The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-03-15
JESUS A WAeE.EARNER.
Why the Workmen Decline to At
tend Mission Chapels.
MINISTERS DO NOT PRACTICE WHAT
THEY PREACH.

| uAANA0A Gk10 AO &SoA 1QAAOXxOE w 0A
THEY PREACH.
Father Huntington, the New Y or
Divine, who has become famous fc
, his radical views on social ques
s tions, addressed a large audience i
Chicago recently. He discussed tn
position sustained by the churc
toward the social question and too
somewhat of a novel stand. Anon
other things he said:
The church has become a grea
corporation for the benefit of tn
rich; for those who are satisfied
with the existing state of society
The clergymen are 10th to speal
out against the prevailing order O
things. They may have decided
opinions, but they dare not give
them utterance. They are ready tt
speak about another world, to poin
out to the people who fill their pewI
the way in which they can gain en-
trance through the celestial gates
but they are silent when it comes
to considering how people can be
made happier in this world. They
are timorous, hesitating and com.
promising, and are slow to antago-
nize those to whom they look for
support. There are few exceptions
to this rule, but not enough to ex-
ert any considerable amount of in
tluence. do not mean to say that
the clergy are entirely selfish in
following this policy. If they are
to enlarge their churches, extend
their missionary work, build chap
els and carry on the work of saliva
ton, they must have money and the
wealthy must furnish that money.
The ministers are not unfriendly to
the working classes, and once in a
while some preacher will say word
in defense of the laborer's side of
the labor question. They are anx-
ious to convert the workmen to
their way of thinking and have
erected mission chapels for their
benefit. They invite the workman
to attend these mission meetings.
What is his answer? He declines
to attend. The bare benches of a
mission chapel and the droning of
a third-class preacher who has been
placed in charge of the mission
have no charm for the workman.
He has other and more attractive
pleasures. He prefers to remain at
home, smoke his pipe, drink glass
of beer and read his paper. Seated
by his fireside in his shirt sleeves,
the workman would far rather re-
main at home and watch the rich
ride by in their carriages on their
way to the fashionable church with
its grand organ, splendid music,
rich carpets and eloquent orator.
When the workingman does 60 to
church he is liable to hear the min
lister deliver a TRADE against organ
lied labor and warn his congrega-
tons against the socialists and the
single tax man, as if their listeners
were in danger of being lured into
a belief in such pernicious doc
trines. When it comes to denounc-
ing wrongs which are known to
exist, the clergy are inconsistent to
a ridiculous degree. Their preach
ing and the practice do not agree.
[ heard New York minister who
delivered sermon one Sunday
against stock gambling and three
days later confdentially told
member of his church that he had
been badly pinched on Erie"
They denounce ballot-box suffers
md ballot-box stuffing ard dine the
same afternoon with men known to
De guilty Of such practices. Christ
lid not dine with the rich. He
lined with the poor and preached
against the rich. The wage-earners
ire beginning to think and study.
They are studying the history of
he church of Christ. They find
hat it was founded centuries ago
~ a wage-earner, a man who for
'lghteen years followed the trade of
. carpenter. They find that Jesus
spoke to the class to which he be-
onged, the fishermen, the common
oilers of the fields and in the cities.
He was the leader of the common
people. They began to wonder how
Tesus would have got along had he
postponed his visit to the earth
until to-day. How would he have
ounded his church? If he had
'een actuated by the spirit which
low prevails he would have gone
o Jerusalem and made himself
old with the leading citizens. He
7ould have first convinced them {
hat he was the great reformer, and
hat they must repent and be saved.
Iaying done this he would have :
tarted subscription paper and
objected good-sized fund for the
urpose Of agitating the new reform.
Ie would then open an cffice in
be main street of Jerusalem and
1ake It his headouarters. With