Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1893-10-19
Relinion and tbs Poor.


be noticed by all observers, the
gro wing ind ference oftbe poor
towards religion. No matter
how narrow the sect, or how lit
tudinarian the denomination,
there is a painful and palpable
loss of confidence and an evi,
deEca of conscious alienation
among the lower classes, who
are becoming possessed Of the
idea that modern religion is a
luxury, a sort OF spiritual broad
cloth, that Is good enough for
those who can afford IL, but be
yond the reach of common PEG
pie. Nor does the loss Of re.
excite in the minds Of the
toiling masses more
than q collateral regret. based
upon the idea that, while n is
in good FORM and quite com
mendsble In those who enjoy
INN unity from toll, It Is wholly
useless, in fact detrimental, to
The hewers of wood aud the
of water Labor lead
ers like '.Tom" Man and John
Burns in England, who are
neither atheists nor anarchists.
but who form aud promulgxte
whatever OF philosophy on the
subject is current among their
followers, declare with sadness,
not unmixed with retrospective
bitterness, that there is no good
in religion; that 1t is not for
Many of the profound
thinkers aud able writer's on
both sides Of the Atlantic are
of the same mind, though reach
their conclusions by a diff
fere8t process of reasoning, and
ssservating their convictions by
The display of greater erudi.ion.
One of these has synthes:zed
The general feeling aud express
ed the general sentiment cpl,
dramatically in the following
sentence: Religion CT the
present day 10 a drawing room
entertainment, with a subserip.
ion to a local charity as a corol.
airy advertisement However
.xtravegant and unjust this as
,erti0n may be in the opinion
If the orthodox communicanr.
here is no denying the fact that
{ is the settled belief of many
Who r as sincere as those who
ire ready to dispute it. That
hey should think SO is neither
'urpriSing nor unreasonable.
)hurch ediices of the present
lay are not such As to invite
he poor within their portals
md make them feel the glowing
warmth of q cordial welcome.
iagGiicent edifces, dreams Of
~rchiteetual beauty. spacious
emples of costly grandeur and
egsl righteousness, erected os-
ensibly for the glory of God
hey are not wholly innocent of
be suggestion that the glory of
nan and the qualification Of a
Iumsn pride are manifest. Alas
md alack! The oft-repeated
that Churchianity has
Implanted Christianity is not
Is easily controverted as 1T
be. Millions are expend.
ID in the rearing of vaulted
under which the favored
of fortune may meet TO worship
God, while the widow and faith
cry for bread. In the
modern Church and in the mod
ern congregation the day labor
er is out Of place, and he feels
Il. So keen is his susceptibility
on this point that the exterior
stimulus of personal contact
with the rich becomes intolera-
bic, and he escapes the pain by
absenting himself from partIci,
patton in the services. OF what
use is religion to him, he asks
aud the exiguity of his
mental resources pardonably
prevents an answer. " hat are
ethical sermons to him when
the problem of obtaining physi.
cal sustenance presses upon
him continually How hollow
and unweleome are the words
of the good pastor who preach
es to him humility while pam
pered pride sweeps by him in
naughty splendor. He cannot
help resenting the entirely or.
tbodox advice TO despise human
riches when he knows that even
the occupant of the pulpit is lis
tening with ill concealed anxiety
for a call TO a broader field of
usefulness"-with a larger sala-
airy attached. He cannot be
condemned tor admitting to the
cramped precincts of bis cir
cumscribed cogitations serious
doubts as to the common faith
erhood of God, when he sees
such disparity and inequality ia
the brotherhood of men when
there are so many miseries aud
monstrosities about him when
the world 10 him is nothing but
a chronicle of crime and cruel
ty when he sees in the we'll
meant efforts at spiritual sympa.
thy Of the rich, to put it mildly.
mere unconscious hypocrisy
The religion of the carpenters
son. the lOWly Nazareue- wouId