Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-03-08

| terings and sacrifices " And when
Jesus saw that he answered discreetly
he said unto him, Thou art not far
from the kingdom of God. " So skep-
| tic was saved in one interview. But few
Christian people treat the skeptic in
that way. Instead Of taking hold Of him
with the gentle hand Of love, we arc apt
to take him with the iron pinchers of &C.
,lesiastjcism.
You would not be so rough on that
man If you knew by what process he
had lost his faith in Christianity.
have known men skeptical from the fact
that they grew up in houses where reli-
eion was oyerdone. Sunday was the
most awful day Of the week. They had
religion driven into them with trip
hammer. They were surfeited with
prayer meetings. They were stuffed and
choked with catechisms. They were
often told they were the worst boys the
parents ever knew because they liked
10 ride down hill better than to read
Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress. " When
ever father and mother talked of reli-
gion, they drew down the corners OF
their mouth and rolled up their eyes II
any one thing will send boy or girl to
ruin sooner than another, that is 1t. II
| had had such father and mother,
fear l should have been an infidel.
When 1 was boy in Sunday school, at
one time we had a teacher who, when
we were not attentive, struck us over
the head with a New Testament, and
there is a way Of using even the Bible
so as to make it offensive.
Others were tripped up Of skepticism
from being grievously wronged by some
man who professed to be Christian.
They had a partner in business who
turned out to be first class scq'.::.;.SS--eeii,
though a professed Christian. Many
years ago they lost all faith by what
happened in all oil company which was
formed amid the petroleum excitement
The company owned no land, or If they
did there was no sign of oil produced,
but the president of the company was
PRESBYTERIAN elder, and the treasurer
was an Episcopal vestryman, and one
director was Methodist class leader,
and the other directors prominent men,
bers of Baptist and Congregational
churches. Circulars were gotten out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened be-
fore this company. Innocent men and
women who had little money to in
vest. and that little their all, said, Il
don't know anything about this COM
pany, but so many good men are at the
head of it that it must be excellent, and
taking stock in it must be almost as
! good as joining the church. "
So they bought the stock and perhaps
received one dividend so as to keep them
still. but after awhile they found that
the company had reorganized. and had
a different president and different treas
urer and different directors. Other en-
gaQements or i'll health had caused the
former offices Of the company, with
many regrets, to resign. And all that
the subscribers Of that stock had TO
show for their investment was beautl-
fully ornamented certificate. Sometimes
that man looking over his old papers
comes across that certificate. and it is so
suggestive that he vows he wants none
of the religion that the presidents and
trustees and directors Of that oil COM
pany professed OF course their reJec-
tion of religion on such grounds was un-
philosophical and unwise. / am told
that many of the United States army
desert every year, and there are thou
sands of court martials every year. Is
that anything against the United States
government that swore them in: And
if a soldier of Jesus Christ desert, is
that anything against the Christianity
which he swore to support and defend!
How do you Judge of the currency OF
country? By a counterfeit bill: On, you
must have patience with those who have
been swindled by religious pretenders.
Live in the presence Of others a frank,
honest earnest Christian life that they
NAV be attracted to the same Saviour
upon whom your hopes depend.
Questions Unanswered.
Remember skepticism always has
some reason, good or bad, for existing.
Goethe's irreligion started when the
news came to Germany OF the earth
quake at Lisbon, Nov. /, 1915. That
go. 900 people should have perished in
that earthquake and in the after rising
of the Tagus so stirred his sympathies
that he threw up his belief in the good
ness Of God.
Others have gone into skepticism
from a natural persistence in asking the
reason why. They have been fearfully
stabbed of the interrogation point. There
are so many things they cannot get ex-
plained. They cannot understand the
Trinity or how God can be sovereign
and vet man free agent Neither can
l. They say, 81 don't understand why
a good God should have let sin come
into the world" Neither do l. You
say, "Why was that child started in life
with such disadvantages. while others
, have all physical and mental equip.
ment?" | cannot t. i. They go out OF
, church on Easter morning and say,
THAT doctrine of the resurrection con-
founded me-. So it is TO me a mystery
beyond unravelment. l understand all
the processes by which men get into the
dark. | know them all have Travelled
7 with burning feet that blistered way
The first word which most children
: learn TO utter is, Papa, or Mamma, "
; but | think the first word ever uttered
was "Why?' l know what it is to
: have hundred midnights pour their
darkness into one hour Such men are
not to be scoffed, but helped. Turn your
back upon drowning man when You
: have the rope with wbis to pull him
ashore, and let that wonian in the third
story Of a house perish in the flames
when you have ladder with which tc
: help her out and help her down, rather
u than turn your back scofingly on
skeptic whose soul is in more peril than
: the bodies Of those other endangered
:, ones possibly can be. oh, skepticism Il
u a dark land. There are men IN this
% house who would give a thousand worlds