Sun
day School and Publishing Society, Boston.
We have, before US, condensed state
ment of these reasons, and Of DR.. Glad
den's responses, which We find in q copy
our esteemed contemporary. the Dunkirk
IN. W Observer Among the more solid
reasons given are: The not feeling at
home among "big-bugs" and "aristocrats. y
and kindred to this, lack of attention from
church members, to which Dr. GLADDEN.
answers that as regards the majority Of
churches which are working earnestly
upon this very problem of bringing in the
young men and making them feel at home,
this objection is unsustained. "Chur.h
services too dull and sermons too long"
is the plant of some, the reply to which is
that with all due acknowledgment Of occa-
sional prosiness and prolxity Of preachers,
when the real design of church services
is considered, not amusement, bat quiet
and sober attention to the highest duties
and greatest themes, the hour and halt
of public worship, relieved as it is BY its
variety of exercises, ought not to be long
or dull to one whose moral tone is manly
and selfrespectful. The need of rest
sleep, recreation was pleaded. To this
DR.. GLADDEN. offers the counter plea for
one week day afternoon or part of it to
be devoted in this country, as in England,
for the hard workers, and AYERS also that
considering q young man has all the time
there is in the week to use as he plesses,
the best uses Of sleep and recreation are
not hindered but promoted by church at
tendance, and this he corroborates by the
actual contrasts of different experiences.
From such reasons the argument proceeds
to those less superficial and entering into
the current objections to Christianity it
self, and particularly as represented in its
professors and its creeds. Yhe answer to
this is in an adroit and sensible discrimi-
nation between Christianity and its excres-
cences.
Having met objections, DR.. GLADDEN.
finishes his argument with clear state
ment OF the positive benefits of going to
church. 1t is good as mere drill in ex-
ternal decencies and proprieties. 1t is
good as an education OF q refined taste,
pure English, good rhetoric, true poetry
and music, in respect of which the average
churches erect an elevated standard. 1t
identifies young man with the best peo-
pie Of the community and tones up his
selfrespect. besides other social benefits.
Its intellectual stimulus is not to be de-
spised, and, above all, the young mems moral
nature needs to be surrounded with the at
mosphere Of high morality, and he needs to
90 where the perfect and ideal standard is
constantly lifted up to keep his moral ma
ture from detriment and spoliation, and to
confirm and strengthen it toward pure
and manly life.
We think that all young men in the
GLoBE-REPUBLIc family, who have care
fully and thoughtfully read the foregoing
must come to the conclusion thst DR..
GLADDEN. has made strong case-and has
presented considerations which ought to
convince and convert at least the average
young man into q church-goer.