The herald., 1895-06-02
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUNDAY, JUNE 2. 1905
WHY THEY DO NOT ATTEND

"a correspondent has requested the pub
lication Of the following excerpt from the
New Haven journal, and a statement of
our views regarding the subject, as it is
one being widely .dlscussed
The decay of going to meeting is one
of the decays which is attracting good
good deal of effort to stop it. We now
have one sermon where we used TO have
two. And the one sermon is less than
half as long as the two used to be. We
have fine organists and choirs, which
produce scientific and more or less sacred
music. We have other things intended
to make going more attractive, or at least
endurable. But none of them seem to
work with that efficacy which Is desir-
able. People do not flock to meeting as
they ought to. Even the short sermon is
too long for many and the scientific and
more or less sacred music is not resist
less attraction. Those interested in in
creasng the attendance OF meeting are
actively casting about for ways to do it.
DR.. Leighton Parks, a Boston preacher,
hopes that he has hit upon scheme that
will work. tHis notion is that il people
can go to meeting early enough IN the
morning to have a good long day left
after they have done their religious duty
they will go. So he has proposed that an
early service shall be held at s 80 a. M.
which people can attend and still have
enough of Sunday LETT for days outing.
For the last two Sundays he has tried
the experiment which he suggested. II
has opened his church at the hour
named for brief sevice suited to the
needs of those who feel that they must
use the day for recreation and pleaure.
This move is an interesting one and
shows that the minister who makes it
is in earnest. But we do not think it
will bling the result that is hoped for.
The plain truth is that people stay away
from meeting because they don t want to
go. They do not stay away on account
of any Inconvenience in the time OF SER
vice. And they cannot be drawn to
meeting by any change in the time OF
service. Nor do we think the attendance
would he greatly increased if, in addition
to the fine music and the short sermons,
and the other attractions which already
exist. the churches should advertise to
furnish billiard tables, tennis courts and
baseball grounds for the use of those
who would come to meeting and sit
patiently through the services. The
difficulty is a;deep one and cannot be over
come by devices which deal only with the
symptoms of it. The lures 10 meeting
are already numerous enough aud worldly
enough. 1t night not be a bad idea for
the churches to throw over the whole
business of making religion attractive,
and pay all their attention to making it
saving. The idea OF fishing for men
with artificial bait has something arti-
tcial IN il.
As the Courier says, ''the lures to meet.
ing are already numerous enough and
worldly enough" and the difficulty
cannot be overcome with devices which
deal only with the symptoms of it," 1t
has been apparent for several years to the
most casual observer that the attendance
at tne houses of worship has not kept
pace with the growth of the population
OF the country. The causes OF this de-
cadence in religious observance are un-
oubtedly numerous but they can hardly
be found in any failure on the part of the
churches to invite attendance. The var
ious denominations have been constant
in their endeavors to meet the spiritual
and physical demands of the public in
their services. Brighter sermons are
preached low than ever before, musical
programmes almost cumulative of opera
or concert in their attractiveness are rem
dered, and the meetings or services are
held in editices furnished frequently al
most to the point OF luxury. 1t is not
because the services are less interesting
or the churches less comfortable.
The leading factors in this relative
dminution OF religious attendance would
victions and social conditions Of men,
There is little doubt that the ties
that once bound men TOT the religion of
the Bible have been loosened by the lber-
alism of the past half century, and more
especially by that of the last Two decades.
1t will not be questioned that this is an
age of materialism and ti6ation,
and in such an era doctrines tina: seem to
rest primarily on faith are certain to
suffer more or less.
Without considering the right or the
wrong of it, the fact is patent that the
religion of the fathers has been subject to
more widespread and vigorous assault
and criticism in the last twenty five
years than probably in the previous two
or three hundred, and it would be singu-
lar if the result was not evidenced in an
impairment of its iorces.
Then. again, the social conditions that
have been developed by civilization are
not the sort favorable to a religious OBJ
servance OF Sunday. Conditions that
make linremitting toll on the part OF the
masses for six full days in the week the
price Of existence are not exactly calcu-
lated to cultivate generally a spirit of
reverence for the Creator or beget de-
sire to spend the seventh day in way
which to say the least cannon be consid-
cred recreative by the average person.
These conditions were rot expected of
g. civilization and are not justified by any
teachings of the scriptures, but they are
here, we are subject to them. and their
influence must be recognized. 1t cannot
be denied that TO the bulk of humanity
life has become continual grind accom-
panied by the constant fear that accident
or involuntary idleness will bring want
and m isery. The dread OF these latter
alternatives has proven an incentive,
where necessity has not forced, to un-
ceasing toll. The diminishment of the
hours that durin~ thA ---k ..i~Lt ~